Simple URL Shortener

Simple URL Shortener will shorten a supplied URL using one of over 100 online services.

From version 1.6 you must install the WP Plugin Cache plugin to be able to cache the shortened URLs.

Simple URL Shortener is the simplest, yet most powerful URL shortening plugin available, with over 100 shortening services available.

The code to access Simple URL Shortener can be put anywhere within your WordPress theme, where you need to convert a long URL to a short one.

Here is an example...

<?php echo simple_url_shortener('http://www.artiss.co.uk','is.gd'); ?>

This will display the is.gd shortened URL for http://www.artiss.co.uk.

There are 2 parameters..

The first parameter is the URL that you wish to have shortened. If left blank it will use the URL of the current post/page.

The second parameter is the shortening service that you want to use - see the seperate tab for a full list.

Here is a further version of the original example, but this time with a check to confirm that the plugin is active...

<?php if (function_exists('simple_url_shortener')) : ?>
<?php echo simple_url_shortener('http://www.artiss.co.uk','is.gd'); ?>
<?php endif; ?>

From version 1.6 you must install WP Plugin Cache to provide a cacheing feature whereas the shortened URL is only fetched once from the shortening service provider - after that it is saved and retrieved from a cache. This greatly improves performance.

However, even with the plugin installed you can still switch it off via the second parameter. When doing this, the service name must be prefixed. For example, using the above example, but switching the cache off, you'd type...

<?php if (function_exists('simple_url_shortener')) : ?>
<?php echo simple_url_shortener('http://www.artiss.co.uk','service=is.gd&cache=no'); ?>
<?php endif; ?>

Note the ampersand which is separating the parameters.

Some of the shortening services require additional information. Again, this can be supplied via the second parameter. The three new sub-parameters are apikey=, login= and password= and represent a supplied API Key, a login ID and a password.

• bit.ly+key, 9mp, j.mp+key and to.vg requires before apikey and login to be specified.

• coge.la+key and linkbee+key requires login and password to be specified.

• 307.to+key, adjix, ad.vu, cort.as+key, ez.com, l.pr, Puke.it, qux.in, tra.kz, url.co.uk and urlBorg require the apikey to be supplied.

For example, here is the above example, but now using bit.ly+key as the shortening service...

<?php if (function_exists('simple_url_shortener')) : ?>
<?php echo simple_url_shortener('http://www.artiss.co.uk','service=bit.ly+key&apikey=3003948393993&login=test&cache=no'); ?>
<?php endif; ?>

I've not used a valid API key in the above example - you will need to get one for yourself.

If you are having issues with the URL not being shortened, then a final sub-parameter of debug=yes is available. This will output useful information about the shortening process, including any attempt to cache.

For help with this plugin, or simply to comment or get in touch, please read the appropriate section in "Other Notes" for details. This plugin, and all support, is supplied for free, but donations are always welcome.

It is envisaged that this plugin is probably more of use to developers who want to include it as part of something else. In particular, this plugin can be called from another - for example, a Social Bookmarking plugin could use this to provide a number of possible URL shortening services.

To this end another routine is provided, validate_url_shortener, which can be used to validate whether a shortening service is valid.

This routine has two parameters. The first parameter is a line of text that you wish to have checked to see if it included a validate shortening service.

The second, optional, parameter is a mask. Use the text {service} to indicate where in the mask the name of the service should appear.

If the shortening service was valid, the name of it will be returned.

Let's try some examples...

validate_url_shortener('is.gd','');

This will return is.gd if is.gd is, indeed, one of the shortening services that this plugin accepts. Otherwise a null will be returned.

validate_url_shortener('Is there a shortening service in this sentence is.gd','');

Again, this will return is.gd, as it was found within the first parameter.

validate_url_shortener('Start %is.gd% End','%{service}%');

This time a mask has been specified showing that the service should appear within percent signs. As a valid service is found within the first parameter in this format, it will be valid and is.gd will once again be return.

In this example, a null will be specified as the mask condition was not met...

validate_url_shortener('Start is.gd End','%{service}%');

Use this routine in conjunction with the actual shortener to validate passed services before then using them. However, if simple-url-shortener is passed a service that is not valid, it will simply return the original URL.

The following shortening services are available with this plugin...

1URL.com, 2Zeus, 3.ly, 307.to, 307.to+key, 9mp, a.gd, a.nf, abbrr, ad.vu, adjix, arm.in, BudURL, bit.ly+key, buk.me, chilp.it, clck.ru, cli.gs, coge.la, coge.la+key, cort.as, cort.as+key, durl.me, ez.com, fa.by, fon.gs, fwd4.me, gl.am, gurl.es, hex.io, hop.im, href.in, HURL, idek.net, ir.pe, is.gd, ito.mx, j.mp, j.mp+key, kissa.be, kl.am, kore.us, korta.nu, Kots.Nu, krz.ch, l.pr, Lincr, Linkbee, Linkbee+key, Linkee, LinxFix, liurl.cn, Lnk.by, ln-s.net, ln-s.ru, lt.tl, lurl.no, merky.de, micURL, migre.me, min2me, minify.us, minilink, MinURL, nbx.ch, ndurl, p.ly, Pendek.in, Piko.me, PiURL, Puke.It, qlnk.net, qr.cx, qux.in, r.im, rde.me, redir.ec, retwt.me, ri.ms, s4c, safe.mn, sai.ly, short.ie, short.to, shortn.me, Shw.me, sl.ly, smsh.me, snkr.me, srnk.net, srs.li, su.pr, su.pr+key, TimesURL, tinyarro.ws, tinyurl, to.ly, toGOto.us, tr.im, tra.kz, twirl, twiturl.de, u.nu, UiopMe, unfake.it, url.co.uk, ur.ly, url.ag, urlBorg, urlG, urlKiss, urlShort, vb.ly, vl.am, vtc.es, xr.com, xrl.us, xxsURL, z.pe, Zi.pe, ZipMyURL, zz.gd

This WordPRess plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 (or later).

All of my plugins are supported via my website.

Please feel free to visit the site for plugin updates and development news - either visit the site regularly, follow my news feed or follow me on Twitter (@artiss_tech).

For problems, suggestions or enhancements for this plugin, there is a dedicated page and a forum. The dedicated page will also list any known issues and planned enhancements.

Alternatively, please contact me directly.

This plugin, and all support, is supplied for free, but donations are always welcome.

Custom Short URLs in WordPress

Behind the Scenes - The Brooks Review

How to make a Twitter button with your choice of service URL

1. Upload the entire simple-url-shortener folder to your wp-content/plugins/ directory.
2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
3. There is no options screen - configuration is done in your code.

You haven't included my favourite URL shortening service

Just let me know and I'll possibly include it in a future release. I'm trying to just include the most popular services, as there are hundreds available.

Which version of PHP does this plugin work with?

It has been tested and been found valid from PHP 4 upwards.

1.0

• Initial release

1.1

• New versions of shared functions added in
• Now uses caching system to save shortened URLs
• Sub-parameter system added to allow for switching off of cache

1.2

• Added 87 new shortening services. pic.gd removed.
• Ability to specify API key and/or login and password details for certain services
• Can now read XML and JSON return formats, not just plain text
• Failed shortening of URLs are no longer cached

1.3

• Added new services - 2Zeus, 9mp, BudURL, HURL, kl.am, Lnk.by, to.vg, url.co.uk

1.4

• Replaced str_ireplace with str_replace to ensure PHP 4 compatibility

1.5

• Added debugging facility

1.6

• Rewrite of main code, especially debugging data
• Using WP Plugin Cache for caching, instead of old internal routines
• Added extra Linkbee service for members
• Added ez.com and minify.us to list of services
• url.co.uk now requires an API key
• Fixed critical bug in file fetching routine
• Confirmed WP 3.0 compatibility

1.6.1

• Added v.gd
• Removed bit.ly (you can still use bit.ly+key though)

1.6.2

• Fixed file fetching bug

Download the latest version (1.6.2)

Visit the official WordPress plugin page
View for WordPress forum for this plugin