Shortened URLs are everywhere. They simplify and solve one of the ugliest aesthetic aspects of the internet (those endless addresses are awful to share), but on the other hand, they can also be used to confuse users and lead them to places they'd be better off avoiding. Want to learn how to decipher those shortened addresses to browse more safely ? Keep reading.
What is a web address shortener?
Basically, they are services that are responsible for transforming a url into another web address that is much easier to remember or share. It also serves to avoid giving too many details of a web address, for example, to save characters on social networks (Twitter already does this automatically) or simply to have a more fun and completely personalized one. Be that as it may, the final function of that shortened address is to take you to another, so it is simply an intermediate step until it takes you to a final destination that you do not know when you click on the shortened link.
Can I know what I am going to visit before clicking on a shortened link?
That's what this article is about. Today we're going to show you some tools and methods that will help you be wary of these types of links, because if you're caught off guard, they could lead you to websites infected with malware and others with malicious intent. Ultimately, moderate and responsible browsing is key to keeping your computer free of viruses and other types of attacks, so these recommendations will be invaluable for keeping everything under control.
A very useful and completely free service is Unshorten.link . As its name clearly indicates, it unshortens a link to show you the final result of the website it redirects you to. It's a completely free tool based on a website where you simply enter the mysterious link in its text box. It's compatible with countless URL shorteners, so you're unlikely to encounter any that are impossible to decipher.
Additionally, there's a Chrome extension that will help you decipher URLs quickly and easily, making it a potentially useful tool if you frequently handle these types of links. Unshorten.link offers paid versions with more features, such as a link history, website preview options, and other features designed for businesses and users who manage a large number of links daily. However, the free version will be more than sufficient for your needs.
Another fairly simple option you can use involves Bitly links . This link shortening service has a very useful built-in tool that offers complete transparency to the user if they want to know more about the shortened link. Simply add the "+" character to the end of each URL to see all the link details. Thanks to this hidden menu, you can find out information such as the original URL and the number of clicks it has received in the last few hours.
There are many similar tools out there to get the same results, so feel free to use whatever works best for you. We leave you a list with different services in charge of deciphering and recovering original URLs from shortened addresses.