URL Shortener Service

This repository contains a Node.js and Express.js backend application designed for managing URL shortening operations through a RESTful API. It provides endpoints for creating shortened URLs and redirecting to original URLs based on the shortened link. It also serves a landing page and a custom 404 error page for invalid URLs.

Features

• URL Shortening

  • Create shortened URLs from long URLs.
  • Redirect to the original long URL using the shortened link.

• Custom Pages

  • Serve a static landing page.
  • Serve a custom 404 error page for invalid shortened URLs. (credits to https://github.com/tsparticles/404-templates)

Technologies Used

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MySQL
• Additional Libraries: dotenv for environment configuration, body-parser for JSON parsing, cors for handling Cross-Origin Resource Sharing

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/PhilCode-creator/URL-Shortener.git
   cd url-shortener-service

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Configure environment variables:

   • Create a .env file in the config directory.
   • Define necessary variables (e.g., database connection string).

4. Start the server:

   npm start

API Documentation

Create Shortened URL

• Endpoint: POST /api/create/addURL

• Body:

  {
    "url": "https://example.com/long-url"
  }

• Response:

  {
    "success": true,
    "shortenedURL": "https://your-website.com/abcd1234"
  }

Redirect Shortened URL

• Endpoint: GET /:shortenedURL
• Description: Redirects to the original long URL using the shortened URL.
• Responses:
  • Success: Redirects to the original URL.
  • Invalid URL: Serves the custom 404 page.
  • Internal Server Error: Returns a plain text error message.

Contributing

Feel free to contribute by forking the repository and submitting pull requests for new features or bug fixes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.