# YOURLS: Your Own URL Shortener

- More
- FAQ
- API
- WordPress plugin
- YOURLS plugins
- Config
- Install/Upgrade
- About

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## About YOURLS

### What is YOURLS

YOURLS is a small set of PHP scripts that will allow you to run your own URL shortening service (a la TinyURL). You can make it private or public, you can pick custom keyword URLs, it comes with its own API. You will love it.

There's a WordPress plugin available for YOURLS, making integration with your blog a snap: create short URLs and tweet them automagically as you publish blog posts.

### YOURLS Features

- `Private` (your links only) or `Public` (everybody can create short links, fine for an intranet)
- Sequential or custom URL keyword
- Handy `bookmarklets` to easily shorten and share links
- Awesome `stats`: historical click reports, referrers tracking, visitors geo-location
- Neat `Ajaxed` interface
- Terrific `Plugin` architecture to easily implement new features
- Cool developer `API`
- Full `jsonp` support
- Friendly `installer`
- `Sample files` to create your own public interface and more

### Screenshots

Main admin dashboard

Stats for each short URL

See a live example of YOURLS stats on http://yourls.org/cookie+

## Download

Download YOURLS from Google Code

You can follow YOURLS' development on the revision list and get current snapshot using SVN

## Credits

YOURLS is made by:

- Lester Chan – @GamerZ on Twitter (initial idea)
- Ozh Richard – @Ozh on Twitter (development)

Keep up to date: follow Ozh and read the official YOURLS Blog

## Fresh Install

1. Unzip the YOURLS archive
2. Copy `user/config-sample.php` to `user/config.php`
3. Open `user/config.php` with a raw text editor (like Notepad) and fill in the required settings
4. Upload the unzipped files to your domain `public_html` or `www` folder
5. Create a new database (see Configuration – you can also use an existing one)
6. Point your browser to `http://yoursite.com/admin/`

## Upgrade

1. Backup the database!
2. Unzip the YOURLS archive
3. Upload files to your server, overwriting your existing install
4. Point your browser to `http://yoursite.com/admin/`
5. Tip: you can now move your `config.php` file to the `/user` directory

## Upgrade from YOURLS 1.3 or earlier

1. Backup the database!
2. Make a copy of your `config.php`
3. Delete all files including `.htaccess` in YOURLS root directory
4. Unzip the YOURLS archive, upload the files
5. Copy `config-sample.php` to `config.php` and fill in details. Don't start with your old config file, use the new sample config file.
6. In your new `config.php`, add the defines for `YOURLS_DB_TABLE_URL` and `YOURLS_DB_TABLE_NEXTDEC` you had in your previous config file
7. Point your browser to `http://yoursite.com/admin/` and follow instructions
8. After upgrade is well and over, remove the define `YOURLS_DB_TABLE_NEXTDEC` from your config file

## Configuration (in `user/config.php`)

### MySQL settings

- `YOURLS_DB_USER`
  your MySQL username
  Example: `'joe'`
- `YOURLS_DB_PASS`
  your MySQL password
  Example: `'MySeCreTPaSsW0rd'`
- `YOURLS_DB_NAME`: The database name
  Example: `'yourls'`
- `YOURLS_DB_HOST`
  The database host
  Example: `'localhost'`
- `YOURLS_DB_PREFIX`
  The name prefix for all the tables YOURLS will need
  Example: `'yourls_'`

### Site options

- `YOURLS_SITE`
  Your (short) domain URL, no trailing slash, lowercase. If you pick the non-www version of your domain, don't use the www version in your browser (and vice-versa)
  Example: `'http://ozh.in'`
- `YOURLS_HOURS_OFFSET`
  Timezone GMT offset
  Example: `'-5'`
- `YOURLS_PRIVATE`
  Private means the admin area will be protected with login/pass as defined below. See Private or Public for more.
  Example: `'true'`
- `YOURLS_UNIQUE_URLS`
  Allow multiple short URLs for a same long URL
  Set to `true` to allow only one pair of shortURL/longURL (default YOURLS behavior), or to `false` to allow creation of multiple short URLs pointing to the same long URL (as bit.ly does)
  Example: `'true'`
- `YOURLS_COOKIEKEY`
  A random secret hash used to encrypt cookies. You don't have to remember it, make it long and complicated. Hint: generate a unique one at http://yourls.org/cookie
  Example: `'qQ4KhL_pu|s@Zm7n#%:b^{A[vhm'`
- `yourls_user_passwords`
  A list of username(s) and password(s) allowed to access the site if private
  Passwords can either be in plain text, or encrypted: see http://yourls.org/userpassword for more information
  Example: `'joe' => 'mypassword'`

### URL Shortening settings

- `YOURLS_URL_CONVERT`
  URL shortening method: base `36` or `62`. See FAQ for more explanations
- `yourls_reserved_URL`
  A list of reserved keywords that won't be used as short URLs. Define here negative, unwanted or potentially misleading keywords
  Example: `'porn', 'faggot', 'sex', 'nigger', 'fuck', 'cunt', 'dick', 'gay'`

### Optional settings

- `YOURLS_PRIVATE_INFOS`
  If `YOURLS_PRIVATE` is set to `true`, you can still make stat pages public. To do so, define with:
  `define('YOURLS_PRIVATE_INFOS', false);`
- `YOURLS_PRIVATE_API`
  If `YOURLS_PRIVATE` is set to `true`, you can still make your API public. To do so, define with:
  `define('YOURLS_PRIVATE_API', false);`
- `YOURLS_NOSTATS`
  If `YOURLS_NOSTATS` is set to `true`, redirects won't be logged and there will be not stats available.

### Advanced settings

File `includes/yourls-load.php` contains a few more undocumented but self explanatory and commented settings. Add them to your own `config.php` if you know what you're doing

## WordPress Plugin

### Features

- Generate short URLs for each new post or page
- Generate short URLs for all your old posts and pages if wished
- Send a tweet on your Twitter account with the post title and short URL as you publish them
- Works if YOURLS is hosted on the same server or on a remote server

### Download & more informations

- Download YOURLS: WordPress to Twitter from the official WordPress plugin repository
- More information, tips and feedback on the plugin page from planetOzh

## Plugins for YOURLS

### Plugins?

Plugins are additional PHP scripts that extend the functionalities or features of YOURLS. The core of YOURLS is designed to be as light as possible and avoid bloat (implementing functions not everybody needs) and to allow for easy customization.

Using the plugin architecture, you can add new features to YOURLS without having to modify core files. This way, your changes won't be lost when you upgrade your YOURLS installation and you can easily activate and deactivate a plugin from the admin interface.

There's a growing number of plugins available: check the Plugin list.

### Documentation

Several sample plugins are included in the archive. Read the source and learn the concept. It's easy and fun!

Check the plugin API documentation to learn more

## YOURLS' API

### Features

- Generate or get existing short URLs, with sequential or custom keyword
- Get some statistics about your links: top clicked links, least clicked links, newest links
- Output format: JSON, XML, or simple raw text
- Authentify either with login/password or using a secure passwordless mechanism

### Usage

You need to send parameters to `http://yoursite.com/yourls-api.php` either via `GET` or `POST` (remember to URL encode parameters if via GET). These parameters are:

- A valid `username` / `password` pair, or your `signature` (see Passwordless API requests)
- The requested `action`: `"shorturl"` (get short URL for a link), `"expand"` (get long URL of a shorturl), `"url-stats"` (get stats about one short URL), `"stats"` (get stats about your links) or `"db-stats"` (get global link and click count)
- With `action = "shorturl"` :
  - the `url` to shorten
  - optional `keyword` for custom short URLs
  - output `format`: either `"json"`, `"xml"` or `"simple"`
- With `action = "expand"` :
  - the `shorturl` to expand (can be either 'abc' or 'http://site/abc')
  - output `format`: either `"json"`, `"xml"` or `"simple"`
- With `action = "url-stats"` :
  - the `shorturl` for which to get stats (can be either 'abc' or 'http://site/abc')
  - output `format`: either `"json"` or `"xml"`
- With `action = "stats"` :
  - the `filter`: either `"top"`, `"bottom"` , `"rand"` or `"last"`
  - the `limit` (maximum number of links to return)
  - output `format`: either `"json"` or `"xml"`
- With `action = "db-stats"` :
  - output `format`: either `"json"` or `"xml"`

### Sample return

    <result>
    	<url>
    		<keyword>shorter</keyword>
    		<url>http://somereallylongurlyouneedtoshrink.com/</url>
    		<title>The Page Title</title>
    		<date>2009-06-23 18:08:07</date>
    		<ip>127.0.0.1</ip>
    	</url>
    	<status>success</status>
    	<message>http://somereallylongurlyouneedtoshrink.com/ (ID: shorter) added to database</message>
    	<title>The Page Title</title>
    	<shorturl>http://yoursite.com/shorter</shorturl>
    	<statusCode>200</statusCode>
    </result>

### Sample file

There's a sample file included that serves as an example on how to play with the API

## FAQ

### Server requirements

1. A server with mod_rewrite enabled
2. At least PHP 4.3
3. At least MYSQL 4.1
4. Note: YOURLS can also run on Nginx and Cherokee

### Server recommendations

- PHP CURL extension installed if you plan on playing with the API

### Limitations

- Maximum length of long URLs to be shortened is 2000 characters
- Maximum length of custom keyword is 200 characters
- That makes about 8 sexdecillions of centillions of available URLs (seriously. That's a 355 digits number).

### Difference Between Base 36 And Base 62 Encoding

- Base 36 encoding uses `0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz` for short URLs
- Base 62 encoding uses `0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`
- Stick to one setting, don't change after you've created links as it will change all your short URLs!
- Base 36 is the default and should be picked if you're not sure.

### Getting a short domain name for your YOURLS install

- Unless you plan on making it public and as popular as bit.ly, any shared hosting will be fine. Ozh runs all his YOURLS instance on Dreamhost and it works just great.
- Domainr is a fun search tool that might inspire and help you
- Aim for exotic top level domains (.in, .im, .li ...), they're often cheap and a lot are still available. Gandi is a pretty comprehensive registrar, for instance.

### YOURLS needs its own .htaccess

- You cannot install YOURLS and, say, WordPress, in the same directory. Both need to handle URLs differently and need their own `.htaccess` file.
- If you want to install YOURLS on the same domain than your blog, give it its own (short) subdirectory, such as yourblog.com/s/ (for "short") or yourblog.com/x/ (for "exit")

### If YOURLS generates 404 for your short URLs

- Make sure mod_rewrite is enabled with your Apache server
- Make sure your .htaccess file looks like this one

### There is no index page at the root of the install

- Indeed. It's intented. It's up to the user to make what they need. Some will redirect the root to a different place, some make a public interface for anyone to shorten links, some make a portfolio. You make it.
- If you want to make a public interface, there's a sample file provided as an example.

### Feedback, feature requests and bug reporting

- Please don't get in touch directly by mail or Twitter. Please.
- Check the Road Map for future features.
- Read all the wiki documents.
- Search in the closed issues.
- Eventually raise an issue here and give all the details. Thanks!

## Community

YOURLS is open source, so the community of users plays a great role in its development, by contributing, helping others or giving feedback that helps improve the software.

### Resources

- The official YOURLS blog, for news, hints and showcase.
- The wiki: advanced documentation, plugins, tips and more
- Follow @YOURLS to get the scoops on development, and @Ozh for tips and news (and random geekiness too)

## Showcase

### Here are a few examples of sites running YOURLS with a unique design or concept

- http://mrte.ch/
  Mr Tech's public YOURLS setup, listing top links and some stats
- http://freze.it/ Shortens and saves a screenshot of a long URL
- http://xib.me/ A nicely styled YOURLS public interface
- http://girv.in/
  John Girvin's YOURLS setup with all links in a sortable display (and its source)
- http://rml.me/
  A personal URL shortener front page showing new links and most clicked links
- http://vt802.us/
  Defined as "The World's First Vermont-centric URL Shortener"
- http://yourwish.es/
  Easily share an Amazon wishlist
- http://vbly.us
  Public YOURLS setup and early adopter, run by famous sex writer Violet Blue as "the internet's first and only sex-positive url shortener", once taken down by Libya (story)

## YOURLS and other platforms or frameworks

- Perl
  WWW-Shorten-Yourls is a Perl module to shorten URLs using YOURLS
- Ruby
  A Ruby wrapper for the YOURLS API
- Python
  A Python client for YOURLS
- Javascript
  JavaScript bindings for the YOURLS API to leverage JSONP support
- CakePHP
  Plugin which integrates CakePHP with Yourls
- Drupal
  Allows for the automatic creation of short urls using a YOURLS installation
- status.net
  A plugin for status.net to use YOURLS
- Sharetronix
  A YOURLS addon for Sharetronix

## YOURLS works with your favorite sofware or device

- Tweetie 2
  How to set up Tweetie2 so it uses your own service
- TweetDeck
  Set up TweetDeck to run with YOURLS
- Tweetbot
  Make Tweetbot run with YOURLS
- Seesmic
  Use YOURLS with Seesmic
- Twitterfeed
  Use Twitterfeed with YOURLS
- Mac Client
  Simple app to have a global keyboard shortcut send a link to YOURLS
- Android
  URLy is an Android app that plays nice with YOURLS
- iOS
  Clicklytics track links using YOURLS on iPhone and iPad
- Chrourls
  Google Chrome quick link shortening addon for YOURLS
- Firefox Addon
  Firefox Addon for YOURLS
- Textexpander and YOURLS
  Making YOURLS and Textexpander on the Mac play together

## More stuff to do with YOURLS

- Infinity Squared
  ∞² is a public page theme for YOURLS to help you design your own public interface
- John Girvin's page
  The source of http://girv.in/ home page
- xs.ht
  An example front end page for YOURLS
- http://screenr.com/nTs
  A screencast explaining how to setup YOURLS
- YOURLS: Short URL Widget
  Creates a fully configurable widget that outputs the short URL to the current post or page
- YOURLS Widget for WordPress
  This widget adds a convenient short URL service into your sidebar. Check the above link for a live example
- Twitter Tools & YOURLS
  Companion plugin for Alex King's Twitter Tool for WordPress, that enables YOURLS support
- Export URLS as text list
  A simple script to list all URLs, one per line, in plain text (for using as an indexer config file, for example)
- YOURLS featured on Lifehacker

## "Celebrity endorsements", sort of.

- http://ithem.es/ by iThemes
- http://virg.in/ for the Virgin Group companies
- http://dhurl.org/ by Dreamhost