URL Shortener

A Laravel-based URL shortener service that converts long URLs into short, shareable links with analytics, custom aliases, expiration, password protection, and QR code generation.

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Features

• Shorten Long URLs — Converts any valid long URL into a short, unique URL.
• Custom Aliases — Users can choose their own short code (e.g., /my-link).
• URL Expiration — Set optional expiration dates for short URLs.
• Password Protection — Protect short URLs with a password.
• Click Analytics — Tracks IP, user agent, referrer, and timestamp for every click.
• QR Code Generation — Generates QR codes for any short URL.
• Bulk Shortening API — Shorten up to 10 URLs in a single API request.
• Rate Limiting — Prevents abuse with throttling on the web form.
• Security Headers — X-Frame-Options, HSTS, CSP, and more.
• Responsive UI — Tailwind CSS with AJAX form submission, copy button, and loading states.

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Technical Details

Database Schema

• short_urls: Stores URL mappings

  • id — Auto-incrementing primary key
  • original_url — The original long URL (TEXT)
  • short_code — Auto-generated 6-character code
  • alias — Optional custom alias (unique, nullable)
  • password — Optional hashed password (nullable)
  • expires_at — Optional expiration timestamp (nullable)
  • timestamps — Creation and update times

• clicks: Stores click analytics

  • id — Auto-incrementing primary key
  • short_url_id — Foreign key to short_urls
  • ip_address — Visitor IP address
  • user_agent — Browser user agent
  • referrer — HTTP referrer
  • country — Country code (nullable)
  • clicked_at — Timestamp of the click
  • timestamps

Key Considerations

• Uniqueness: Ensures short URLs and aliases are unique.
• Validation: Validates input URLs, aliases, and expiration dates.
• Caching: Redirect lookups are cached for performance.

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Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/VOID-ALIF/url-shortener.git
cd url-shortener

2. Install Dependencies

composer install

3. Configure Environment

cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate

Update the database settings in .env:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=url_shortener
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword

4. Run Migrations

php artisan migrate

5. Start the Server

php artisan serve

The app will be accessible at http://127.0.0.1:8000.

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Usage

Web Interface

1. Open the application in your browser at http://127.0.0.1:8000.
2. Enter a valid long URL in the input field.
3. Optionally set a custom alias, expiration date, or password.
4. Click Shorten URL.
5. Copy the short URL or download the QR code.

API Endpoints

All API endpoints require an X-API-Key header.

Create Short URL

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/shorten
• Headers: X-API-Key: your-api-key
• Payload:

  {
    "url": "https://example.com/very-long-url",
    "alias": "my-link",
    "expires_at": "2026-09-01T12:00",
    "password": "secret123"
  }

• Response:

  {
    "short_url": "http://127.0.0.1:8000/my-link"
  }

Bulk Shorten URLs

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/shorten/bulk
• Headers: X-API-Key: your-api-key
• Payload:

  {
    "urls": [
      "https://example1.com",
      "https://example2.com"
    ]
  }

• Response:

  {
    "data": [
      {"original_url": "https://example1.com", "short_url": "http://127.0.0.1:8000/abc123"},
      {"original_url": "https://example2.com", "short_url": "http://127.0.0.1:8000/def456"}
    ]
  }

Redirect

• Method: GET
• Endpoint: /{code}
• Redirects to the original long URL (410 if expired)

QR Code

• Method: GET
• Endpoint: /qr/{code}
• Redirects to a generated QR code image

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Running Tests

php artisan test

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT license.