🕸️ Welcome to Shortify - Modern URL Shortener 🕸️

Shortify is a modern, full‑stack URL shortening service built with Go (backend), MongoDB (data store), Clerk (authentication), and Next.js (frontend). It's designed for rapid development and production readiness with clean APIs and a polished UI.

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🚀 Live Deployments

• 🌐 Frontend (Vercel)
  👉 https://myshortify.vercel.app

• ⚙️ Backend (Render)
  👉 https://shortwave.onrender.com

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Tech Stack

• Backend: Go
• Database: MongoDB
• Auth: Clerk
• Frontend: Next.js

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Key Features

• Shorten URLs into vanity links (username + slug)
• Fast redirect service for shortened links
• User management and authentication via Clerk
• MongoDB for reliable storage of users and links
• Next.js frontend with responsive UI and Clerk integration

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Project Structure (high level)

• Server/ — Go backend, API handlers, app logic and MongoDB integration
• Client/ — Next.js frontend, components, and Clerk auth routes
• README.md — This file

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Quick Start

Prerequisites:

• Go 1.20+ installed
• MongoDB accessible (local or hosted)
• Clerk account and API keys (for auth)

1. Clone the repo

mkdir Shortify
cd Shortify
git clone https://github.com/<your-github-username>/Shortify.git .

2. Configure application settings (local & production)

Before running the app locally or deploying, make sure your runtime configuration is in place:

• Local development: copy Server/.env.example to Server/.env and Client/.env.example to Client/.env, then open those files and fill in values specific to your environment. Keep sensitive values out of version control.

• Production: configure required settings and secrets in your hosting platform's environment manager (Vercel, Render, etc.). Ensure callback/webhook URLs (for Clerk and other services) point to your deployed URLs.

Use the example files in Server/.env.example and Client/.env.example as the authoritative list of keys to provide; the README avoids enumerating individual variable names to keep configuration details centralized in the example files.

3. Run the backend

cd Server
go mod tidy
go build main.go
./main

4. Frontend: install and run

cd Client
npm install
npm run build 
npm run dev

The frontend typically runs on http://localhost:3000 and the backend on http://localhost:3001 (configurable).

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Common Endpoints

• Redirect (public): GET /{username}/{slug} — redirects to the destination URL of the link
• API base: /api/v1
  • User webhook: POST /api/v1/user/webhook (Clerk)
  • Update username: PUT /api/v1/user/username
  • Links CRUD: under /api/v1/link

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Testing & Development Tips

• Use curl -v http://localhost:3001/username/slug to test redirects.
• Run go build main.go to check for backend compile errors.
• Ensure Clerk webhooks point to the server's /api/v1/user/webhook during integration.

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Deployment

Below are quick deployment flows for the frontend (Vercel) and backend (Render). These are minimal steps — adapt them for your environment and secrets manager.

• Vercel (Frontend)

  1. Create a Vercel project and connect it to this repository.
  2. Set the Project Root to Client (or import as a monorepo and point the app to Client).
  3. Build command: npm run build
  4. Output directory: leave default (Next.js handled by Vercel).
  5. Configure required settings and secrets in Vercel (Dashboard → Settings → Environment Variables).
  6. Deploy — Vercel will run builds on every push.

• Render (Backend)

  1. Create a new Web Service on Render and connect it to the repository.
  2. Set the root directory to Server.
  3. Environment & Build:
  • Build command: go build main.go
  • Start command: ./main
  4. Configure required settings and secrets in Render (Service settings → Environment).
  5. Deploy — Render will build and start the service; check logs for startup errors.

Tips:

• Use Vercel for the Next.js frontend (serverless/edge‑optimized) and Render (or similar) for the Go backend.
• Keep production secrets in the platform's environment manager — never commit them.
• If using webhooks (Clerk), configure callback URLs in Clerk to point to your deployed POST /api/v1/user/webhook endpoint.

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Contributing

Contributions welcome — open issues or submit PRs. Follow these steps:

1. Fork the repo
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make changes and run go build and npm run dev locally
4. Open a PR with a clear description

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License

This project uses the license in the repository. Feel free to adapt as needed.

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Acknowledgments

Enjoy Shortify — deployment and CI-CD guidance have been added above. Open an issue or PR if you want badges, examples, or more detailed deployment templates.

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