API

Lejumo URL Shortener API

Integrate URL shortening into your scripts, newsletters, or internal tools. Free, API key delivered by email in minutes.

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60 requests/hour

Sufficient for the vast majority of automated use cases.

🔒 HTTPS & JSON

Structured responses, easy integration in any language.

🆓 100% free

No credit card. No subscription. Key active immediately.

How it works

  1. 1
    Fill in the registration form

    Enter your email and briefly describe your use case. No credit card required.

  2. 2
    Confirm your email

    Click the confirmation link received by email — your API key is sent immediately after.

  3. 3
    Make your first request

    Send a POST to /api/shorten with your key as a Bearer token and get the short URL in JSON.

Why choose the Lejumo API?

Most URL shortener APIs require a paid account and a full OAuth flow. Lejumo only requires your email address — no credit card, no subscription, no lengthy sign-up form. Your key arrives within minutes after email confirmation.

The API can be called directly from a browser in client-side JavaScript thanks to open CORS (Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *), with no server-side proxy required. And to prevent your links from expiring without manual intervention, an automatic renewal mechanism is built in: call the same endpoint with the same URL between day 60 and day 90 of validity, and the period resets to 90 days — without creating a duplicate.

API comparison

Lejumo vs the leading URL shortener APIs on the market.

Lejumo URLR.me Bitly
API key required ✓ Free Yes (paid) Yes (paid)
Sign-up required Email only Full account Full account
Price Free Paid Paid
Stats endpoint ✓ Included ✓ Included ✓ Included
Automatic renewal ✓ Day 60–90 No No

Example request

A single curl call is all it takes to shorten any URL:

curl -X POST https://www.lejumo.com/api/shorten \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"url":"https://example.com/my-very-long-article"}'

JSON response:

{
  "short":      "https://lejumo.com/Ab3kP",
  "code":       "Ab3kP",
  "expires_at": 1796000000,
  "renewed":    false
}

Full documentation (endpoints, errors, PHP/JS/Python examples) is available on the API reference page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Lejumo URL shortener API truly free?
Yes, entirely free — no subscription, no paid tier. An API key is required but obtained for free by confirming your email address. The only constraint is 60 creations per hour per key.
Can I call the API from a browser in client-side JavaScript?
Yes. The API is configured with Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * (open CORS), which allows calling it directly via fetch() or XMLHttpRequest, without any server-side proxy.
What happens if I send the same URL twice?
Before day 60, the API returns the existing short link without modifying its expiration date. Between day 60 and day 90, the validity is extended by an additional 90 days and the renewed field in the response is true.
What is the difference between Lejumo and paid APIs like Bitly?
Bitly and most shortening APIs require a paid account and a full OAuth flow. Lejumo requires only a free API key obtained by confirming your email — no credit card, no subscription, no complex authentication flow.

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