For developers

The link management API for developers.

Create, update, and track short links from code. A clean REST API with idiomatic JSON, signed webhooks with automatic retries, and an MCP server your AI assistant can drive. Test against your own workspace in minutes.

Read the API guide Start free

API access is on Pro: 10 live keys, 200 requests per minute, scoped per workspace.

Why ReSlug

Built to be scripted.

The pieces you actually integrate against, ordered by how often you will reach for them.

REST API

Shorten, update, and delete links over plain JSON. 10 live keys per workspace with scoped permissions and 200 requests per minute on Pro.

Webhooks

HTTP callbacks for events in your workspace, with signed payloads you can verify and automatic retries when your endpoint is down.

MCP server

Wire ReSlug into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-capable assistant and manage links conversationally, backed by the same API keys.

QR codes via API

Generate a QR code together with its short link in one call, sized and colored to your spec, ready to download as PNG or SVG.

Custom domains with auto-SSL

Point a CNAME and certificates are issued and renewed for you. Your API-created links ride your own domain from day one.

Zapier and Chrome extension

When code is overkill: trigger link creation from thousands of Zapier apps, or shorten the current tab from the browser toolbar.

Under the hood

A link API you can build on, not just call.

The API is a thin, predictable layer over the same engine the dashboard uses. Every link you create from code shows up in your workspace with its QR code, tags, and analytics, and anything your team edits by hand stays available over JSON. Keys are scoped to a single workspace, so an agency can give each client integration its own credentials without exposing anything else. The API guide walks from creating a key to your first request.

Events flow the other way through webhooks: payloads are signed so you can verify the source, and deliveries retry automatically when your endpoint is down. If your team lives inside an AI assistant instead, the MCP server setup guide connects Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-capable client to the same API. Read tools are safe to call freely, and there are no delete tools, so an assistant can explore a workspace without breaking it.

Around the API sits a set of free utilities we built for ourselves: a redirect checker for tracing hop chains, an HTTP header checker, and a JWT decoder among them. And if you are comparing link APIs, the ReSlug vs Dub breakdown puts limits and pricing side by side.

Get started

First request in three steps.

1

Create an API key

Generate a key in Settings, scoped to the workspace it should touch. Keys can be rotated or revoked at any time.

2

Shorten your first link

One POST with a destination URL, and optionally a custom slug, tags, UTM parameters, or an expiration date, returns the short link.

3

Listen for events

Register a webhook endpoint, verify the signature with your secret, and react to workspace events without polling.

FAQ

Developer questions, answered.

Is the API free to use?

API access is part of the Pro plan. Pro includes 10 live keys and 5 test keys per workspace, with a rate limit of 200 requests per minute. You can start on the free plan from the dashboard and add API access when you need it.

What can I do over the REST API?

Create, update, and delete short links with custom slugs, tags, UTM parameters, and expiration dates, pull click analytics, and generate a QR code in the same call that creates the link, ready to download as PNG or SVG.

How do webhooks work?

Register an endpoint and ReSlug sends HTTP callbacks for events in your workspace. Payloads are signed so you can verify them with your secret, and delivery retries automatically if your endpoint is down. Webhooks are included in Pro alongside the API.

Can my AI assistant manage links?

Yes. The MCP server connects Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-capable client to your workspace using the same API keys. Read tools are safe to call freely and there are no delete tools. The setup guide takes a few minutes.

Do API-created links work on my own domain?

Yes. Point a CNAME at ReSlug and SSL certificates are issued and renewed automatically. One custom domain is included on the free plan, ten on Pro, and links you create over the API ride your domain like any other link.

Ship links from your stack.

Read the guide, grab a key, and make your first request in the time it takes your coffee to brew.

Read the API guide Start free