I Built a Link Shortener with Security Features
Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago
redr.ioTechstory
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Link ShortenerSecurityWeb Development
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Link Shortener
Security
Web Development
The author built a link shortener with security features and shared it on HN, with users providing minor feedback and suggestions.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
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- 01Story posted
Oct 17, 2025 at 2:02 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Oct 17, 2025 at 2:10 PM EDT
8m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
2 comments in 0-1h
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Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Oct 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM EDT
3 months ago
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ID: 45619825Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 10:10:50 AM
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If you apply the restrictions to the shortlink, they're lost the moment the first person bookmarks the resulting page.
It adds a lighweight, link-level control layer for cases where you can't modify the target app or file. For example, you can password protect or set IP limits on shared dashboards, third-party docs or demo links - even if the destination itself does not support access control. It's basically a flexible security and tracking wrapper around any URL. This can help in a few key cases:
- Sharing sensitive internal resources where you do not control the hosting layer - Setting temporary or expiring links for contractors, demos or limited-access content. - Enforcing IP or Password restrictions on public or third party URLs without touching the underlying infrastructure.
IN short, REDR lets you apply access control on any link, even when you don't own the backend.
It doesn’t matter if my IP changes once I have the backing URL