Snipr URL Shortener

Snipr is a secure, user-based URL shortener built with Node.js, Express, MongoDB, and JWT authentication. It allows users to register, log in, shorten URLs, and manage their own links securely.

Features

• User Registration & Login: Secure authentication with JWT tokens.
• Shorten URLs: Authenticated users can shorten any valid URL.
• No Duplicate Short URLs: Prevents duplicate short URLs for the same original URL per user.
• User-Specific URLs: Each user can view only their own shortened URLs.
• Public Redirect: Anyone can use a short URL to be redirected to the original URL.
• Click Tracking: Each redirect increments a click counter.

API Endpoints

Auth

• POST /api/auth/register — Register a new user. Returns JWT token and user name.
• POST /api/auth/login — Log in. Returns JWT token and user name.

URL Shortening

• POST /api/snipr — Shorten a URL (requires JWT in Authorization: Bearer <token> header).
  • Request body: { "originalUrl": "https://example.com" }
  • Response: { message, shortUrl }

Get User URLs

• GET /api/urls — Get all URLs created by the authenticated user (requires JWT).

Redirect

• GET /api/:shortUrl — Redirects to the original URL for the given short code.

Usage

1. Register a user via /api/auth/register.
2. Login to get a JWT token.
3. Use the token to shorten URLs and view your URLs.
4. Share the short URL (e.g., http://localhost:3000/api/abc123) — anyone can use it to be redirected.

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory:

MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/snipr
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
PORT=3000

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

2. Start the server:

   npm run dev
   

Tech Stack

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB & Mongoose
• JWT (jsonwebtoken)
• bcrypt
• shortid