# YOURLS — Your Own URL Shortener

> A small set of PHP scripts that lets you run your own URL shortening service. YOURLS gives you full control over your data, detailed click statistics, and a plugin architecture.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# YOURLS — Your Own URL Shortener

## Quick Use
```bash
git clone https://github.com/YOURLS/YOURLS.git
cp user/config-sample.php user/config.php
# Edit config.php with your database credentials
# Point your web server to the YOURLS directory
# Visit http://yoursite/admin to complete setup
```

## Introduction
YOURLS (Your Own URL Shortener) is a lightweight PHP application that lets you run a private or public URL shortening service on your own domain. It gives you ownership of your link data, detailed analytics on every shortened URL, and a plugin system for extending functionality.

## What YOURLS Does
- Shortens long URLs with custom or auto-generated keyword slugs on your own domain
- Tracks click statistics including referrers, geographic location, and timestamps
- Provides a bookmarklet for one-click URL shortening from any browser
- Exposes a JSON/XML API for programmatic URL creation and stat retrieval
- Supports private (admin-only) or public (anyone can shorten) operation modes

## Architecture Overview
YOURLS is a PHP application that stores URLs, click data, and configuration in a MySQL database. It runs behind any standard web server (Apache, Nginx) with PHP support. URL redirection is handled via server rewrite rules that route short URLs through a PHP dispatcher. The admin interface is a server-rendered PHP dashboard. The codebase is intentionally minimal with no heavy framework dependencies.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Requires PHP 7.4+ and MySQL 5.0+ with a standard web server
- Copy `user/config-sample.php` to `user/config.php` and set database credentials
- Define your short domain, admin username/password, and URL scheme in config
- Optional: configure YOURLS behind a reverse proxy with proper `YOURLS_SITE` setting
- Docker images are available from the community for containerized deployment

## Key Features
- Custom short URLs with user-defined keywords (e.g., `yourdomain/my-link`)
- Detailed per-link analytics with historical click graphs and referrer tracking
- Plugin architecture with 100+ community plugins for spam filtering, QR codes, and more
- Passwordless API with signature-based token authentication
- JSON, XML, and plaintext output formats for API responses

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Shlink** — Modern PHP alternative with Docker-first design and multi-domain support
- **Kutt** — Node.js-based, includes link expiration and password protection
- **Polr** — Laravel-based, modern UI but less actively maintained
- **Bit.ly** — SaaS with polished analytics, but your data lives on their servers
- **Short.io** — Managed service with custom domains, no self-hosting option

## FAQ
**Q: Can I use a custom domain with YOURLS?**
A: Yes. YOURLS is designed to run on your own domain. You set the domain in the configuration file and point your DNS and web server to it.

**Q: Is YOURLS suitable for high-traffic use?**
A: YOURLS handles moderate traffic well. For high-volume deployments, enable the built-in page cache plugin and use a reverse proxy cache in front of the application.

**Q: How do I migrate from another URL shortener?**
A: YOURLS provides an import API and community plugins for migrating from services like Bit.ly. You can also bulk-import URLs via the API or direct database insertion.

**Q: Does YOURLS support link expiration?**
A: Not by default, but community plugins add time-based link expiration, click limits, and conditional redirects.

## Sources
- https://github.com/YOURLS/YOURLS
- https://yourls.org

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/53818015-3bca-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot