Getting Started
Everything you need to start shortening URLs, tracking clicks, and integrating with the Shorten API.
Shorten is a free, developer-first URL shortener built for speed and simplicity. Sub-100ms redirects, real-time click analytics, a full REST API, a CLI tool, and a native MCP server for AI agents.
No credit card required. No usage limits on free tier.
Quick start
Create an account
Sign in at shorten.dev/login with GitHub or Google to access the dashboard and API.
Generate an API key
Navigate to Dashboard → API Keys and create a new key. All API keys use the sk_ prefix.
The full key is shown once at creation. Store it securely — you won't be able to see it again.
Create your first link
npm i -g @shorten-dev/cli
export SHORTEN_API_KEY="sk_your_key_here"
shorten https://docs.example.com/very-long-url
# => ✓ r.shorten.dev/x7kQ2m (copied to clipboard)curl -X POST https://shorten.dev/api/v1/links \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_key_here" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"destination_url": "https://docs.example.com/very-long-url"}'{
"link": {
"slug": "x7kQ2m",
"destination_url": "https://docs.example.com/very-long-url",
"status": "active",
"threat_type": null,
"revoked_at": null,
"tags": [],
"created_at": "2026-02-16T00:00:00Z",
"updated_at": "2026-02-16T00:00:00Z"
},
"short_url": "https://r.shorten.dev/x7kQ2m"
}Track analytics
curl "https://shorten.dev/api/v1/links/x7kQ2m/analytics?period=7d" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_key_here"Analytics include click counts, geographic data, referrer sources, device types, and browser breakdowns.