TinyPath

A simple and efficient URL shortener service built with Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB that converts long URLs into short, easy-to-share links.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Setup Instructions
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
• API Endpoints
  • POST /api
  • GET /:shortID
  • GET /api/analytics/:shortID
  • GET /api/getAll
• Project Structure
• Contributing
• Contact

Features

• Shorten long URLs to concise, easy-to-share links.
• Redirect users to the original URLs using shortened links.
• Track usage statistics for each shortened URL.
• Support for custom URL aliases (optional).

Technologies Used

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB
• ORM: Mongoose
• Environment Management: dotenv

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• MongoDB (local or cloud instance)
• Git (for cloning the repository)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/iampratt/URL_Shortener.git
   cd URL_Shortener

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables:

   • Create a .env file in the root directory.
   • Add the following variables:

     PORT=<PORT>
     MONGO_URI=<your mongodb uri>
     

4. Start the server:

   npm run start

   The server will run on http://localhost:<PORT>.

API Endpoints

1. POST /api/

• Description: Shorten a long URL.
• Request Body:

  {
    "url": <Your URL>
  }

• Response:

  {
    "shortID": "http://localhost:3000/myalias"
  }

2. GET /:shortID

• Description: Redirect to the original long URL.
• Response: HTTP 200 redirect to the long URL if the code is valid.
• Error Response:

  {
    "err": "URL not found"
  }

3. GET /api/analytics/:shortID

• Description: Return analytics of shortID.
• Response: HTTP 200 redirect to the long URL if the code is valid.
• Error Response:

  {
    "err": "URL not found"
  }

4. GET /api/getAll

• Description: Returns all registered URLs.
• Response: HTTP 200 redirect to the long URL if the code is valid.

Project Structure

URL_Shortener/
├── controllers/    # API logic (shortening and redirection)
├── models/         # Mongoose schemas for URLs
├── routes/         # API routes
├── .env            # Environment variables
├── .gitignore      # Files to ignore in Git
├── package.json    # Project metadata and dependencies
└── server.js       # Main server entry point

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request for improvements, bug fixes, or new features.

Contact

• GitHub: iampratt
• Email: [email protected]