Everything in the dashboard, available to your code.
A URL shortener API for links, QR codes and pages. A REST API at api.urlcrop.com/v1 for links, domains, QR codes, pages, campaigns and analytics. Every dashboard operation has an API equivalent. Available on Pro and above.
- Links keep redirecting through limits and billing
- Every destination scanned before visitors arrive
- No raw IP addresses stored
- Card details stay with Razorpay and PayPal
- 99.9% availability target, record public
Links created by hand do not scale.
Order confirmations, SMS campaigns and product catalogues each need their own short links and QR codes. The API lets your systems create them, read the results and react to clicks.
What you get
01
One contract
The API is described in OpenAPI 3.1, with interactive reference docs generated from the same schemas the server validates. Errors follow one envelope with stable codes.
02
Scoped keys
Keys are tied to one workspace and carry scopes such as links:read and links:write. They are shown once at creation, stored hashed, and can be rotated or revoked.
03
Safe retries
Send an Idempotency-Key on writes and a repeated request returns the original result instead of creating a duplicate. Keys are remembered for 24 hours.
04
Clear limits
Daily quotas are 50,000 requests on Pro, 200,000 on Business and 500,000 on Agency. Responses carry X-RateLimit headers, and 429 includes Retry-After. Prepaid packs add 1 million calls.
05
Signed webhooks
Get events such as link.created, qr.scanned, link.flagged and domain.verified. Payloads are signed with HMAC-SHA256, retried with backoff for 24 hours, and replayable from a delivery log.
06
Test mode and SDKs
Every workspace has a paired test workspace with uc_test_ keys. A typed Node SDK handles retries and idempotency, and a browser SDK is built on the public client.
Create your first link from code
STEP 01
Create a key
On Pro or above, open API keys in the dashboard and choose the scopes you need.
STEP 02
POST /v1/links
Send the destination, optional slug and domain with your key as a bearer token and an Idempotency-Key header.
STEP 03
Read results and subscribe
Fetch stats for the link, or add a webhook endpoint to be told about clicks and scans.
What you can count on
Questions
What can a URL shortener API do?
The REST API at api.urlcrop.com/v1 creates, edits, archives and lists links, and returns click statistics. It requires an API key from a Pro or higher workspace.
Is there a free URL shortener API?
Not on the Free or Starter plans. The public API starts on Pro with 50,000 requests a day. You can still use every feature from the dashboard on a free account.
Can I generate QR codes through the API?
Yes. Create a dynamic QR code attached to a link and download it as PNG, SVG or PDF through the same API.
How do I authenticate?
Send your key as a bearer token. Live keys start with uc_live_ and test keys with uc_test_. A key belongs to one workspace and is limited to the scopes you chose.
What are the rate limits?
A daily request quota per plan, 50,000 on Pro, 200,000 on Business and 500,000 on Agency, plus a per-key burst limit. Over the limit you get 429 with Retry-After.
Can I get notified when a link is clicked?
Yes. Webhooks deliver events such as qr.scanned and link.flagged, with link.clicked batched per minute. Each delivery is signed so you can verify it came from URLCrop.
Is there a Node.js SDK?
Yes, a typed Node SDK for Node 18 and later with retries and idempotency built in. A browser SDK and a PHP SDK follow, and Python is planned.
Build links into your product.
Create a free account, then upgrade to Pro when you are ready for API keys.