Steps to Build a Simple URL Shortener with PHP and MySQLi

Creating a simple URL shortener can be an interesting project to sharpen your PHP and MySQL skills. With this tutorial, you will learn to build a basic URL shortening tool using PHP and MySQLi in just four steps.

☞ Step 1: Set Up Your Project Environment

First, set up the basic project structure. Create a folder named url-shortener in your local server’s document root. Inside this folder, create the following files:

• index.php — for the main application logic and URL shortening form.
• redirect.php — to handle redirection when a short URL is accessed.
• db.php

Make sure you have a working local server with PHP and MySQL support (e.g., XAMPP, MAMP, or LAMP).

Database Creation

Start by creating a database and a table in MySQL:

☞ Step 2: Establish Database Connection (db.php)

In db.php, write the code for establishing a connection to your MySQL database using MySQLi.

Ensure the database credentials ($user, $password, $dbname) match your setup.

☞ Step 3: Build the URL Shortening Logic (index.php)

In index.php, create a form to accept the long URL and handle the URL shortening process.

<?php
include 'db.php';

function generateShortCode($length = 6) {
    return substr(str_shuffle("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789"), 0, $length);
}

if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
    $original_url = $conn->real_escape_string($_POST['url']);
    $short_code = generateShortCode();

    // Check if URL already exists
    $result = $conn->query("SELECT * FROM urls WHERE original_url = '$original_url'");
    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
        $short_code = $row['short_code'];
    } else {
        $conn->query("INSERT INTO urls (original_url, short_code) VALUES ('$original_url', '$short_code')");
    }

    $short_url = "http://localhost/url-shortener/redirect.php?c=$short_code";
    echo "Shortened URL: <a href='$short_url'>$short_url</a>";
}
?>

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>URL Shortener</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h2>Enter a URL to shorten:</h2>
    <form method="post" action="">
        <input type="url" name="url" required placeholder="Enter a long URL" style="width: 300px;">
        <button type="submit" name="submit">Shorten</button>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

This script:

• Takes a URL input and generates a unique shortcode.
• Checks if the URL already exists in the database to avoid duplication.
• Inserts new records if the URL is not found.

☞ Step 4: Handle URL Redirection (redirect.php)

redirect.php will be used to process the short URL and redirect users to the original URL.

<?php
include 'db.php';

if (isset($_GET['c'])) {
    $code = $conn->real_escape_string($_GET['c']);
    $result = $conn->query("SELECT * FROM urls WHERE short_code = '$code'");

    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
        header("Location: " . $row['original_url']);
        exit();
    } else {
        echo "Short URL not found!";
    }
} else {
    echo "No short code provided!";
}
?>

This script:

• Checks for the c query parameter.
• Searches the database for the corresponding original URL.
• Redirects to the original URL if found; otherwise, displays an error message.

With these four steps, you’ve built a simple yet functional URL shortener using PHP and MySQLi. This project covers essential concepts such as form handling, database operations, and URL redirection, giving you a practical application for developing further projects.

Feel free to expand on this foundation by adding features like custom shortcodes, tracking click counts, or creating a user-friendly interface.

If you have any questions about your project, please write to us 🚀🚀🚀

We are happy to help🤝