# Create a short link
curl -X POST ...

This article was originally published on Jo4 Blog.

The Problem: URL Shorteners Hate Developers

I needed to add link shortening to a side project. Simple, right?

Bit.ly: $348/year for API access. Limited calls. Still shows their branding.

Rebrandly: $69/month for decent API limits. Custom domains cost extra.

TinyURL: Free, but no API. Copy-paste like it’s 2005.

All I wanted was:

• A clean REST API I can call from anywhere
• My own domain (not bit.ly/xyz)
• No monthly fees eating into my project budget
• Something I can spin up in 5 minutes

So I built it.

---

Introducing jo4.io

jo4.io is an API-first URL shortener built for developers.

# Create a short link
curl -X POST https://jo4-api.jo4.io/api/v1/protected/url \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"longUrl": "https://example.com/very/long/path"}'

Response:

{
"response": {
"slug": "abc123",
"fullShortUrl": "https://jo4.io/a/abc123",
"longUrl": "https://example.com/very/long/path",
"qrCodeUrl": "https://jo4.io/qr/abc123"
}
}

That’s it. No OAuth dance. No webhook configuration wizard. No 47-page API docs for a simple POST request.

---

Why API-First Matters

Most URL shorteners are built for marketers clicking buttons in a dashboard. The API is an afterthought—rate-limited, poorly documented, expensive.

jo4 flips that. The API is the product. The dashboard is just a nice-to-have.

Real Use Cases I’ve Built With It

Slack Bot Integration

@app.route("/shorten", methods=["POST"])
def shorten():
url = request.form.get("text")
response = requests.post(
"https://jo4-api.jo4.io/api/v1/protected/url",
headers={"X-API-Key": API_KEY},
json={"longUrl": url}
)
short_url = response.json()["response"]["fullShortUrl"]
return short_url

CI/CD Build Artifacts Share build artifacts with short, memorable links that expire after 7 days.

Zapier/Make Automation Shorten links automatically when new content is published.

Embedded in My SaaS Users create shareable links without ever leaving my app.

---

White-Label: Your Brand, Not Mine

Here’s what annoyed me about every URL shortener: even when you pay for custom domains, their branding is everywhere.

jo4 is different. With the white-label option:

Feature	What You Get
Custom domain	links.yourcompany.com
Dashboard	Your logo, your colors
Short URLs	yourcompany.com/promo
QR codes	Your logo in the center
Emails	From your domain

Nobody sees "jo4" anywhere.

This is perfect for:

• Agencies offering branded links to clients
• SaaS products embedding link shortening as a feature
• Enterprises with strict branding requirements

---

The Technical Details (For Those Who Care)

Stack

• Backend: Spring Boot 3.5, Java 21
• Database: PostgreSQL with connection pooling
• Cache: Redis for fast redirects
• Auth: JWT with API key scopes
• Infra: DigitalOcean with global CDN

Performance

Redirects happen at the edge. Average response time: <50ms globally.

Short codes use base62 encoding (a-z, A-Z, 0-9) for maximum density. Six characters = 56 billion possible URLs.

Collision Handling

Auto-generated slugs check for collisions before saving. Custom slugs return a clear error if taken.

---

What’s Included

Core

• Unlimited short links
• Custom slugs (/sale, /demo) or auto-generated
• Link expiration (optional)
• Password protection (optional)
• 301 or 302 redirects

Analytics

• Click counts
• Referrer tracking
• Geographic breakdown
• Device & browser stats
• CSV/JSON export

Developer Experience

• REST API with OpenAPI docs
• Scoped API keys (read/write/admin)
• Webhooks for click events
• Rate limiting you control

---

Pricing That Doesn’t Suck

Plan	Price	What You Get
Free	$0	30 links/mo, 1 month analytics, API access
Pro	$16/mo	500 links/mo, 6 months analytics, custom domains
Enterprise	$140/mo	Unlimited everything, team features

No "contact sales" for basic features. No surprise overages. No enterprise tax.

---

Try It Now

1. Sign up at jo4.io
2. Get your API key from jo4.io/api-keys
3. curl away

That’s it. You’re shortening links in under 2 minutes.

---

What’s Next

Currently building:

• Browser extension for one-click shortening
• Team workspaces with shared analytics
• More OAuth providers for the dashboard

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Questions?

Drop them in the comments. Happy to dive into:

• API design decisions
• How the redirect caching works
• White-label implementation details
• Anything else

If you’ve been burned by URL shortener pricing, I feel you. That’s why this exists.

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Check it out: jo4.io

Your links. Your brand. Your API.