Task
The client wanted their own link shortener without third-party services. Someone else's brand in the address and the risk that a short link could be switched off at any time were not acceptable.
Solution
I wrote a compact service in Python. It generates a short code, redirects quickly and does not create new codes for links that were already shortened. I deliberately avoided heavy dependencies so it is cheap to host and easy to embed anywhere.
What was done
- Built the front end from the design mockup
- Wrote a compact link shortener in Python
- Added short code generation and fast redirects
- Prevented duplicate codes for links that were already shortened
- Avoided heavy dependencies to keep hosting cheap
Result
Short links on the client's own domain and under the client's control. It runs on a regular VPS and takes a couple of minutes to set up.
Technologies
Python
