LinkForge PHP

A modern, responsive URL shortener built with plain PHP. LinkForge lets you create short URLs, use custom aliases, set expiration dates, track clicks, and manage everything from a clean dashboard — all without setting up a database.

Repository

Name: linkforge-php
Short description: Responsive PHP URL shortener with custom aliases, expiration dates, click analytics, and zero-database setup.

Features

• Create short URLs from long links
• Optional custom alias support
• Optional expiration date for each short link
• Automatic click tracking
• Recent activity panel with IP, referrer, and device info
• Delete links from the dashboard
• Responsive UI for desktop, tablet, and mobile
• CSRF protection on create and delete actions
• JSON-based file storage for quick local setup
• Clean routing with the built-in PHP server

Tech Stack

• PHP 8+
• HTML5
• CSS3
• Vanilla JavaScript
• JSON file storage

Why This Project Is Good for GitHub

This is not a single-file beginner demo. It is structured like a real project with controllers, services, repositories, templates, storage, and reusable helpers. It is easy to clone, easy to run, and good for showcasing practical PHP skills on your GitHub profile.

Project Structure

linkforge-php/
├── bootstrap.php
├── router.php
├── config/
│   └── app.php
├── public/
│   ├── index.php
│   └── assets/
│       ├── css/style.css
│       └── js/app.js
├── src/
│   ├── Controllers/
│   │   ├── HomeController.php
│   │   ├── RedirectController.php
│   │   └── DeleteController.php
│   ├── Repositories/
│   │   └── LinkRepository.php
│   ├── Services/
│   │   ├── LinkService.php
│   │   ├── ShortCodeGenerator.php
│   │   └── UrlValidator.php
│   ├── Storage/
│   │   └── JsonStorage.php
│   └── Support/
│       ├── helpers.php
│       ├── Flash.php
│       └── View.php
├── templates/
│   ├── home.php
│   ├── layouts/
│   │   └── app.php
│   └── partials/
│       └── flash.php
├── storage/
│   ├── links.json
│   └── clicks.json
├── LICENSE
└── README.md

How It Works

1. The user enters a long URL.
2. The app validates and normalizes the URL.
3. A unique short code is generated, or a custom alias is used.
4. The record is stored in storage/links.json.
5. When the short link is visited, a click log is stored in storage/clicks.json.
6. The visitor is redirected to the original URL.

Requirements

• PHP 8.0 or higher
• No database required
• No Composer packages required

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/BhartiKuldeep/linkforge-php.git
cd linkforge-php

2. Start the local development server

php -S localhost:8000 router.php

3. Open the project in your browser

http://localhost:8000

Usage

Create a short link

• Enter a long URL
• Optionally add a custom alias
• Optionally select an expiration date
• Click Create short URL

Visit a short link

Open a generated short URL like:

http://localhost:8000/my-link

The app will track the click and redirect the user to the original URL.

Delete a short link

Use the Delete button in the dashboard to remove any saved short link.

Data Storage

This project uses JSON files instead of MySQL so it works immediately after cloning.

• storage/links.json stores all shortened links
• storage/clicks.json stores click history

To reset the app data locally, you can clear those files and replace their contents with:

[]

Security Notes

• CSRF token validation is used for form submissions
• Input is validated before saving
• Custom aliases are sanitized before use
• Output is escaped in templates to reduce XSS risk

Future Improvements

• User authentication
• Admin dashboard with search and filters
• QR code generation
• REST API for programmatic link creation
• Export analytics as CSV
• Docker setup
• MySQL version for production-style deployment
• Password-protected short links

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.