How to Build a URL Shortener as a Solo Developer

What You're Building

A URL shortener takes long URLs and converts them to short, shareable links. But the real product isn't the shortening. It's the analytics. Who clicked, when, from where, which device. That data is what businesses pay for. Modern link shorteners like Dub.co, Short.io, and Bitly are really analytics and link management platforms that happen to shorten URLs.

This is a great solo developer project because the core functionality is simple (a redirect with a database lookup), but the analytics layer adds real value and monetization potential.

Difficulty & Timeline

Recommended Tech Stack

For the redirect service, you want something fast. Really fast. Every redirect adds latency between the user clicking and reaching the destination. I'd use Cloudflare Workers for the redirect layer. It runs at the edge, globally, with sub-millisecond latency. For the dashboard and API, use Next.js on Vercel. PostgreSQL on Supabase handles link storage and analytics data.

If you don't want to deal with Cloudflare Workers, a simple Next.js API route with a Redis cache for popular links works fine too. The redirect just needs to be fast.

Step-by-Step Plan

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1)

Build the core redirect logic first. A user creates a short link, and when someone visits that link, your server looks up the destination URL in the database and returns a 301 redirect. That's the whole thing at its simplest.

Generate short codes using a combination of random characters. 6-7 characters gives you billions of unique combinations. Store the mapping in PostgreSQL. Add a Redis cache in front of it for frequently accessed links.

Build a simple dashboard where users can create links, see a list of their links, and view basic click counts. Authentication with Supabase Auth keeps things simple.

Phase 2: Core Features (Week 2)

This is where your URL shortener becomes a real product. Add click analytics. On every redirect, log the timestamp, referrer, country (from IP geolocation), device type, and browser. This click data is what users actually pay for.

Build an analytics dashboard for each link. Show clicks over time (line chart), top countries (bar chart), device breakdown (pie chart), and top referrers. Libraries like Recharts or Chart.js make this straightforward.

Add custom slugs. Instead of yourapp.co/x7k9q, let users create yourapp.co/my-product. This is a premium feature people love.

Add UTM parameter tracking. Marketing teams live and die by UTM tags, and showing UTM data in your analytics dashboard makes your tool genuinely useful for marketers.

Phase 3: Polish & Launch (Week 2-3)

Add custom domain support. This is the killer premium feature. Users bring their own domain (links.theircompany.com) and all their short links use it instead of yours. Technically, this means adding their domain to your Cloudflare account and handling DNS verification. It's a bit of work to set up, but it's the feature that justifies premium pricing.

Build a simple API so users can create links programmatically. Many businesses integrate link shortening into their workflows. A REST API with API key auth covers this.

Create a landing page, add a "try it free" demo that lets people shorten a link without signing up, and launch.

Monetization Strategy

The freemium model works perfectly here. Give away basic link shortening for free (with your domain, limited analytics). Charge for the features businesses need.

Free tier. 50 links, basic click counts, your branded domain. This gets users in the door.

Pro tier ($9-19/month). 1,000 links, full analytics (geographic data, device data, referrers), custom slugs, API access.

Business tier ($29-49/month). Unlimited links, custom domains, team access, export data, priority support.

Dub.co has proven this model works at scale in the solo/small-team space. They're open source, which means you can study their approach. But there's room for competitors who focus on specific niches (e-commerce link tracking, podcast link analytics, etc.).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Slow redirects. If your redirect adds noticeable latency, users will stop using your service. Cache hot links in Redis. Use edge computing (Cloudflare Workers) if possible. The redirect should feel instant.

No abuse prevention. URL shorteners get abused for phishing and spam constantly. Implement basic URL scanning (check against Google Safe Browsing API), rate limit link creation, and have a way to disable malicious links quickly.

Storing too much personal data. Click analytics are valuable, but be careful with privacy regulations. Don't store full IP addresses (truncate or hash them). Make sure your privacy policy covers what you collect. GDPR and similar laws apply.

Competing on "more free links." Bitly already offers free link shortening. You won't win by being "Bitly but more free." Win by offering better analytics, easier custom domains, or focusing on a specific use case that Bitly doesn't serve well.

Is This Worth Building?

As a learning project, absolutely. A URL shortener touches redirects, caching, analytics, geolocation, charting, custom domains, and API design. You'll learn a ton.

As a business, it's viable but competitive. The link management space has established players (Bitly, Rebrandly, Dub.co). To succeed, you need a specific angle. Maybe it's the best link shortener for podcasters, or the cheapest option for small businesses, or the most privacy-focused alternative.

The total addressable market is large. Every business that shares links online is a potential customer. If you can carve out a niche and provide a great product, $2,000-5,000/month is realistic within a year.