🔗 URL Shortener

A modern, feature-rich URL shortening service built with Flask and modern web technologies. Transform long URLs into memorable short links with comprehensive analytics.

Features • Demo • Installation • API • Contributing

✨ Features

🔹 Instant Shortening: Convert long URLs into concise, shareable links
🔹 Custom Aliases: Create branded short URLs for better recognition
🔹 Expiration Control: Set expiry dates for temporary links
🔹 Rich Analytics: Track clicks, locations, devices, and more
🔹 Visual Insights: Interactive charts powered by Chart.js
🔹 Real-time Updates: Monitor URL performance in real-time
🔹 Responsive Design: Perfect experience across all devices

🚀 Live Demo

Experience the application in action: Live Demo

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

• Python: Core programming language
• Flask: Web framework
• SQLAlchemy: ORM for database operations

Frontend

• Bootstrap 5: Responsive UI framework
• Chart.js: Interactive data visualization
• Font Awesome: Beautiful icons

Database & Tools

• SQLite: Lightweight database
• user-agents: Device detection

📦 Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/hassanrrraza/url_shortener.git
   cd url_shortener

2. Set up virtual environment

   # Windows
   python -m venv venv
   venv\Scripts\activate
   
   # macOS/Linux
   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Initialize database

   python init_db.py

5. Start the server

   python run.py

6. Visit http://localhost:5000 in your browser

📝 API Reference

Create Short URL

POST /api/shorten

Parameter	Type	Description
url	string	Required. URL to shorten
custom_alias	string	Custom alias for the URL
expiry_date	string	Expiration date (ISO format)

Get URL Analytics

GET /api/analytics/:id

Delete URL

DELETE /api/urls/:id

📂 Project Structure

url_shortener/
├── app/                    # Application package
│   ├── models.py          # Database models
│   ├── routes.py          # API endpoints
│   ├── static/            # Static assets
│   └── templates/         # HTML templates
├── instance/              # Instance data
├── requirements.txt       # Dependencies
└── run.py                # Entry point

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are what make the open source community amazing! Any contributions you make are greatly appreciated.

1. Fork the Project
2. Create your Feature Branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your Changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the Branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

🔮 Future Enhancements

• User authentication system
• QR code generation
• Password-protected links
• Bulk URL shortening
• Advanced analytics export
• API rate limiting
• Custom domain support

📄 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.

👏 Acknowledgements

• Flask
• SQLAlchemy
• Chart.js
• Bootstrap
• Font Awesome

📬 Contact

Hassan Raza - @hassanrrraza

Project Link: https://github.com/hassanrrraza/url_shortener

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