Link Shortener Service in Rust

What You'll Build

We'll build a complete URL shortening service from scratch using Rust and the axum web framework. Starting with a bare Cargo project, we'll progressively add async runtime support, HTTP routing, CLI configuration, request handlers, shared state management, and a domain-specific code type with base62 encoding.

Along the way we'll see how axum's extractor system works, how to share mutable state safely across async handlers using Arc<RwLock<T>>, and how to implement custom Serde serialization for domain types. By the end, our service accepts URLs via a POST endpoint, generates compact short codes, stores mappings in memory, and redirects visitors back to the original destination.

Learning Objectives

Set up an async Rust web service with axum and tokio
Configure runtime options with clap and environment variables
Implement REST endpoints for link creation and redirection
Manage shared mutable state with Arc<RwLock>
Design a domain type with custom Display and Deserialize implementations
Build an in-memory storage model with bidirectional HashMap lookups

Prerequisites

Basic Rust syntax (structs, enums, traits, modules)
Familiarity with async/await in Rust
Basic understanding of HTTP methods and status codes

Course curriculum

1 Configurable HTTP Service

Bootstrapping a server
Add options to configure address
Add the index handler

2 Link Codes And State

Implement the Code struct
Converting Code to a string
Deserialize the code
Implement the Shortener state
Add the new method to the state

3 URL Lookup and Registration

Implement the lookup method
Implement the register method
Generate the unique Code value
Construct a short link
Avoid link duplications

4 URL Shortening Service

Add the state to the Router
Implement the create_link handler
Code collision
Implement the follow_link handler
Testing the shortener

Technologies

Rust axum URL Shortener Microservice REST API tokio Shared State Base62 Serde clap

Read the concepts behind this playground

FAQ

Is this a video course?

No. You implement the project yourself, step by step, right in your browser — with a full reference solution for every step when you get stuck.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The playground runs entirely in your browser — no toolchain or local setup required.

Can I try it before subscribing?

Yes. Preview steps are available without a subscription so you can see the format and quality first.

What do I get with full access?

Every step unlocked, the Workbench app, a snapshot for each step, jump-to-any-step navigation, and all new playground releases.

Does it work with an AI agent like Claude or Codex?

Yes. You can work through a playground solo or alongside an AI agent.

Is there reference code?

Yes. Every step has a complete reference solution you can compare against.