Dub.co Has a Free API: Open-Source Link Management with Analytics for Developers

#webdev #opensource #tutorial #marketing

What is Dub?

Dub is an open-source link management platform — like Bitly, but with developer-first features: analytics, custom domains, QR codes, and a powerful API. Built with Next.js.

Free tier: 1,000 links, 5,000 tracked clicks/month.

The REST API

export DUB_TOKEN="your-api-key"

Create Short Link

curl -X POST "https://api.dub.co/links" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://dev.to/aandrew_n/my-long-article-url",
    "domain": "dub.sh",
    "key": "my-article",
    "externalId": "article_123"
  }'

Result: https://dub.sh/my-article

Get Link Analytics

# Click count
curl "https://api.dub.co/analytics?linkId=LINK_ID&event=clicks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN"

# Clicks by country
curl "https://api.dub.co/analytics?linkId=LINK_ID&event=clicks&groupBy=country" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN"

# Clicks by device
curl "https://api.dub.co/analytics?linkId=LINK_ID&event=clicks&groupBy=device" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN"

# Clicks over time
curl "https://api.dub.co/analytics?linkId=LINK_ID&event=clicks&groupBy=timeseries&interval=7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN"

Bulk Create Links

curl -X POST "https://api.dub.co/links/bulk" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN" \
  -d '[
    {"url": "https://example.com/page-1", "key": "p1"},
    {"url": "https://example.com/page-2", "key": "p2"},
    {"url": "https://example.com/page-3", "key": "p3"}
  ]'

Update Link

curl -X PATCH "https://api.dub.co/links/LINK_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DUB_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"url": "https://new-destination.com"}'

QR Codes

# Get QR code for a link
curl "https://api.dub.co/qr?url=https://dub.sh/my-article" \
  -o qr-code.png

TypeScript SDK

import { Dub } from "dub";

const dub = new Dub({ token: process.env.DUB_TOKEN });

// Create link
const link = await dub.links.create({
  url: "https://example.com/long-url",
  domain: "dub.sh",
  key: "my-link",
  tagIds: ["tag_123"],
});

console.log(link.shortLink); // https://dub.sh/my-link

// Get analytics
const analytics = await dub.analytics.retrieve({
  linkId: link.id,
  event: "clicks",
  groupBy: "country",
  interval: "30d",
});

// Track conversions
await dub.track.lead({
  clickId: "click_123",
  eventName: "Signup",
  customerId: "user_456",
});

await dub.track.sale({
  clickId: "click_123",
  eventName: "Purchase",
  customerId: "user_456",
  amount: 4900, // cents
  currency: "usd",
});

Conversion Tracking

Dub tracks the full funnel: click → lead → sale.

// In your signup handler
await dub.track.lead({
  clickId: req.cookies.dub_id,
  eventName: "Signup",
  customerId: newUser.id,
  customerName: newUser.name,
  customerEmail: newUser.email,
});

// In your payment handler
await dub.track.sale({
  clickId: req.cookies.dub_id,
  eventName: "Purchase",
  customerId: user.id,
  amount: 4900,
});