Quick Start

Get your first short link created in under 5 minutes.

1. Get Your API Key

First, navigate to your dashboard and create an API key:

1. Go to Dashboard → Settings → API Keys
2. Click Create API Key
3. Give your key a name (e.g., "Development")
4. Select the scopes you need (for this guide, select links:write)
5. Copy your API key - you won't be able to see it again!

2. Find Your Workspace ID

Every API request requires a workspace ID. You can find yours in the dashboard URL:

https://app.sniplink.co/dashboard/ws_xxxxxxxxxxxxx/links

3. Create Your First Short Link

Now let's create a short link using the API. Here are examples in different languages:

Using cURL

curl -X POST https://api.sniplink.co/v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/links \
  -H "X-API-Key: snip_your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/very/long/url",
    "slug": "my-link"
  }'

Using JavaScript/TypeScript

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.sniplink.co/v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/links',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-API-Key': 'snip_your_api_key_here',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      url: 'https://example.com/very/long/url',
      slug: 'my-link',
    }),
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.link.shortUrl); // https://snip.link/my-link

Using Python

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://api.sniplink.co/v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/links',
    headers={
        'X-API-Key': 'snip_your_api_key_here',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    json={
        'url': 'https://example.com/very/long/url',
        'slug': 'my-link',
    }
)

data = response.json()
print(data['link']['shortUrl'])  # https://snip.link/my-link

4. Success Response

If everything went well, you'll receive a response like this:

{
  "link": {
    "id": "lnk_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "slug": "my-link",
    "url": "https://example.com/very/long/url",
    "shortUrl": "https://snip.link/my-link",
    "title": null,
    "description": null,
    "tags": [],
    "expiresAt": null,
    "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
  }
}

Password-Protected Links

You can protect sensitive links with a password. Users must enter the correct password before being redirected.

Creating a Password-Protected Link

curl -X POST https://api.sniplink.co/v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/links \
  -H "X-API-Key: snip_your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/private-document",
    "password": "securePassword123"
  }'

Password Verification Flow

When a user accesses a password-protected short link, SnipLink automatically presents a password entry form. The verification process is handled server-side for security.

Removing Password Protection

To remove password protection from an existing link, set the password to null:

curl -X PATCH https://api.sniplink.co/v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/links/{linkId} \
  -H "X-API-Key: snip_your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "password": null
  }'

Security Recommendations

• Use strong passwords: Minimum 8 characters with mixed case, numbers, and symbols.
• Share passwords securely: Never share passwords in the same channel as the link.
• Set expiration dates: Combine password protection with expiration for time-sensitive content.
• Monitor access: Check analytics to see who's accessing your protected links.

Next Steps

Now that you've created your first short link, here are some next steps:

• Learn about authentication - Understand API key scopes and security best practices
• Error handling - Learn how to handle errors gracefully
• Explore the Links API - See all available endpoints
• Track analytics - Monitor link performance