🔗 URL Shortener MVP (Local Version)

A lightweight, secure, and customizable URL shortening service built using Node.js, Express, and DynamoDB Local.

This project includes a demo web UI, time-based URL expiry (TTL), usage analytics, and is serverless-ready for future deployment on AWS Lambda and API Gateway.

🚀 Features

• 🔐 Secure short ID generation using Base62 and Node's crypto module
• 🌐 URL normalization and validation to prevent duplication and ensure consistency
• ⏳ Automatic URL expiry after 60 minutes via DynamoDB TTL
• 📊 Click analytics endpoint to track usage statistics
• 🧪 Test suite with Jest for reliable and repeatable testing
• 🖥️ Web UI for local demo and interaction
• ☁️ Serverless-ready architecture (AWS Lambda compatible)

🧰 Tech Stack

• Node.js
• Express (local server only)
• AWS SDK v3 for JavaScript
• DynamoDB Local (for development/testing)
• TTL support using DynamoDB item expiration
• Base62 encoding (base-x)
• UUID, crypto
• Jest for testing

🛠️ Getting Started

📦 1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/AniketIndulkar/URLShortner.git

✅ Step 2: Install Dependencies

npm install

✅ Step 3: Configure Environment

Create a .env file in the root:

AWS_REGION=us-west-2
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=test
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=test
DYNAMO_TABLE=short_urls
DYNAMO_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000
PORT=3000

✅ Step 4: Run DynamoDB Locally (JAR Method)

1. Download the JAR and native libraries from the official AWS site:
   👉 https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/DynamoDBLocal.html

2. Extract and run DynamoDB:

java -Djava.library.path=./DynamoDBLocal_lib -jar DynamoDBLocal.jar -sharedDb -port 8000

This will run DynamoDB on http://localhost:8000.

✅ Step 5: Create the DynamoDB Table

aws configure
# Use dummy values:
# AWS Access Key ID: test
# AWS Secret Access Key: test
# Default region: us-west-2

aws dynamodb create-table \
  --table-name short_urls \
  --attribute-definitions AttributeName=shortId,AttributeType=S \
  --key-schema AttributeName=shortId,KeyType=HASH \
  --provisioned-throughput ReadCapacityUnits=5,WriteCapacityUnits=5 \
  --endpoint-url http://localhost:8000 \
  --region us-west-2

✅ Step 6: Run the Application

node app.js

The server will start on:

http://localhost:3000/

✅ Step 7: Access the Web UI

Open your browser and go to:

http://localhost:3000/

Use it to:

• Paste a long URL
• Generate a short link
• Test redirection
• View analytics

✅ Step 8: Run Tests (Optional)

npm test

📌 Project Structure

url-shortener-mvp/
├── app.js                # Express server
├── public/               # Static web UI
├── routes/               # Shorten, redirect, analytics
├── services/             # DynamoDB abstraction
├── utils/                # URL normalization
├── __tests__/            # Unit tests
├── .env                  # Environment config
├── package.json
└── README.md

✅ You’re Ready!

This fully local app supports:

• URL shortening with TTL
• Custom redirect + analytics
• Web UI for demo
• Test suite for validation

🧭 Next Step: Deploy to AWS

This app is ready to be deployed to:

• AWS Lambda
• API Gateway
• DynamoDB (cloud)

A full serverless.yml config is coming in the next phase of the project.