Self-Hosted URL Shortener with Dashboard

This n8n workflow implements a complete self-hosted URL shortening service divided into three sub-workflows. The first handles short URL creation: it processes incoming long URLs via webhook, generates a unique ID, stores the mapping in Airtable, and returns a shortened n8n.ly link. The second manages redirection: upon accessing the short link, it validates the ID in the database, increments the visit count, and performs a 301 redirect to the original URL. The third provides a dashboard: it fetches records, computes statistics like total clicks and top links using a Function node, and renders an interactive HTML interface with custom JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Key benefits include full data ownership without relying on third-party services like Bitly, cost savings on hosting, and customizable analytics. It's ideal for developers, marketers, or businesses needing branded short links with privacy control and real-time stats. Setup requires a local proxy for the n8n.ly domain, Airtable credentials, and basic web dev knowledge.

Use cases span link sharing in emails/newsletters, campaign tracking, internal tools, or as a low-code project to learn n8n's power for web apps. The workflow demonstrates advanced patterns like conditional routing with IF nodes, data manipulation with Set nodes, and dynamic HTML generation, making it extensible for features like expiration dates or QR codes.