DotLink - Simple URL Shortener

Docs & Live Demo: dotlink.js.org

DotLink is a minimal URL shortener that allows the creation of shortened links with optional custom aliases. Anyone can access shortened links, and the API also provides statistics such as click counts and original URLs.

Features

• Custom aliases for shortened links
• PostgreSQL database integration
• Simple REST API with Express
• Link analytics endpoint to check clicks and original URL
• Custom 404 page for invalid or non-existent links

Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Aarondoran/dotlink.git
cd dotlink

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following:

PORT=3030
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@YOUR_HOST/YOUR_DATABASE

Replace DATABASE_URL with your actual PostgreSQL connection string.

4. Set Up the Database

Create the urls table in your PostgreSQL database:

CREATE TABLE urls (
  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  short_id VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
  original_url TEXT NOT NULL,
  clicks INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

5. Start the Server

Run manually:

node server.js

OR run with PM2 (recommended for production):

pm2 start server.js --name dotlink

API Endpoints

➤ Shorten a URL

Endpoint:

POST /api/shorten

Request Body:

{
  "originalUrl": "https://example.com",
  "customAlias": "myalias"
}

Response:

{
  "shortUrl": "http://yourdomain.com/myalias"
}

---

➤ Redirect to Original URL

Endpoint:

GET /:short_id

Example:

GET http://yourdomain.com/myalias

Redirects to:

https://example.com

---

➤ Check Link Information

Returns the original URL and click count for a shortened link.

Endpoint:

GET /check/:id

Response:

{
  "short_id": "myalias",
  "original_url": "https://example.com",
  "clicks": 42,
  "created_at": "2024-01-01T12:00:00.000Z"
}

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.