For developers
Shorten links from Claude, Claude Code, and Cursor
Linkonda ships an MCP server, so an AI assistant can create and manage short links directly in conversation. It works the moment you install it — no API key, no account, no signup.
Install
Add this to your MCP client configuration — claude_desktop_config.json for Claude Desktop, .mcp.json for Claude Code:
{
"mcpServers": {
"linkonda": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@veranoapp/linkonda-mcp"]
}
}
}That is the whole setup. To use an account instead of anonymous links, add your key to the same entry:
"env": { "LINKONDA_API_KEY": "lk_your_key_here" }What the assistant can do
| Tool | What it does | Needs a key |
|---|---|---|
| shorten_link | Create one short link | No |
| get_link_stats | Total redirect count for a link | No |
| check_quota | Links live vs. plan allowance | No |
| shorten_links_bulk | Create up to 100 links at once | Yes |
| list_links | List your links with destinations and counts | Yes |
| update_link | Change a destination, or pause and resume | Yes |
| delete_link | Permanently delete a link | Yes |
Useful before you have an account
Most tool integrations demand credentials before they will do anything, which means evaluating them is a chore. This one shortens URLs on the first call with no key at all — 10 links at a time, expiring after 30 days, exactly as on the website.
When you want links that persist, or the ability to list and edit them, add an API key and the same tools start operating on your account. Nothing else about the setup changes.
Why an agent's shortener especially shouldn't track
An assistant creating links in a loop can produce hundreds in an afternoon. With a conventional shortener, every one of those becomes a collection point: IP addresses, geolocation, and device data for everybody who ever follows them, gathered by a process you were not watching closely.
Linkonda increments a counter. There is no per-visitor record to secure, retain, disclose, or delete, however many links the agent creates — see GDPR-compliant short links.
Open source
The server is MIT licensed and published on npm as @veranoapp/linkonda-mcp, and listed in the official MCP Registry as com.linkonda/mcp. It is a thin client over the public Linkonda REST API — anything the assistant can do, you can do with a curl command.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an MCP server?
- Model Context Protocol is an open standard that lets AI assistants call external tools. An MCP server exposes a set of tools an assistant can use — here, creating and managing short links — so you can ask for a short link in conversation instead of switching to a dashboard.
- Do I need an API key to use it?
- No. Shortening works immediately after install with no key: up to 10 anonymous links that expire after 30 days. Adding a key unlocks permanent links, listing, bulk creation, and editing. Bearer API keys require a paid plan.
- Which clients does it work with?
- Any MCP client that supports stdio servers, including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor. It runs locally via npx — nothing is hosted on your behalf and no account is required to try it.
- What can the assistant see about my links?
- The destination URL, the short URL, and a total redirect count. There is no per-visitor data to expose, because none is collected — no IP addresses, geolocation, device types, or referrers.
- Can it create links in bulk?
- Yes, up to 100 in a single call with an API key. That path reports per-entry failures rather than only successes, so an assistant will not tell you 100 links were created when some hit a quota or validation error.