Why I Built Another URL Shortener (and Why It Took Longer Than It Should Have)

Description and use

nly.kr offers instant, login‑free URL shortening with QR codes, a Chrome extension, API, and multi‑language support, while handling collisions and abuse via external rate‑limiting.

Problem

Users wanted a quick, login‑free URL shortener but existing services required sign‑ups or buried the shortener behind pricing pages.

Outcome

nly.kr delivers a frictionless URL shortening experience while handling collisions, abuse, and internationalization, and expands with useful utilities.

Workflow

• 1. Paste URL into the web form or use the Chrome extension to trigger shortening. 2. Server generates a unique 6‑character code, ensuring uniqueness via atomic creation. 3. Returns short URL and QR code. 4. Optional: API call for automated creation. 5. Optional: Create account for click stats and link management.
• 6. For multi‑language pages, the site auto‑generates and validates hreflang links.
• 7. External rate‑limiting and bot‑filtering tools protect against abuse.
• 8. Users can access additional tools (PDF generator, JSON viewer, etc.) without signing up.

Evidence

The annoyance was simple: every shortener I opened wanted me to sign up first.

Source

I ended up using external tools for basic rate limiting and bot filtering instead of trying to build everything myself.

Source