The Expand URLs plugin captures the full-length URL which shortened links point to from tweets and other posts, including images. The plugin can store photo thumbnails for short Flickr URLs (flic.kr). It can also capture click counts and titles for Bit.ly (bit.ly, j.mp, and bitly.com) links.
Links to expand per crawl (required) is the total number of links the plugin should process in a given crawler run. The default value is 1500 links. The higher this number is, the longer a given crawl can take to complete. The plugin also enforces a 5-second timeout on every shortened URL request. If it cannot get the expanded URL information back in less than 5 seconds, it will save the error in the links table and the plugin will not try again. The plugin has a “no unshortened link without an error left behind” policy: any links the plugin does not expand in one run, it will attempt to expand in the next.
Flickr API key (optional) is the API key the plugin uses to acquire direct links to Flickr thumbnails. This key must be set for the plugin to process Flickr image links. Here’s where to obtain a Flickr API key.
Bit.ly username (optional) is the username you use to log into Bit.ly. This and the Bit.ly API key must be set for the plugin to capture click counts and link titles for bit.ly, bitly.com, and j.mp shortened links. Sign up for an account at Bit.ly.
Bit.ly API key (optional) is your Bit.ly-provided API key. This and your Bit.ly username must be set for the plugin to capture click counts and link titles for bit.ly, bitly.com, and j.mp shortened links. Here’s where to get your Bit.ly API key.