Short URL

A URL shortener for Drupal built on node entities, with QR code generation, visit tracking, statistics, and a REST API.

Features

• Short URL content type with three slug modes: custom vanity slugs, random base36 slugs, or sequential auto-increment slugs
• Automatic redirects via the Redirect module — redirects are created and synchronized when short URLs are saved or deleted
• Per-short-URL redirect status (301, 302 or 307), starting from the site default
• CSV import from a CSV file or a YOURLS export, creating or updating short URLs, from the admin form or Drush
• QR code generation (PNG and SVG) using endroid/qr-code, accessible via /api/shorturl/qr/{slug} endpoints
• Visit tracking via a lightweight HTTP middleware that records visits without bootstrapping Drupal on cached requests
• Statistics dashboard on each short URL node with traffic charts, referrer analysis, and country-of-origin mapping
• REST API for programmatic URL expansion and statistics retrieval
• Views integration with a pre-configured admin listing
• Granular permissions for slug modes, statistics viewing, API access, and administration
• Browser cache control with an optional no-store header on redirects for accurate visit counting
• Multi-language support — per-translation redirects with language-neutral fallbacks
• Optional country detection via the Smart IP module
• Multi-domain support via the separate Domain Short URL module (requires the Domain module)

Requirements

• Drupal 10.3 or 11.x
• Redirect module (^1)
• endroid/qr-code (^5 || ^6)

Installation

composer require drupal/shorturl
drush en shorturl

Configuration

Navigate to Administration > Configuration > Short URL settings (/admin/config/shorturl/settings) to configure:

• Base36 slug length (4–12 characters)
• Default redirect status code (301, 302, or 307) for new short URLs; each short URL keeps its own
• Destination type (external only, or both internal and external)
• QR code format (PNG or SVG)
• Administration theme for short URL pages
• Visit tracking (enable/disable)
• Browser cache control (no-store header on redirects)
• Built-in statistics (store visits in the database, or rely on external analytics only)
• Visit retention (delete visits older than a number of days on cron)

Slug modes

Each short URL uses one of three slug modes, controlled per-node and restricted by permissions:

REST API

All API endpoints require the Access Short URL API permission. The statistics endpoint also requires View any short URL statistics, or View short URL statistics on a short URL the user can view, and the database statistics endpoint requires View any short URL statistics. The expand and QR code endpoints answer 404 for a short URL the user cannot view.

QR codes

QR code images are available at:

• /api/shorturl/qr/{slug} — default format (configured in settings)
• /api/shorturl/qr/{slug}/png — PNG format
• /api/shorturl/qr/{slug}/svg — SVG format
• /{slug}.qr — the short URL's own QR code address

The PNG and SVG images open in the browser, where they can be copied or saved.

Documentation and demo

• Documentation: project.pages.drupalcode.org/shorturl
• Live demo: https://2-x-tgq70ftw3epqyfjxre5ariz8erio70ad.tugboatqa.com/ (log in as admin / admin)

Previous module

This project namespace was previously used by an unrelated Drupal 6/7 module developed by the Phase2 Technology company. The original code is still available in the 6.x-1.x branch. The original project was not covered by the Security Advisory Policy.