Taken from Ask Bob Rankin.
How to Preview a Shortened Link
If only you could preview the full URL to which a shortened URL will redirect you without actually being redirected; then you could decide if it’s wise to proceed. All of the major URL-shorteners provide this obvious security precaution; here is how to do it:
Goo.gl and bit.ly – simply append a “+” (plus) symbol to the end of the shortened URL in your browser’s address bar and press Enter.
Is.gd – lets you append a “-“ (minus) symbol to the shortened URL in its effort to woo ironic, contrarian hipsters.
TinyURL – add the prefix “preview.” (with the dot) to the beginning of the shortened URL, e. g. preview.tinyurl.com/aSefG2o5. Sigh; TinyURL was once a brilliant innovation.
Some URL shortening services do not support previewing. I would eschew such security slobs, but if you must check out such a URL you can paste it into ExpandMyURL or LongURL for a safe preview. If you use QR codes on your smartphone, note that some of these solutions work for them, too.
Add-ons for Firefox and Chrome automate previewing of shortened URLs. Firefox users have LongURLPlease. Chrome users have two options: LinkPeelr and Expand. Opera users have Unshorten. Internet Explorer users have... the wrong browser?
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