Bitly is a handy URL shortener that Ive utilized for lots of years. As a signed up user I can produce custom, shortened URLs that individuals can actually spell. I use these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion due to the fact that the default URLs provided by those services are constantly long and incoherent..

There is an easy method to quickly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The trick is to just include a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you add the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly instead of to whatever the initial URL was.
You can attempt this trick with a URL that I recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you straight to a copy of the slides that I used my recent Intro to Teaching History With Technology webinar. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL+ will lead you to the Bitly page where you can see my original discussion URL and see when I developed the shortened URL..
See this short video to see how you can use the “+” technique to find out whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. It has been used without consent if you see it in other places. Websites that routinely take my (Richard Byrnes) work include CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.

Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive utilized for many years. There is an easy method to quickly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without really clicking on the link. When you include the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly rather of to whatever the initial URL was.

Applications for Education.
Building good digital citizenship and cyber safety abilities is something that everyone must be helping our trainees do. Showing them little suggestions like this one to prevent clicking suspicious links is among the ways that we can help our trainees build their digital citizenship and cyber safety abilities.