How To Create Your Own URL Shortener

yourls_logo In the daily basis, usually we’re use URL shortener service like TinyURL, Bit.ly, su.pr, shorten.ws and many more on the internet. All of their service is really great and of course it’s free.

But, have you ever thought if you can also create your own URL shortener with your own domain name.

For example, if you want to promote an affiliate link, which one of these URL below is looking better :

This one : http://tinyurl.com/634em/

Or this one : http://yourdomain.com/clickbankmaestro/

If your answer is the second choice, I will show it to you how to create your own URL shortener for Free on your own domain name.

YOURLS (Your Own URL Shortener) is what we’re talking about. It’s a free PHP script developed by Lester Chan and Ozh Richard that allow you to create something similar with TinyURL or Bit.ly. I am already installed in my host and played around with it for a while, and here is my opinion :

1. Installed this script is easy, especially if you’ve got no problem installing Wordpress, then setting this script is not a hard task. (I am also provide the step-by-step tutorial how to install this script)

2. You can make your own customizable links instead of using the random characters that make no sense.

3. Details Statistics of your URL is allows you to manage and keep track of details like date of creation, IP, number of hits and clicks, etc.

4. You can make your own Public/Private links and control whether this service is available for public to use or yourself only.

5. Bookmarklet – Easy bookmarklet to create your own short URL on the fly.

Well, enough for all the positive feedback. I am sure you’re will be interested to use this URL shortener script in your own domain name.

let’s Begin :

1. Download YOURLS

Download the latest version of YOURLS, and then Unzip the file and prepare your favorite text editor. We are about to do some configurations.

2. Configure The Database

Look for includes/config-sample.php, rename it to includes/config.php and open up in your text editor.
You’ll need to change and input your the details of your database (You can get this info from your web host) : YOURLS_DB_USER, YOURLS_DB_PASS, YOURLS_DB_NAME, YOURLS_SITE. Last but not least, change your password for username and username2. The rest of the settings are optional. We suggest you go through the entire thing, it’s pretty self-explanatory. If you confused how to create the database, just drop a comment bellow. or check out the YOURLS configuration guide.
Create a database – Create a database with the name you’ve inserted for YOURLS_DB_NAME. If your web hosting account provide you with cPanel, login and find “MySQL Database” under Databases column.

database

3. Upload The Files

Upload all files and folders in the exact same structure to the root folder of your web hosting account. Your root folder name might varies from public_html, www, html, etc.

upload

4. Install

Almost done now. Fire up your browser, type in your domain name as url, follow by /admin/install.php. For example: http://yoursite.com/admin/install.php.

If everything is setup correctly, you’ll see these following messages with the link to your admin page at the end of the line.

install-success

5. Done

Login to your administration page, it’s located at : http://yoursite.com/admin/ and start creating your very own short URL. Well Done!

Hope it works for you, and drop me a comment if you have any questions of got any problem with the installation.

2 Comments

Lyndon Irvine on November 15th, 2009

Hi Mario,

This is awesome and you’re right. having your own url shortener looks more professional and the ability to customize my links instead of having the random letters is way better. For SEO purposes as well. Thanks for the heads up on this awesome script Mario and its free to boot. Gonna install this now.

[Reply]

Sharif Khan on December 8th, 2009

I like to use http://l4u.in
It gives short domains rather than /something.
It also gives me statistics of total clicks. Great short URL service to use.

I suggest to this article’s author to add this link as url shorten in this article
Features:

Visit http://l4u.in to create shortened/redirected URLs to any long URL.
# AJAX interface;
# Bulk URL shortening;
# Password-protected URLs;
# Temporary URLs;
# Custom tags;
# Custom tags for bulk URLs (automatically assigned tags like tag1, tag2, tag3 and so on);
# Redirects statistic – referer domain, referer page, visitor’s IP (+ link to geographical information about each visitor), date;
# URLs and hits statistics can be seen even without registration (IP-based authorization);
# Registered users: edit/delete URLs;
# Mass upload URLs from file;
# Export links to CSV file;

Thanks

[Reply]

Nov200914

Mario Xiao

2