Design a URL shortener : Product Sense Question
Can you answer this technical question as a Product Manager?
To design a URL shortener; we will have to create two services -
Shortening service
Redirection service
1. Shortening Service
User Input:
User provides a long URL through the user interface.
Generate Short URL:
Shortening service uses an algorithm (like base 62 encoding) to generate a unique short code based on the long URL.
Store Mapping:
The short code and long URL mapping are stored in the database for future reference.
Return Short URL:
The short URL is returned to the user, which they can use to access the original long URL.
2. Redirection Service
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User Request:
User accesses the short URL by clicking on it or entering it in the browser.
Extract Short Code:
Redirection service extracts the short code from the short URL.
Retrieve Long URL:
The service queries the database using the short code to retrieve the corresponding long URL.
HTTP Redirect:
The service issues an HTTP redirect to the original long URL, leading the user to the intended resource.
Return Resource:
The resource (web page) is returned to the user's browser, displaying the content of the original long URL.
What more to take care of?
Error Handling: Implement proper error handling for cases where the short URL is not found or there are other issues.
Error Code: 404 Not Found
Message: The requested short URL could not be found. This may be due to an incorrect or expired short URL. Please double-check the URL or generate a new short URL.
Error Code: 500 Internal Server Error
Message: An unexpected server error occurred while processing your request. This could be due to a temporary issue with our system. Please try again later, and if the problem persists, contact our support team for assistance.
Redirection Mechanism & Caching:
The HTTP status codes 301 and 302 are used for redirection. When a user clicks on a short URL, the server (redirection service) responds with one of these codes, instructing the user's browser to redirect to another URL.
301 Moved Permanently: This status code indicates that the requested resource has been permanently moved to a new location. The browser should cache this redirection and automatically redirect future requests to the new URL. This is useful when the short URL is expected to always point to the same long URL.
302 Found (or 302 Moved Temporarily): This status code indicates that the requested resource is temporarily located at a different URL. Unlike a 301 redirect, the browser should not cache this redirection permanently. It should check for updates to the redirection each time the short URL is accessed. This is suitable when the association between the short URL and the long URL may change.
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