Cutt.ly API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Url Shorteners / API Key Intermediate HTTPS
Varies by plan (check documentation)

Overview

Cutt.ly is a feature-rich URL shortener API that supports creating short links, setting custom aliases, adding expiration dates, and retrieving click statistics. Authentication uses an API key passed as a query parameter, making integration straightforward. It is a solid choice for projects that need both link shortening and basic analytics in one service.

💡

Beginner Tip

Pass your API key as the "key" query parameter in every request with no headers needed. Start with the shorten endpoint to create a short link and then check the stats endpoint to see click data.

Available Data

shortened URL
original URL
click count
creation date
Use case: Integrate url shortener service data into web and mobile applications

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "id": "abc123",
  "short_url": "https://short.ly/abc123",
  "long_url": "https://example.com/very/long/url/path",
  "clicks": 1542,
  "created_at": "2025-01-10T14:30:00Z"
}

Field Reference

status Status code: 7 means success, other values indicate specific errors
shortLink The generated Cutt.ly short URL
fullLink The original long URL that was shortened
title The page title fetched from the destination URL
clicks Total number of clicks the short link has received

Implementation Example

const url = "https://cutt.ly/api-documentation/cuttly-links-api";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
  "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
  }
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Error code 1 in response (Invalid API key) The API key is missing, wrong, or has been revoked
Log in to your Cutt.ly account and copy the API key from your dashboard settings
Error code 5 in response (Invalid URL) The URL provided is not a valid HTTP or HTTPS URL
Ensure the URL begins with https:// and is properly formatted before sending it
Error code 2 in response (Link already exists) You are trying to shorten a URL that already has a short link in your account
Use the existing short link or specify a different custom alias for the new link

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 5/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 12/20
✓ Reliability 10/15

Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth API Key
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Url Shorteners
Difficulty Intermediate
Verified: 2026-04-04

Alternatives to Cutt.ly

Technical alternatives for different use cases.

Industry leader with branded links and detailed analytics

Better For

Enterprise link management and branded short URLs

Trade-off

Free usage without feature restrictions

No API key needed, completely free

Better For

Programmatic shortening without any authentication

Trade-off

Click tracking and link analytics

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