System Design: TinyURL

Introduction

A URL shortening service creates a short alias, or short link, for a long URL. When a user clicks the short link, they are redirected to the original, longer address. The diagram below shows how this works.

Advantages

The main advantages of a URL shortening service are:

• They are easier to share and type, and fit better where character counts are limited, such as in text messages or on social media.

• A short, stable alias can fit printed material or a message without exposing a long destination address.

Disadvantages

URL shortening services also have some drawbacks: