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ViaShort – Smart URL Shortener 🚀

ViaShort is a modern and efficient URL shortening service built with Node.js & Express. It lets users shorten long links, track visits, and view detailed analytics in real-time.

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✨ Features

• 🔗 Shorten any valid URL into a clean, branded short link.
• 🚀 Instant redirection to the original URL.
• 📊 Analytics: track total visits and clicks per short link.
• ⚡ RESTful API for easy developer integration.

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📂 Project Structure

src/
 ├── controllers/   # API request handling
 ├── models/        # Database schema
 ├── routes/        # Route definitions
 ├── services/      # Business logic
 ├── utils/         # Helpers
 ├── app.js         # Express app setup
 └── server.js      # Server entry

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📡 API Endpoints

• POST /url → Generate a new short URL
• GET /:id → Redirect to the original URL
• GET /url/analytics/:id → Get click statistics

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⚙️ Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js, Express
• Database: MongoDB (or PostgreSQL)
• Others: Nanoid/UUID for short IDs

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🚀 Getting Started

1. Clone the repo

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/via-short.git
   cd via-short
   

2. Install dependencies

   npm install
   

3. Create a .env file with DB + PORT configs.

4. Start the server

   npm start
   

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📊 Example Request/Response

POST /url
{
  "originalUrl": "https://www.example.com/long/link"
}
Response:
{
  "shortUrl": "http://localhost:3000/xyz123"
}

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🛠 Future Roadmap

• 🔒 Authentication + user accounts
• ✨ Custom short links (vanity URLs)
• ⏳ Link expiration dates
• 📱 QR code generation
• 📈 Advanced analytics (device, geo, referrer tracking)

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📜 License

MIT License – free to use and modify.

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