Who is this workflow for? This workflow creates a fully automated, self-hosted URL shortener with an integrated dashboard using n8n. This workflow streamlines the generation of short URLs, manages redirections, and provides insightful analytics through a user-friendly dashboard..

What does this workflow do?

Prerequisites

  • Local Proxy Setup: Configure a local proxy to redirect the n8n.ly domain to your n8n instance.
  • Airtable Account: Create an Airtable account and obtain the necessary credentials.
  • Technical Knowledge: Basic understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Nodes Utilized

  • Webhook Nodes: Trigger sub-workflows when specific URLs are accessed.
  • IF Nodes: Route traffic based on query parameters to handle different workflow paths.
  • Set Nodes: Define and store essential values such as id, longUrl, and shortUrl.
  • Airtable Nodes: Interact with your Airtable database to retrieve and append records.
  • Function Nodes: Calculate and prepare click statistics for display on the dashboard.
  • Crypto Nodes: Generate SHA256 hashes for unique URL identification.

Sub-Workflows

  • Short URL Creation:
  • Extract the provided long URL.
  • Generate a unique ID using SHA256 hashing.
  • Save the record in Airtable.
  • Return the short URL.
  • Redirection:
  • Extract the ID from the short URL.
  • Validate the existence of the corresponding record in Airtable.
  • Update the visit count.
  • Redirect the user to the original long URL.
  • Dashboard:
  • Retrieve click statistics from Airtable.
  • Calculate and display key metrics.
  • Present the data in an organized dashboard interface.

Integration Flow

  • Webhook Trigger: Initiates the workflow upon receiving a request at the specified short URL.
  • Conditional Routing: IF nodes determine whether to create a short URL, handle redirection, or display the dashboard.
  • Data Management: Airtable nodes manage the storage and retrieval of URL records and click data.
  • Analytics Processing: Function nodes process click data to generate meaningful statistics for the dashboard.
  • Security and Optimization: Crypto nodes ensure each short URL is uniquely and securely generated.

🤖 Why Use This Automation Workflow?

  • Automated Short URL Creation: Effortlessly generate short links from long URLs without manual intervention.
  • Comprehensive Analytics: Monitor and analyze link performance with real-time statistics on clicks and visits.
  • Self-Hosted Control: Maintain full ownership and security of your URL shortening service by hosting it locally.
  • Scalable Integration: Leverage Airtable and other integrations to enhance functionality and data management.

👨‍💻 Who is This Workflow For?

  • Developers: Seeking to implement a customizable URL shortening service within their projects.
  • Marketers: Looking to track and analyze the performance of their marketing links.
  • Businesses: Needing a secure and scalable solution for managing internal and external URLs.
  • Tech Enthusiasts: Interested in setting up and maintaining their own URL shortener with minimal coding.

🎯 Use Cases

  1. Marketing Campaigns: Track the effectiveness of promotional links by monitoring click rates and user engagement.
  2. Internal Tools: Simplify access to internal resources with easily shareable short URLs.
  3. Content Management: Manage and analyze the distribution of shared content across various platforms.

TL;DR

This n8n workflow provides a robust, self-hosted solution for URL shortening with comprehensive analytics. By automating short URL creation, managing redirections, and offering a detailed dashboard, it empowers users to efficiently handle their URL management needs with full control and insightful data.

For a detailed setup guide, refer to the blog post on building a low-code, self-hosted URL shortener in three steps.

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