MCPShortURL is a server based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for creating and managing short links through Ace Data Cloud's Short URL API. It lets you create short, shareable URLs directly in Claude, VS Code, or any MCP-compatible client.
Purpose The main purpose of this project is URL shortening: converting lengthy URLs into short, shareable links, supporting both single conversions and batch processing. Short links use the concise surl.id domain and are permanent and never expire.
Key capabilities
- URL shortening: convert long URLs into short, shareable links.
- Batch shortening: shorten multiple URLs at once, up to 10 per batch.
- Free service: each request consumes 0 credits.
- Permanent links: short links never expire.
- surl.id domain: short links use the concise surl.id domain.
- Bearer authentication: secure API access through token authentication.
Usage (connection methods) This MCP server offers three access routes: hosted OAuth, API token, or local stdio. The hosted endpoint is https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp，为 MCP clients can choose any one of these routes.
Regarding hosted OAuth: the hosted service publishes OAuth metadata and Dynamic Client Registration (DCR). DCR registers client applications, not API keys. OAuth is used for login, and the client sends a generated Bearer token, which may reuse or create API credentials for the account. Browser login still requires an AceDataCloud account. The hosted service may charge fees: before real operations, please consult the current service documentation and the displayed pricing. Do not configure both OAuth login and a fixed Authorization header for the same server.
Hosted OAuth configuration examples for various clients:
- Claude and Claude Desktop chat: add a remote custom connector in Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector, enter https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp，选择登录，如果 Claude asks how to register its OAuth client, choose Register automatically, then complete authorization. Claude Desktop's local claude_desktop_config.json is a separate, independent configuration.
- Claude Code: run claude mcp add --transport http --scope user shorturl https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp，然后执行 claude mcp login shorturl, check with /mcp.
- Cursor: add a remote server containing only https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp . For project use, merge that entry into <project>/.cursor/mcp.json; for personal use, use ~/.cursor/mcp.json.
- VS Code / Copilot: run MCP: Add Server, choose HTTP, enter https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp，然后完成浏览器登录。新的可移植工作区配置使用 <project>/.mcp.json; the VS Code-specific format uses <project>/.vscode/mcp.json or the user configuration file. Check with MCP: List Servers.
- Codex: run codex mcp add shorturl --url https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/mcp，然后执行 codex mcp login shorturl. Its user settings are in ~/.codex/config.toml.
For managed API tokens: open Ace Data Cloud → Applications, log in or register an account first. Find the General application; if it has not been created yet, choose Initialize General Application. A general key can use the services available to the account; a dedicated application's key is limited to its services. Check the required service/model access permissions and current pricing. Copy the API Key from the application card, or open Keys / Manage Keys → Create to create a separate key for this integration. Give it a recognizable name so it can be revoked or rotated independently. When creating the key, review Expiration Time, Set Usage Limitation, and Allowed APIs, enable only the restrictions you need, allow the operations that will be called, then click Create and copy the token from the key list. Task queries do not grant permission to submit generation. Confirm that the application balance is sufficient to pay for the first request; any trial credits are subject to what the account currently displays. Copy only the token value, without quotes, spaces, or the Bearer prefix. The API Key / API Token field expects this raw value; only a manually configured HTTP Authorization header requires the Bearer prefix. platform-... account management tokens cannot replace a generated API key. Store the key in the client credential store or in the environment variable shown below. Never put it in prompts, shared workflows, screenshots, or Git commits. If authentication fails, before creating a new key, check the fully copied value, application/service access permissions, expiration time, usage limits, and balance. A fixed Bearer header bypasses OAuth; if that header is invalid, remove it before trying browser login; keep saved credentials secure.
For local installation: install the package and provide the API token to the local process. For Claude Desktop local MCP, merge this entry into the file opened by its developer settings (on macOS, ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json). uvx requires uv to be in PATH. Pleasekeep this user-level file confidential. Self-hosted HTTP uses mcp-shorturl --transport http --port 8000; expose it externally only under appropriate network and TLS controls. Local execution still calls the AceDataCloud API.
Other clients: Cline uses its MCP configuration UI or the CLI file ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json, and its remote transport value is streamableHttp. JetBrains AI Assistant adds a remote URL in Settings → Tools → AI Assistant → Model Context Protocol (MCP). Zed uses a context_servers entry, with only the URL for OAuth, or add a local Bearer header. These clients have different configuration schemas, so follow their current UI rather than copying another client's JSON.
Checks before use
- Access https://shorturl.mcp.acedata.cloud/health returns {"status":"ok"} only to check endpoint reachability.
- Confirm that the MCP client has loaded the tools. shorturl_get_usage_guide is a reference tool; it does not verify downstream API access or balance.
- If a full API check is needed, after consulting the current service documentation and the displayed pricing, call shorturl_create with your own valid input.
- When encountering 401, check which authentication route the client used and whether the token or OAuth session is valid. 403 may mean an account permission or content moderation failure; read the returned error. Insufficient balance and downstream service failures need to be diagnosed separately. The listed tools or submitted tasks do not prove that the result succeeded.
Available tools
- URL shortening tool
- Information tool
Usage examples
- Shorten a single URL
- Batch shorten multiple URLs
- Create a link for documentation
Technical details The server wraps the AceDataCloud Short URL API:
- Endpoint: POST /shorturl
- Input: { "content": "https://long-url.example.com/..." }
- Output: { "success": true, "data": { "url": "https://surl.id/..." } }
- Pricing: Free (0 credits)
- Authentication: Bearer token
For complete API documentation, see the AceDataCloud Platform. The project is licensed under the MIT License; see the LICENSE file for details.
Use cases Suitable for scenarios that require quickly generating shareable short links in documents, shared content, or daily workflows, especially for users who already use an MCP-compatible client and want to shorten URLs directly in a conversation or editor. The batch feature is suitable for handling multiple links at once.
Limitations
- Batch shortening supports up to 10 per batch.
- The hosted service may be billed; actual pricing is subject to the service documentation and the interface display.
- Requires an AceDataCloud account and a valid API token or OAuth login.
- Local execution still calls the AceDataCloud API and is not fully offline.
- Specific details such as available tool names, environment variables, command-line options, and development and release processes are not fully listed in the materials and are not provided for now.
