Zilchy.link

By Alex • Published: 7 December 2025 • Updated: 7 December 2025

Zilchy.link is my own short-link service: private, invite-only, and deliberately small-scale. It behaves more like a curated library of trusted links than a public URL shortener, with every link added by hand and backed by a transparent urls.json file on GitHub.

The goal is not to “be the next Bitly”, but to build a security-first, auditable service for a known community. The design favours curation, integrity, and simplicity over growth at all costs – which makes it more like an internal engineering tool than a consumer product.

At a Glance

  • Private, invite-only short-link service.
  • Backed by a GitHub urls.json file.
  • Fully transparent, diff-able link history.
  • Designed for curation, not mass signups.
  • Used internally across the CyberAlex ecosystem.

Zilchy.link has: clear requirements, a simple architecture, strong documentation, and a focus on security and auditability.

Exclusivity as a Feature

Zilchy.link is intentionally private and invite-only. The branding makes that clear from the first page load: links are hand-curated, and the service is aimed at a small, trusted group rather than the general public. That constraint is deliberate. It positions the service as a curated collection of known-good destinations, where security, integrity and reliability matter more than growth or virality.

Transparent Architecture

The backend is a single urls.json file stored in a GitHub repository. The Zilchy frontend reads that file and performs a client-side lookup based on the short code. When you generate a new link, the site doesn’t hide the mechanism: it shows the code, the resulting short URL, and a ready-to-paste JSON entry that you add directly to urls.json. Every change is version-controlled, reviewable, and auditable.

UX for a Technical Audience

Although the workflow is intentionally manual, the interface is still professional and user-centred. Helper text like “Letters and numbers only · case insensitive” reduces mistakes; inline copy buttons for the short URL and JSON snippet prevent syntax errors; and the page flows cleanly from input (Long URL, Code) to output (Short URL, JSON) to action (Edit on GitHub). The documentation assumes technical competence and respects the user’s time.

Design Goals and Trade-offs

Security-First, Not Feature-First

Zilchy.link deliberately doesn’t chase the full feature set of a commercial shortener. There’s no anonymous sign-up flow, no public API, and no analytics dashboard watching click-through rates.

Instead, the service focuses on:

  • Curated, known-good destinations.
  • Clear ownership of every change via Git history.
  • Minimal moving parts: static hosting plus one JSON file.

For a security-conscious environment, those constraints are a strength. They reduce attack surface and make it easy to answer “who added this link, and when?”

Part of a Cohesive Ecosystem

Zilchy.link is used across my own projects – for example, to create neat short links back into CyberAlex tools and articles. That kind of dogfooding matters: it shows I’m willing to rely on my own tooling in the real world, not just treat it as a demo.

The service fits neatly into a wider pattern:

  • Static, cache-friendly sites.
  • Small, well-defined utilities.
  • Shared visual and UX language across tools.

Taken together, Zilchy.link looks less like a one-off experiment and more like a deliberate building block in a personal infrastructure.

What Zilchy.link Shows

As a portfolio piece, Zilchy.link is less about raw complexity and more about judgement. It demonstrates that I can design, build and document a complete system that does exactly what it needs to.

  • Advanced technical skill: static-site backends, Git workflows, and client-side routing.
  • Security-first mindset: controlled access, auditable changes, and a preference for simplicity over hidden magic.
  • Clear communication: concise documentation and helper text that guide technical users without patronising them.
  • System thinking: Zilchy.link is integrated into a wider ecosystem of tools rather than standing alone.

Zilchy.link is about integrity and maintainability as much as aesthetics.

Questions

If you have feedback, spot an issue, or want to suggest improvements to this page or tool, you’re welcome to get in touch.

Contact Alex

Changes

  • 07-12-2025 – Publication

Dates use UK format (day–month–year).