gas-url-shortener

A URL Shortening service powered by Google Apps Script.

AI Summary

TakeMeThere (GAS URL Shortener)

Template for building a custom-domain URL shortener with Google Apps Script, Google Sheets, and GitHub Pages.

Target Users

Intermediate GAS developers who need a server-less, custom-domain URL shortener for internal tools or marketing links.

Problems Solved

Running a branded URL shortener usually requires servers and database management, increasing cost and complexity.

Main Features

Zero server cost

Runs entirely on free tiers of GAS and GitHub Pages, eliminating infrastructure maintenance.

Spreadsheet-based management

Mappings are stored in Google Sheets, allowing easy viewing and editing.

Custom domain with HTTPS

Leverages GitHub Pages’ automatic SSL to serve short links over HTTPS on your own domain.

Usage Examples

Basic redirect handler with doGet

/**
 * Column A = slug, Column B = long URL in the spreadsheet
 */
const SHEET_ID  = 'YOUR_SHEET_ID_HERE';
const SHEET_NAME = 'URLs';

/**
 * Redirects to the long URL that matches the requested slug.
 * @param {GoogleAppsScript.Events.DoGet} e
 */
function doGet(e) {
  const slug = (e.pathInfo || '').trim();      // e.g. /abc → "abc"
  if (!slug) {
    return HtmlService.createHtmlOutput('Slug not provided.');
  }

  const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.openById(SHEET_ID).getSheetByName(SHEET_NAME);
  const data  = sheet.getRange(2, 1, sheet.getLastRow() - 1, 2).getValues();

  const hit = data.find(row => row[0] === slug);
  if (hit) {
    const longUrl = hit[1];
    const html = `<script>window.top.location.replace('${longUrl}');</script>`;
    return HtmlService.createHtmlOutput(html).setXFrameOptionsMode(HtmlService.XFrameOptionsMode.ALLOWALL);
  }

  return HtmlService.createHtmlOutput('URL not found');
}

Deploy this script as a web app (accessible by "Anyone, even anonymous").
Visiting https://your-script-id/exec/{slug} will redirect the browser to the long URL stored in the spreadsheet.