Creating a URL Shortener with Python & Flask 🔗🚀
Introduction: Why Build a URL Shortener?
Long URLs can be difficult to share, remember, or use in social media posts. A URL shortener allows you to create short, user-friendly links that redirect to long URLs.
In this tutorial, we will build a simple URL shortener using Python & Flask. This project is great for beginners and covers:
✔ Flask setup for web development
✔ Database integration using SQLite
✔ Generating short links for long URLs
✔ Redirecting users to original URLs
By the end, you will have a fully functional URL shortener running on your system! 🚀
Step 1: Install Required Dependencies 🛠️
Before starting, ensure you have Python (3.11 recommended) installed. Then, install Flask:
pip install flask flask-sqlalchemy
We use:
✅ Flask – For web development
✅ Flask-SQLAlchemy – For database handling
Step 2: Set Up Flask Project Structure 📁
Create a project folder and structure it like this:
url_shortener/
│── app.py
│── templates/
│ ├── index.html
│ ├── short_url.html
│── static/
│── database.db
📌 Explanation:
app.py– Main Flask applicationtemplates/– Stores HTML filesstatic/– For CSS/JS filesdatabase.db– Stores shortened URLs
Step 3: Create the Flask App (app.py) 📝
Open app.py and start coding:
from flask import Flask, request, redirect, render_template
from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
import random, string
app = Flask(__name__)
app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = 'sqlite:///database.db'
db = SQLAlchemy(app)
# Database model
class URL(db.Model):
id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
long_url = db.Column(db.String(500), nullable=False)
short_url = db.Column(db.String(10), unique=True, nullable=False)
# Generate a short URL
def generate_short_url():
return ''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_letters + string.digits, k=6))
# Homepage
@app.route('/', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
def index():
if request.method == 'POST':
long_url = request.form['long_url']
short_url = generate_short_url()
new_url = URL(long_url=long_url, short_url=short_url)
db.session.add(new_url)
db.session.commit()
return render_template('short_url.html', short_url=short_url)
return render_template('index.html')
# Redirect to original URL
@app.route('/<short_url>')
def redirect_to_url(short_url):
url_entry = URL.query.filter_by(short_url=short_url).first()
if url_entry:
return redirect(url_entry.long_url)
return "URL not found", 404
if __name__ == '__main__':
db.create_all() # Create database tables
app.run(debug=True)
📌 How It Works:
✔ Stores original and shortened URLs in the database
✔ Generates random 6-character short URLs
✔ Redirects users to the original URL
Step 4: Create HTML Templates 🎨
1️⃣ index.html (Form to Enter Long URL)
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>URL Shortener</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Enter URL to Shorten</h2>
<form method="POST">
<input type="url" name="long_url" required>
<button type="submit">Shorten</button>
</form>
</body>
</html>
2️⃣ short_url.html (Displays Shortened URL)
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Shortened URL</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Your Shortened URL:</h2>
<p><a href="{{ short_url }}">{{ short_url }}</a></p>
</body>
</html>
Step 5: Run the Flask App 🚀
In your terminal, navigate to your project folder and run:
python app.py
Now, open http://127.0.0.1:5000/ in your browser and start shortening URLs! 🎉
Step 6: Deploy Your URL Shortener 🌍
To make your URL shortener public, you can:
✅ Deploy on Heroku using Flask
✅ Use PythonAnywhere for free hosting
✅ Deploy on Vercel or AWS
Conclusion: Build Your Own URL Shortener! 🚀
You have successfully created a working URL shortener using Python & Flask! 🎉
✔ Full Flask web app with database
✔ Short URL generation & redirection
✔ Beginner-friendly and scalable
💡 Next Steps:
- Add custom short URLs
- Implement click tracking & analytics
- Use MongoDB or PostgreSQL for scalability
🔥 Did you enjoy this project? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🔥