Build a 24-Hour Expiring URL Shortener with Node.js & MongoDB

Tired of permanent short links cluttering your database? In this hands-on guide, you’ll create a time-sensitive URL shortener that automatically expires after 24 hours – perfect for sharing temporary access links, time-sensitive promotions, or confidential documents.

Why Build an Expiring URL Shortener?

• Enhance security for sensitive resource sharing
• Reduce database bloat from obsolete links
• Create urgency for marketing campaigns
• Perfect for password reset flows or OTP sharing

Prerequisites

• Node.js v18+ installed
• MongoDB Atlas account (free tier works)
• Basic JavaScript/Express knowledge
• Postman or curl for testing

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Step 1: Project Setup

Create your project directory and install essential packages:

mkdir temp-url-shortener && cd temp-url-shortener
npm init -y
npm install express mongoose shortid dotenv

Step 2: Database Configuration

Create models/Url.js for our MongoDB schema:

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const urlSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  fullUrl: {
    type: String,
    required: true
  },
  shortId: {
    type: String,
    unique: true,
    default: () => shortid.generate()
  },
  expiresAt: {
    type: Date,
    default: () => new Date(Date.now() + 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000) // 24h expiration
  }
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('Url', urlSchema);

Pro Tip: Add indexing for better performance:

urlSchema.index({ expiresAt: 1 }, { expireAfterSeconds: 0 });

Step 3: Create Express Routes

Set up core functionality in routes/index.js:

const express = require('express');
const router = express.Router();
const Url = require('../models/Url');

// Generate short URL
router.post('/shorten', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const newUrl = await Url.create({ fullUrl: req.body.url });
    res.json({ shortUrl: `${process.env.BASE_URL}/${newUrl.shortId}` });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Server error' });
  }
});

// Redirect to original URL
router.get('/:shortId', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const url = await Url.findOne({ shortId: req.params.shortId });
    
    if (!url || url.expiresAt < Date.now()) {
      return res.status(404).send('Link expired or invalid');
    }
    
    res.redirect(url.fullUrl);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send('Server error');
  }
});

Step 4: Add Automatic Expiration

MongoDB’s TTL (Time-To-Live) feature automatically removes expired documents:

// Add to models/Url.js
urlSchema.index({ expiresAt: 1 }, { expireAfterSeconds: 0 });

Security Note: Always validate URLs:

const isValidUrl = (url) => {
  try {
    new URL(url);
    return true;
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
};

Testing Your Shortener

Use curl to test your API:

# Create short URL
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url":"https://your-long-url.com"}' \
http://localhost:3000/shorten

# Response: {"shortUrl":"http://your-domain/abc123"}

Deployment Best Practices

1. Use environment variables for sensitive data
2. Add rate limiting (express-rate-limit)
3. Implement error handling middleware
4. Add HTTPS support
5. Set up monitoring for expired links

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FAQ: Common Questions Answered

Q: Can I customize the expiration time?
A: Absolutely! Modify the expiresAt default value in the schema.

Q: How to handle massive traffic spikes?
A: Use Redis for caching frequent requests and implement connection pooling.

Q: Is this production-ready?
A: Add input validation, rate limiting, and error logging for production use.