# v.gd API

Category: [URL shorteners](https://free-web-services.com/web-services/web-development/url-shorteners/)  
Page: https://free-web-services.com/web-services/web-development/url-shorteners/v-gd-api.html  
Documentation: https://v.gd/apishorteningreference.php

The v.gd API turns long links into short v.gd addresses, for example to share links in text messages or on social media. Send a GET or POST request to create.php with the long URL, and optionally your own short name of 5 to 30 characters. The answer comes back as JSON (with an optional callback), XML or plain text. Short links are permanent, so cache them instead of calling the API on every page view. Free, no key needed, with hourly limits per IP address.

- API key: Not needed
- Pricing: Free, no key needed, with hourly limits per IP address.
- From the browser: Yes (CORS)
- Formats: JSON, XML
- Interface: REST, HTTP-GET
- Provider: v.gd

Example request:

```sh
curl 'https://v.gd/forward.php?format=json&shorturl=example'
```

The JavaScript works in a web page as well as in Node.js 18 or newer.