Shorten URL with Delayed Redirect - WordPress Plugin

A WordPress plugin that allows you to create shortened URLs with customizable delayed redirects and countdown timers.

Features

• URL Shortening: Create shortened URLs that map to longer destination URLs
• Delayed Redirect: Redirect visitors after a customizable delay (0-60 seconds)
• Countdown Timer: Visual countdown timer showing remaining seconds
• Customizable Content: Each shortened URL can have:
  • Custom page title
  • Meta description for SEO
  • Featured image
  • Static "Soon...." heading
• Click Tracking: Track the number of clicks for each shortened URL
• Easy Management: User-friendly admin interface to create and manage URLs

Installation

Method 1: Install from Git Repository (Recommended)

Using Git Updater Plugin:

1. Install the Git Updater plugin
2. Go to Plugins → Add New → Git Updater Install
3. Enter repository URL: https://github.com/sagorpi/shorten-url-wordpress-plugin
4. Click Install and Activate

Using WP-CLI:

wp plugin install https://github.com/sagorpi/shorten-url-wordpress-plugin/archive/refs/heads/main.zip --activate

Using Git Clone:

cd wp-content/plugins
git clone https://github.com/sagorpi/shorten-url-wordpress-plugin.git
wp plugin activate shorten-url-wordpress-plugin

Using Composer:

composer require sagorpi/shorten-url-redirect:dev-main

📖 For detailed Git installation instructions, see GIT-INSTALLATION.md

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Download or clone this repository
2. Copy the entire shorten-url-wordpress-plugin folder to your WordPress plugins directory:

   /wp-content/plugins/

3. Log in to your WordPress admin panel
4. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins
5. Find "Shorten URL with Delayed Redirect" in the list
6. Click Activate

Method 3: ZIP Upload

1. Download ZIP: https://github.com/sagorpi/shorten-url-wordpress-plugin/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
2. Log in to your WordPress admin panel
3. Navigate to Plugins → Add New
4. Click Upload Plugin
5. Choose the ZIP file and click Install Now
6. Click Activate Plugin

Usage

Creating a Shortened URL

1. In WordPress admin, go to Short URLs → Add New
2. Fill in the required fields:
   • Short Code: Unique identifier for your URL (e.g., "promo2024")
   • Destination URL: Where visitors will be redirected
   • Redirect Delay: Number of seconds to wait (0-60)
   • Page Title: Title for the redirect page
   • Meta Description: (Optional) SEO description
   • Featured Image: (Optional) Upload an image to display
3. Click Create Shortened URL

Managing URLs

• View all shortened URLs: Short URLs menu
• Edit a URL: Click Edit next to any URL in the list
• Delete a URL: Click Delete (with confirmation)
• Track clicks: View the Clicks column in the URL list

Accessing Shortened URLs

Your shortened URLs will be in this format:

https://yoursite.com/go/your-short-code

For example, if your short code is "promo2024":

https://yoursite.com/go/promo2024

Testing the Plugin

Test 1: Create a Basic Shortened URL

1. Go to Short URLs → Add New
2. Enter the following:
   • Short Code: test
   • Destination URL: https://wordpress.org
   • Redirect Delay: 5
   • Page Title: Test Redirect
3. Click Create Shortened URL
4. Visit https://yoursite.com/go/test in your browser
5. You should see a countdown from 5 seconds, then be redirected to WordPress.org

Test 2: Create URL with Image

1. Create another shortened URL with an image
2. Upload a featured image
3. Visit the shortened URL
4. Verify the image displays correctly on the redirect page

Test 3: Verify Click Tracking

1. Visit a shortened URL multiple times
2. Go to Short URLs in admin
3. Check that the click count increases

File Structure

shorten-url-wordpress-plugin/
├── shorten-url-redirect.php          # Main plugin file
├── composer.json                     # Composer configuration
├── .gitignore                        # Git ignore rules
├── README.md                         # Main documentation
├── GIT-INSTALLATION.md               # Git installation guide
├── SETUP-GIT-REPOSITORY.md           # Repository setup guide
├── QUICK-INSTALL.md                  # Quick install reference
├── includes/
│   ├── class-sur-database.php        # Database operations
│   ├── class-sur-admin.php           # Admin interface
│   └── class-sur-redirect.php        # Redirect handler
├── templates/
│   ├── admin-list.php                # URL list page
│   ├── admin-add-edit.php            # Add/edit form
│   └── redirect-page.php             # Redirect countdown page
└── assets/
    ├── css/
    │   ├── admin.css                 # Admin styles
    │   └── frontend.css              # Redirect page styles
    └── js/
        ├── admin.js                  # Admin JavaScript
        └── frontend.js               # Frontend JavaScript

Requirements

• WordPress 5.0 or higher
• PHP 7.0 or higher
• MySQL 5.6 or higher

Troubleshooting

Shortened URLs return 404 errors

1. Go to Settings → Permalinks
2. Click Save Changes (this flushes the rewrite rules)
3. Try accessing your shortened URL again

Images not uploading

• Check that your WordPress media upload directory has proper write permissions
• Verify your PHP upload_max_filesize setting is adequate

Countdown not working

• Check that JavaScript is enabled in your browser
• Check browser console for any JavaScript errors

Security Features

• Nonce verification for all form submissions
• Capability checks (only administrators can manage URLs)
• Input sanitization and validation
• SQL injection prevention using prepared statements
• XSS protection through proper escaping

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please contact the plugin author.

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• URL shortening functionality
• Delayed redirect with countdown timer
• Customizable page content
• Click tracking
• Admin interface