AWS Serverless URL Shortener

A simple, scalable, and cost-effective URL shortener built with the Serverless Framework on AWS. This service uses API Gateway, Lambda, and DynamoDB to create and redirect short URLs.

Features

• Create Short URLs: Generate a unique, short identifier for any long URL.
• Redirect Short URLs: Automatically redirect users from the short URL to the original long URL.
• Serverless: No servers to manage. The application scales automatically with demand.
• Cost-Effective: Leverages AWS Lambda and DynamoDB, so you only pay for what you use.
• Easy to Deploy: Deploy the entire stack with a single Serverless Framework command.

Technology Stack

• Framework: Serverless Framework
• Cloud Provider: AWS (Amazon Web Services)
• Compute: AWS Lambda for running the application logic.
• Database: AWS DynamoDB for storing the URL mappings.
• API: AWS API Gateway to create and manage the REST API endpoints.
• Language: Node.js

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v22)
• npm
• Serverless Framework CLI
• An AWS account with configured credentials.

Installation & Deployment

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/sureshcstha/url-shortener-aws.git
cd url-shortener-aws

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Deploy the DynamoDB table:

aws cloudformation deploy --template-file infrastructure/dynamoDB-setup.yaml --stack-name url-shortener-db

4. Deploy to AWS:

Run the following command to deploy the Serverless stack (API Gateway, Lambda) to your AWS account.

serverless deploy

After a successful deployment, the Serverless Framework will output the API endpoints in your terminal. This is the base URL for your new shortener service.

API Usage

1. Shorten a URL
Method: POST
Endpoint: /shorturl
Request Body:

{
  "originalUrl": "https://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk"
}

Success Response (200):

{
  "shortCode": "9jVdQK7",
  "shortUrl": "https://tiny.shresthatech.com/9jVdQK7"
}

2. Redirect to orignal URL
Method: GET
Endpoint: /{shortUrl}

• Example:

Visit https://tiny.shresthatech.com/9jVdQK7 in your browser. Your browser will automatically follow the redirect.

3. Look up the original URL
Method: GET
Endpoint: /lookup/{shortUrl}
Success Response (200):

{
  "shortCode": "9jVdQK7",
  "originalUrl": "https://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk"
}

4. Get click statistics
Method: GET
Endpoint: /clickstats/{shortUrl}
Success Response (200):

{
  "shortCode": "9jVdQK7",
  "clicks": 42,
  "lastAccessed": "2025-04-02T20:36:46.792Z"
}

Configuration

The core configuration is managed in the serverless.yml file.

• service: url-shortener - The name of the service.
• provider: Defines the AWS region, runtime (Node.js version), and environment variables.
• functions: Defines the Lambda functions, their handlers, and the API Gateway events that trigger them.
• resources: Defines the AWS resources created by this stack.