# ShortURLMCP

<!-- mcp-name: io.github.AceDataCloud/mcp-shorturl -->

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[![MCP](https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-Compatible-green.svg)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)

A [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) server for URL shortening using [Short URL API](https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/shorturl?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_documents_shorturl) through the [AceDataCloud API](https://platform.acedata.cloud?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_platform).

Create short, shareable URLs directly from Claude, VS Code, or any MCP-compatible client.

## Features

- **URL Shortening** - Convert long URLs into short, shareable links
- **Batch Shortening** - Shorten multiple URLs at once (up to 10 per batch)
- **Free Service** - Zero credit consumption per request
- **Permanent Links** - Short URLs never expire
- **surl.id Domain** - Short URLs use the clean `surl.id` domain
- **Bearer Auth** - Secure API access with token authentication

## Tool Reference

| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `shorturl_create` | Create a short URL from a long URL. |
| `shorturl_batch_create` | Create short URLs for multiple long URLs in a single batch. |
| `shorturl_get_usage_guide` | Get a comprehensive guide for using the ShortURL tools. |
| `shorturl_get_api_info` | Get information about the ShortURL API service. |

## Connect: hosted OAuth, API token, or local stdio

The hosted endpoint is `https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp`. Choose one route for the MCP client:

| Route | When to use it | Credential setup |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted OAuth | The client supports remote MCP OAuth | Add only the URL, then sign in to AceDataCloud and approve access. No token needs to be pasted into client configuration. |
| Hosted API token | The client cannot finish OAuth, or you need an explicit integration credential | Send an AceDataCloud API token in the `Authorization: Bearer …` header. Keep it in a local secret store or environment variable. |
| Local stdio | The client runs a local MCP process | Install `mcp-shorturl` and pass `ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN` to that process. It still calls the AceDataCloud API. |

The hosted service advertises OAuth metadata and Dynamic Client Registration (DCR). **DCR registers the client application; it is not an API key.** OAuth signs you in and the client sends the resulting Bearer token; it may reuse or create an API credential for the account. Browser sign-in still requires an AceDataCloud account. The hosted service can be metered: review [current service documentation](https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/short-url-mcp?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_quick_start) and displayed pricing before a real operation. Do not configure both an OAuth login and a fixed `Authorization` header for the same server.

### Hosted OAuth examples

- **Claude and Claude Desktop chat:** Add a remote custom connector in `Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector`, enter `https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp`, select sign-in, and choose **Register automatically** if Claude asks how to register its OAuth client. Complete consent. Claude Desktop's local `claude_desktop_config.json` is a separate setup. [Claude connector guide](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp).
- **Claude Code:** `claude mcp add --transport http --scope user shorturl https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp`, then `claude mcp login shorturl`. Check `/mcp`. [Claude Code MCP guide](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp).
- **Cursor:** Add a remote server with only `https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp`. For a project, merge the entry below into `<project>/.cursor/mcp.json`; for personal use, use `~/.cursor/mcp.json`. [Cursor MCP guide](https://cursor.com/docs/mcp).
- **VS Code / Copilot:** Run **MCP: Add Server**, select HTTP, enter `https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp`, then finish the browser sign-in. New portable workspace configs use `<project>/.mcp.json`; the VS Code-specific format below uses `<project>/.vscode/mcp.json` or the user profile. Check **MCP: List Servers**. [VS Code MCP setup](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agent-customization/mcp-servers).
- **Codex:** `codex mcp add shorturl --url https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp`, then `codex mcp login shorturl`. Its user settings are in `~/.codex/config.toml`. [Official Codex MCP guide](https://developers.openai.com/codex/mcp/).

Cursor project config (OAuth):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shorturl": {"url": "https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp"}
  }
}
```

VS Code-specific workspace config (OAuth):

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "shorturl": {"type": "http", "url": "https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp"}
  }
}
```

### Hosted API token

<!-- BEGIN TOKEN ONBOARDING -->
1. Open [Ace Data Cloud → Applications](https://platform.acedata.cloud/console/applications?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_api_key). Sign in, or register an account first.
2. Find **General application**. If it has not been created, choose **Initialize General Application**. A general key can use the services available to your account; a dedicated application's key is limited to its service. Check the required service/model access and [current pricing](https://platform.acedata.cloud/models?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_models).
3. Copy the **API Key** from the application card, or open **Keys / Manage Keys → Create** to create a separate key for this integration. Give it a recognizable name so you can revoke or rotate it independently.
4. When creating a key, review **Expiration Time**, **Set Usage Limitation**, and **Allowed APIs**. Enable only the restrictions you need, allow the operations you will call, then click **Create** and copy the token from the key list. Task lookup does not grant permission to submit a generation. Confirm the application's balance can cover your first request; any trial allowance is whatever your account currently displays.
5. Copy only the token value, without quotation marks, spaces, or `Bearer `. An API Key / API Token field expects this raw value; only a manually configured HTTP `Authorization` header needs the `Bearer ` prefix. A `platform-...` account-management token cannot replace a generation API key.

![Copy an application API key or open Manage Keys](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceDataCloud/NanoBananaDify/2522b2f57210597af2db866445319334a1677a23/_assets/tutorial/get-api-key-en.png)

![Create a separately named key with optional restrictions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceDataCloud/NanoBananaDify/2522b2f57210597af2db866445319334a1677a23/_assets/tutorial/create-api-key-en.png)

Save the key in the client's credential store or the environment variable shown below. Never put it in a prompt, shared workflow, screenshot, or Git commit. If authentication fails, check the full copied value, application/service access, expiration, usage limit, and balance before creating another key.
<!-- END TOKEN ONBOARDING -->

A fixed Bearer header bypasses OAuth. If the header is invalid, remove it before trying browser sign-in; keep the saved credential private.

For Claude Code, the shell expands the token when you add the server; treat the saved user MCP config as a secret:

```bash
export ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN='YOUR_API_TOKEN'
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user shorturl https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN"
```

For a Claude Code project config, put a variable reference in `<project>/.mcp.json` and set that variable in the environment that launches Claude Code:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shorturl": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp",
      "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer ${ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN}"}
    }
  }
}
```

Cursor uses a different environment-variable syntax in `~/.cursor/mcp.json` or an uncommitted project config:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shorturl": {
      "url": "https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp",
      "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer ${env:ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN}"}
    }
  }
}
```

In VS Code, run **MCP: Open User Configuration** and merge this server plus its masked input; `${input:...}` is for VS Code's user/workspace format and is not portable to the Agent Host `.mcp.json` format:

```json
{
  "inputs": [
    {"id": "acedata-shorturl-token", "type": "promptString", "description": "AceDataCloud API token", "password": true}
  ],
  "servers": {
    "shorturl": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp",
      "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer ${input:acedata-shorturl-token}"}
    }
  }
}
```

For **Cline**, use its MCP configuration UI or CLI file `~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json`; its remote transport value is `streamableHttp`. For **JetBrains AI Assistant**, add a remote URL from **Settings → Tools → AI Assistant → Model Context Protocol (MCP)**. For **Zed**, use a `context_servers` entry with the URL only for OAuth or add a local Bearer header. These clients have different configuration schemas; follow their current UI rather than copying another client's JSON. [Cline](https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview) · [JetBrains](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/ai-assistant/mcp.html) · [Zed](https://zed.dev/docs/ai/mcp).

### Local stdio

Install the package and give the local process an API token:

```bash
python -m pip install mcp-shorturl
export ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN='YOUR_API_TOKEN'
mcp-shorturl
```

For Claude Desktop local MCP, merge this entry into the file opened by its developer settings (`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS). `uvx` requires [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) on `PATH`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shorturl": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-shorturl"],
      "env": {"ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN": "YOUR_API_TOKEN"}
    }
  }
}
```

Keep this user-level file private. Self-hosted HTTP uses `mcp-shorturl --transport http --port 8000`; expose it only with suitable network and TLS controls. Local execution still calls the AceDataCloud API.

### Check before using the service

1. `https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/health` returning `{"status":"ok"}` checks endpoint reachability only.
2. Confirm that the MCP client loads tools. `shorturl_get_usage_guide` is a reference tool; it does not verify downstream API access or balance.
3. If you need a full API check, call `shorturl_create` with your own valid input after reviewing [current service documentation](https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/short-url-mcp?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_quick_start) and displayed pricing.

For **401**, check which auth route the client used and whether the token or OAuth session is valid. A **403** may mean an account permission or content moderation failure; read the returned error. Insufficient balance and downstream service failures need their own diagnosis. A listed tool or submitted task does not prove a successful result.

## Available Tools

### URL Shortening Tools

| Tool                    | Description                            |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `shorturl_create`       | Shorten a single URL                   |
| `shorturl_batch_create` | Shorten multiple URLs at once (max 10) |

### Information Tools

| Tool                       | Description                     |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `shorturl_get_usage_guide` | Get comprehensive usage guide   |
| `shorturl_get_api_info`    | Get API details and error codes |

## Usage Examples

### Shorten a Single URL

```
User: Shorten this URL: https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/shorturl

Claude: I'll shorten that URL for you.
[Calls shorturl_create with url="https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/shorturl"]

Result: https://surl.id/1uHCs01xa5
```

### Batch Shorten Multiple URLs

```
User: Shorten these URLs for my social media posts:
- https://example.com/blog/very-long-article-title-about-ai
- https://example.com/products/new-release-2024

Claude: I'll shorten both URLs at once.
[Calls shorturl_batch_create with urls=[...]]
```

### Create Links for Documentation

```
User: I need clean short links for these reference URLs in my doc.

Claude: I'll create short links for all your references.
[Calls shorturl_batch_create with the list of URLs]
```

## Response Structure

### Successful Response

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "url": "https://surl.id/1uHCs01xa5"
  }
}
```

### Error Response

```json
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "api_error",
    "message": "fetch failed"
  },
  "trace_id": "2cf86e86-22a4-46e1-ac2f-032c0f2a4e89"
}
```

## Configuration

### Environment Variables

| Variable                    | Description                 | Default                     |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| `ACEDATACLOUD_API_TOKEN`    | API token from AceDataCloud | **Required**                |
| `ACEDATACLOUD_API_BASE_URL` | API base URL                | `https://api.acedata.cloud` |
| `ACEDATACLOUD_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID`  | OAuth client ID (hosted mode) | —                           |
| `ACEDATACLOUD_PLATFORM_BASE_URL` | Platform base URL            | `https://platform.acedata.cloud` |
| `SHORTURL_REQUEST_TIMEOUT`  | Request timeout in seconds  | `30`                        |
| `LOG_LEVEL`                 | Logging level               | `INFO`                      |

### Command Line Options

```bash
mcp-shorturl --help

Options:
  --version          Show version
  --transport        Transport mode: stdio (default) or http
  --port             Port for HTTP transport (default: 8000)
```

## Development

### Setup Development Environment

```bash
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/AceDataCloud/ShortURLMCP.git
cd ShortURLMCP

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # or `.venv\Scripts\activate` on Windows

# Install with dev dependencies
pip install -e ".[dev,test]"
```

### Run Tests

```bash
# Run unit tests
pytest

# Run with coverage
pytest --cov=core --cov=tools

# Run integration tests (requires API token)
pytest tests/test_integration.py -m integration
```

### Code Quality

```bash
# Format code
ruff format .

# Lint code
ruff check .

# Type check
mypy core tools
```

### Build & Publish

```bash
# Install build dependencies
pip install -e ".[release]"

# Build package
python -m build

# Upload to PyPI
twine upload dist/*
```

## Project Structure

```
ShortURLMCP/
├── core/                   # Core modules
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── client.py          # HTTP client for ShortURL API
│   ├── config.py          # Configuration management
│   ├── exceptions.py      # Custom exceptions
│   └── server.py          # MCP server initialization
├── tools/                  # MCP tool definitions
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── shorturl_tools.py  # URL shortening tools
│   └── info_tools.py      # Information tools
├── prompts/                # MCP prompt templates
│   └── __init__.py
├── tests/                  # Test suite
│   ├── conftest.py
│   ├── test_client.py
│   ├── test_config.py
│   └── test_integration.py
├── deploy/                 # Deployment configs
│   ├── run.sh
│   └── production/
│       ├── deployment.yaml
│       ├── ingress.yaml
│       └── service.yaml
├── .env.example           # Environment template
├── .gitignore
├── .ruff.toml             # Ruff linter configuration
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── Dockerfile             # Docker image for HTTP mode
├── docker-compose.yaml    # Docker Compose config
├── LICENSE
├── main.py                # Entry point
├── pyproject.toml         # Project configuration
└── README.md
```

## API Reference

This server wraps the [AceDataCloud Short URL API](https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/shorturl?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_documents_shorturl):

- **Endpoint**: `POST /shorturl`
- **Input**: `{ "content": "https://long-url.example.com/..." }`
- **Output**: `{ "success": true, "data": { "url": "https://surl.id/..." } }`
- **Pricing**: Free (0 credits)
- **Auth**: Bearer token

Full API documentation: [AceDataCloud Platform](https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/shorturl?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_documents_shorturl)

## Documentation

<!-- canonical-documentation -->
[Documentation](https://platform.acedata.cloud/documents/short-url-mcp?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=shorturl_mcp_readme_quick_start)

## License

MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.