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Boomerang

Table of Contents

Overview

Boomerang is a simple URL shortening/redirecting service with zero requirements, powered entirely by Github. With just three clicks, create a new short link that is readable, easily accessible, and forever customizable.

Built with Python, Github Actions, Github Pages, and <3.

Usage

Initial Setup

  1. Generate the repository.

    • Create your own version of this repository by clicking the Use this template button.
    • Follow steps here if you need more help.
    • You can name the repository whatever you like. If you aren't using a custom domain, I would recommend naming it b to keep things short.
    • It can be either public or private. Note that private repositories will still create links that are publicly accessible.
    • Be sure to select the "Include all branches" option.

  2. Enable Github Pages

    • This should be enabled by default, but it never hurts to double check :)
    • Go to Settings.
    • Under Github Pages, select the gh-pages branch and hit "Save".

  3. Add your custom domain.

    • Follow the steps here.

Creating Short Links

To create a new short link, follow the very simple steps below.

From the main branch,

  1. Click "Add file" (this will open a dropdown menu)
  2. Click "Create new file"
    • As the file name, type the name of the short link path that you want, followed by .md.
      • For example, if I want my short link to be <example_domain>/covid, my file name would be covid.md.
    • Inside the file, just paste the URL that you want your short link to redirect to.
      • Continuing the previous example, inside the file I would just type in my destination URL, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic.
  3. Click "Commit new file"

Voila! Boomerang deploys in the background, and in seconds, your short link will be accessible from https://<your_domain>/<short_link>.

Your repository should come pre-built with one short link at https://<your_domain>/covid, redirecting to the Wikipedia page about the COVID-19 Pandemic. If desired, this can easily be deleted.

Note: If you did not set up a custom domain, it will be accessible from https://<your_github_handle>.github.io/b/<short_link>. Yes, I know, this URL is quite long, and kind of defeats the purpose of shortening in the first place. However, Boomerang is still useful if you want to transform long URLs into readable links.

Editing Short Links

Made a mistake, or just want to change a link? Follow these super simple steps below (also just 3 clicks!).

From the main branch,

  1. Click the <short_link>.md file that you created.
  2. Click the pencil icon that says "Edit this file" when you hover over it.
    • Edit either the short link (file name) or the destination URL (file contents). If you change the file name, make sure to keep the .md extension.
  3. Click "Commit changes"

Changes should take no longer than the time it would have taken to deploy a new link. Watch out for browser caches (more about that below).

Removing Short Links

Need to take a link down? Follow these super simple steps below (also just 3 clicks!).

From the main branch,

  1. Click the <short_link>.md file that you created.
  2. Click the trash bin icon that says "Delete this file" when you hover over it.
  3. Click "Commit changes"

Just as fast as it went up, the short link will be taken down.

Helpful Tips

So far, the only time Boomerang should break if you try to use invalid URLs. So don't do that.

Github Pages is finnicky. There will be times when builds fail, or a short link just doesn't work. While this is rare, there is a simple fix, which is to edit the short link file, and add an extra space or newline at the end of the long URL. Commiting that change will trigger a rebuild, which should fix the issues after a few minutes. In addition, these issues are isolated - links that already work should never be broken by trying to create new links.

Keep in mind that browsers cache URLs, so the latest version might not be what your browser is currently displaying.

Found something else? Let me know!

Is Boomerang right for you?

Why I think Boomerang is cool:

  • No JavaScript, no servers, no database management.
    • Users have it super simple, and don't need to worry about compatibility across browsers or additional maintenance. Boomerang uses pure HTML and meta refresh to perform instant client-side redirects. Everything on the backend is handled through Github, and there are zero requirements.
  • Continuously customizable.
    • Want to take down a link you made yesterday, or change a link (short path or destination)? No problem! Changes are quick and easy, with nothing requiring more than 3 clicks. Although deleted links will remain in your commit history, they won't clog up the front page of your repository.
  • No formatting.
    • Just the short link, and the destination URL. One file per link, super clean and easy to find. Sure, having users create a YAML config file with all of the links could be cleaner, and probably programmatically easier. But is it easier for the user? Not really, in my opinion.
  • No Github Issues.
    • Advantage #1: I can actually use Issues to track stuff that needs to be fixed.
    • Advantage #2: Less spam. Issue numbers automatically increment on each new issue, which can quickly lead to repositories accumulating an insane number of issues. I guess it depends on how it's handled, but using Issues is not the right solution for me.

Where other services might be better:

  • You need short links fast (like instantaneous fast, and you can't afford to wait up to a few minutes while Github Pages runs a build)
  • You don't care what the short links are (or you would prefer them to be auto-generated)
  • You need to make short links in bulk
  • You don't need to worry about changing links later (you don't care if they are permanent)

Personally, I find Boomerang to be most useful for creating readable links that I will use for a long time, and can easily modify if I ever need to in the future. I use Boomerang on a personal subdomain at go.anitejb.dev, and a perfect example is https://go.anitejb.dev/spotify, which takes people straight to my Spotify profile, rather than having to type out https://open.spotify.com/user/beyak4oanpa6cl0x0ic4q1qze. Pretty neat!

Shoutouts

If you feel like Boomerang isn't for you, check out these similar projects. They're super cool!

License

Copyright (c) 2020 Anitej Biradar. Released under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Questions? Reach out to boomerang@anitejb.dev, and I'll get right back to you!

Disclaimer

Boomerang is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Github, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.