javascript - What is the best way in PHP or JS to expand shortened URLs like Bitly, Tinyurl to find the original URL? -

i using twitter , facewbook api pull posts potentially contain shortened urls using bit.ly or tinyurl services. need real-time expansion original url pull content url app.

you can use curl expand short url.

try this:

    function traceurl($url, $hops = 0)     {         if ($hops == max_url_hops)         {             throw new exception('too_many_hops');         }          $ch = curl_init($url);         curl_setopt($ch, curlopt_header, 1);         curl_setopt($ch, curlopt_nobody, 1);         curl_setopt($ch, curlopt_returntransfer, 1);         curl_setopt($ch, curlopt_ssl_verifypeer, 0);         $r = curl_exec($ch);          if (preg_match('/location: (?p<url>.*)/i', $r, $match))         {             return traceurl($match['url'], $hops + 1);         }          return rtrim($url);     } 

you can use function traceurl('http://bit.ly/example'). function recursive in sense find short urls shortened (if ever happens). make sure set max_url_hops constant. use define('max_url_hops', 5);.

• christian