Free URL Shortener API — Shorten Links Programmatically

The Meshalive REST API lets you shorten URLs from any application, automation, or script. The public endpoint requires no API key. Authenticated endpoints unlock custom slugs, analytics, and no click limits.

1. Public endpoint — no API key required

POST to https://api.meshalive.com/v1/shorten with a JSON body containing the URL to shorten. No account or API key is needed.

curl -X POST https://api.meshalive.com/v1/shorten \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com/very/long/path?with=params"}'

{
  "slug": "abc123",
  "short_url": "https://msha.live/abc123",
  "click_limit": 20
}

2. Authenticated endpoint — unlimited clicks

Create a free account, then go to Dashboard → Settings → API Tokens to generate a token. Pass it in the Authorization header.

curl -X POST https://api.meshalive.com/v1/links \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "destination": "https://example.com/page",
    "slug": "my-campaign",
    "title": "Summer Campaign 2026"
  }'

curl https://api.meshalive.com/v1/links/my-campaign/analytics \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"

Code examples

JavaScript / Node.js

// Public endpoint (no auth, 20-click limit)
const res = await fetch('https://api.meshalive.com/v1/shorten', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({ url: 'https://example.com/long-path' }),
});
const { slug, short_url } = await res.json();
console.log(short_url); // https://msha.live/abc123

// Authenticated (unlimited clicks, custom slug)
const res2 = await fetch('https://api.meshalive.com/v1/links', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    destination: 'https://example.com/long-path',
    slug: 'my-link',
    title: 'My link title',
  }),
});
const link = await res2.json();
console.log(link.short_url);

Python

import requests

# Public endpoint
resp = requests.post(
    "https://api.meshalive.com/v1/shorten",
    json={"url": "https://example.com/long-path"},
)
data = resp.json()
print(data["short_url"])  # https://msha.live/abc123

# Authenticated
TOKEN = "YOUR_API_TOKEN"
resp = requests.post(
    "https://api.meshalive.com/v1/links",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {TOKEN}"},
    json={
        "destination": "https://example.com/long-path",
        "slug": "my-link",
        "title": "My link title",
    },
)
print(resp.json()["short_url"])

Go

package main

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
)

func shortenURL(dest, token string) (string, error) {
    body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]string{
        "destination": dest,
    })
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST",
        "https://api.meshalive.com/v1/links",
        bytes.NewBuffer(body))
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token)

    resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        return "", err
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var result map[string]interface{}
    json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&result)
    return result["short_url"].(string), nil
}

func main() {
    url, _ := shortenURL("https://example.com", "YOUR_API_TOKEN")
    fmt.Println(url)
}

Endpoint reference

Using the API with Zapier or Make

You can use the Meshalive API from Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat) using the Webhooks/HTTP action. Set the method to POST, URL to https://api.meshalive.com/v1/links, add your token in the Authorization header, and map the destination URL from your trigger. Common use cases:

• Automatically shorten URLs from a Google Sheet column
• Create a short link every time a new blog post is published in WordPress
• Generate a short link for each new product in Shopify
• Shorten URLs in a CRM when a new deal or lead is created

Frequently asked questions