Resources

API reference

Create and manage links from your own apps, scripts and automations. JSON in, JSON out. The API is included with Pro and Business.

Authentication

Create a key on your Account page and send it as a Bearer token. Keys start with lu_live_. Keep them secret — anyone with a key can manage your links.

curl https://littleurl.net/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lu_live_YOUR_KEY"

Rate limits: 60 requests a minute on Pro and 600 on Business. Going over returns 429. Plan limits return 402 with "upgrade": true.

Create a link. Only url is required.

# Shorten with an alias, smart routing and an A/B split
curl -X POST https://littleurl.net/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lu_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://myapp.com",
    "alias": "get-the-app",
    "rules": [
      { "type": "device",   "value": "ios",     "url": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123" },
      { "type": "device",   "value": "android", "url": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=my.app" },
      { "type": "language", "value": "fr",      "url": "https://myapp.com/fr" }
    ],
    "variants": [ { "url": "https://myapp.com/landing-b", "weight": 50 } ],
    "expiresAt": "2027-01-01T00:00:00Z",
    "maxClicks": 10000
  }'

# → 201
{ "link": { "code": "get-the-app", "shortUrl": "…/get-the-app", "clicks": 0, … } }

Rule types: device (ios, android, mobile, desktop), country (ISO codes such as US,CA) and language (fr,es). The first matching rule wins; otherwise variants split traffic by weight (%), and everyone else goes to url. Optional fields: password, expiresAt, maxClicks.

For a bundle, send "kind": "bundle" with a title, optional description and items: [{ "title": "…", "url": "…" }].

List your links, newest first. Query: q (search), kind (link, bundle, smart), sort (new, old, clicks), limit (max 100), offset.

Get one link.

Analytics for 7, 30 or 90 days: totals, daily series, countries, referrers, devices, operating systems, browsers, destinations and recent visits.

Change url, rules, variants, expiresAt, maxClicks, password (null removes it) or disabled. The short link never changes.

Delete a link and its analytics permanently.

Shorten up to 100 links in one call: { "urls": ["…", "…"] }. Each result is { ok, link } or { ok: false, error }.

Returns just the short URL as plain text — handy in shell scripts and spreadsheets.

curl "https://littleurl.net/api/create?url=https://example.com/long" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lu_live_YOUR_KEY"

Check whether an alias is free: { "available": true }.

A styled QR code for any link, no key needed. Options: dots (rounded, dots, square), eyes (rounded, circle, square), fg, bg, eye (hex colours), logo=1, px, download=1.

Productivity tools

One-click bookmarklet

Drag this button to your bookmarks bar. On any page, click it to shorten that page — the link is copied automatically.

LittleURL it

Install the app & share to it

Install LittleURL from your browser menu (Install app or Add to Home Screen). It then appears in your phone's share sheet: share any page to LittleURL to shorten it.

Keyboard shortcuts

• Paste anywhere on the New link page — it shortens immediately.
• / focuses the link input; Enter shortens and copies the result.
• ← → move between Shorten, QR code, Bundle and Bulk.

Link tricks

• Add + to any LittleURL to preview where it goes: littleurl.net/abc123+
• Query strings pass through, so littleurl.net/sale?utm_source=ig keeps its UTM tags.
• Codes never use 0 o 1 l i, so they're easy to read aloud or type from a poster.

How we count visits

LittleURL counts visits without tracking people. We never store visitors' IP addresses: unique visitors are counted with a salted hash that changes every day and can't be reversed, and we don't set tracking cookies on your visitors. Country comes from network edge headers when available, otherwise from the browser's language region. Link previews from apps like Slack, WhatsApp and iMessage are detected and left out of your numbers.

Account passwords are hashed with scrypt, and API keys are stored only as one-way hashes.

Brand guidelines

LittleURL makes the internet's longest, ugliest links small, friendly and useful. The brand is professional and trustworthy, with a warm edge — precise rather than flashy, a little tool that does a big job well.

Logo

The mark is two chain links — one big, one little — locked together on a coral tile, tilted 45° to read as forward motion. Big link in, little link out.

• The wordmark is set in Poppins ExtraBold with tight tracking; “URL” is always coral.
• Keep clear space of at least half the mark's height on every side. Minimum size: 16px for the mark, 96px wide for the full logo.
• Don't recolour the mark, outline it, add shadows, or separate the two links.

logo.svg logo-dark.svg mark.svg

Colour

Coral is the signature: energetic and friendly, and distinct from the blues and teals of other link tools. Ink and cream keep it grounded. Text on coral is always ink, never white — it passes WCAG AA at every size.

Typography

Voice

Taglines

• Big links, made little. (primary)
• One link. The right destination for everyone.
• Little links. Big insights.