🚧 Detour from Deployment: Building a Custom URL Feature

In this episode of the LinkLitez series, I was all set to walk you through deploying the app… but then I took a little detour. While checking out other URL shorteners like ReBrandly, I came across a neat feature that lets users customize their short URLs—and I knew I had to build it into LinkLitez before anything else.

In this video, I’ll show you:
✅ How I implemented the custom short URL feature in the backend using Spring Boot
✅ How I handled validation, ownership checks, and error responses
✅ How I integrated the feature into the frontend using React
✅ And how I made sure it all works smoothly with proper CORS handling and toast notifications

🎬 Video Chapters

00:06 – Intro & Why I Took a Detour from Deployment
00:22 - Feature Inspiration: ReBrandly
01:10 - Backend Overview: PUT Endpoint for Custom Short URLs
13:38 – Testing with Postman
17:30 – Creating a Custom Exception
22:53 - Frontend Integration: Adding the Customize Button
38:10 - Using encodeURIComponent() to Prevent CORS Issues
41:20 - Live Demo: Customizing a Short URL
42:20 - What’s Coming Next

This feature adds a personal touch to every link and makes the app feel way more polished. Hope you enjoy the walkthrough!

💬 Drop your thoughts or questions in the comments—always happy to chat code!

Checkout my GitHub Repository: https://github.com/suyash-rgb/URL-Sho...

🔗 Connect with Me on LinkedIn:   / suyash-baoney-bb38b3290  
#java #springboot #reactjs #fullstackdevelopment #urlshortener #softwareengineering #webdevelopment #CodeAlong #HandsOnCoding #DevWalkthrough #ProgrammingDemo #BuildWithMe