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URL Shortener
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short.ly/abc123 →
https://verylongdomain.com/very/long/path?with=params
URLs can be hundreds of characters long — ugly, untrackable, and impossible to share in SMS or tweet limits.
A URL shortener maps a long URL to a short code, stores the mapping, and transparently redirects visitors.
Request Flow
User shortens a URL
POST /shorten with the long URL → API generates a short code → returns https://short.ly/abc123
POST /shorten
{ "url": "https://verylongdomain.com/article?id=12345" }
→ 201 Created
{ "short_url": "https://short.ly/abc123" }Someone clicks the short link
Browser visits https://short.ly/abc123 → GET /abc123 → server looks up the code → returns 302 redirect → browser follows to original URL
GET /abc123 → 302 Found Location: https://verylongdomain.com/article?id=12345
Why We Need This
The architecture challenge is not the shortening — it is the redirect performance.
For every 1 URL created, it might be clicked 10,000 times. The GET /:code path must handle millions of reads per second, under 50ms.
Key Insight
The core challenge: generate unique short codes, handle 100:1 read/write ratio, and redirect millions of lookups per second — all under 50ms.
Overview