FastAPI URL Shortener

A simple URL shortening service built with FastAPI, featuring short code redirects, access logging, and admin access with environment variable authentication.

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Features

• Shorten long URLs to short codes
• Redirect short codes to original URLs
• Track visit counts and access logs
• Protected admin endpoint to view recent access logs

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Tech Stack

• Python 3.8+
• FastAPI
• SQLAlchemy
• SQLite/PostgreSQL
• Uvicorn (ASGI server)

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip package manager
• Database setup (SQLite by default, can use PostgreSQL or others)

Installation

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git
cd your-repo
pip install -r requirements.txt

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root or set environment variables directly:

SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key

Make sure to replace values with your actual secret key and database URL.

Running the App

uvicorn main:app --reload

Open your browser and visit:

• API docs: http://127.0.0.1:8000/docs
• Alternative docs: http://127.0.0.1:8000/redoc

for documentation on the API and its endpoints

API Endpoints

• POST /shorten - Shorten a long URL
• GET /{code} - Redirect to original URL for a given short code
• GET /admin - Admin endpoint to view access logs (requires passwrd query param matching SECRET_KEY)
• GET /show - Shows all the urls and shortcode present in the database(requires show query param matching all)

Testing

Run tests using pytest:

pytest

Sample test cases are provided in test_main.py file which can be run using pytest test_main.py

Make sure environment variables like SECRET_KEY are set before running tests.

You can use a .env file or set them in your terminal session.

Deployment

Deploying to Render

1. Push your code to a GitHub repository.
2. Go to https://render.com and create a new Web Service.
3. Connect your GitHub repository.
4. Set the following environment variables in the Render dashboard: SECRET_KEY – your secret key for admin access
5. Choose:
   • Build Command: pip install -r requirements.txt
   • Start Command: uvicorn main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 10000
6. Deploy the service and Render will handle the rest.

Your FastAPI app will be live at the URL provided by Render.

Live Demo

You can try the deployed URL shortener app here:
Url Shortener by aby-jo