About KooLink URL Shortener
KooLink URL Shortener provides a CLI and hosted service for turning long URLs into kool.ink links. It is intended for terminal users and AI agents, with stdin and batch input as well as MCP access.
Key features
- 01Shorten URLs from the CLI
- 02Accept URLs through stdin
- 03Process batches of URLs
- 04Copy links to desktop clipboard
Use cases
- 01Shorten a link from a terminal
- 02Pipe URL output into the CLI
- 03Convert a list of URLs in a batch
MCP support
The hosted MCP server at https://mcp.kool.ink exposes the shorten_url tool, which returns a kool.ink link. Anonymous shortening requires no API key.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://mcp.kool.inkclaude mcp add --transport http ink-kool-url-shortener https://mcp.kool.ink{"mcpServers":{"ink-kool-url-shortener":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.kool.ink"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"ink-kool-url-shortener":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.kool.ink"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"ink-kool-url-shortener":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.kool.ink"}}}{"mcpServers":{"ink-kool-url-shortener":{"serverUrl":"https://mcp.kool.ink"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
3| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | string | Yes | The destination URL to shorten (http or https). |
| label | string | No | Optional label for the API key owner's records. |
Details
From the project READMEkoolink
Shorten any URL to a clean kool.ink/xyz link from your terminal. Free, unlimited, no signup. AI-agent ready.
npx @koolink/koolink https://example.com/very/long/path
# → https://kool.ink/abc123
Install
# one-off (no install)
npx @koolink/koolink https://example.com
# or install globally
npm install -g @koolink/koolink
koolink https://example.com
Usage
# Shorten a URL (prints the short link, copies to clipboard on desktop)
koolink https://example.com/very/long/path
# Shorten from stdin (great for piping)
echo "https://example.com" | koolink
# Shorten a batch
cat urls.txt | xargs -I{} koolink {}
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--help / -h | Show help |
--version / -v | Show version |
Install as an MCP server
Point any MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.) at the hosted MCP server at https://mcp.kool.ink — no API key required for anonymous shortening.
{
"mcpServers": {
"koolink": {
"url": "https://mcp.kool.ink"
}
}
}
Tools
This server exposes the following MCP tools:
| Tool | Description | Input |
|---|---|---|
shorten_url | Shorten a long URL and return a compact kool.ink short link. | { "url": "<long-url>" } |
Why KooLink
- Free forever — no account, no credit card, no limits
- Clean, memorable URLs —
kool.ink/xyz, notbit.ly/4xdK9qZ - AI-agent ready — same service over MCP at
https://mcp.kool.ink, or the REST API - Analytics — every link is click-tracked with bot traffic filtered out
- Creator Earning Programme — as traffic grows, you earn
API
The CLI calls the public anonymous endpoint:
curl -X POST https://kool.ink/api/links \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url":"https://example.com"}'
For AI agents, use the MCP server at https://mcp.kool.ink (no API key needed for anonymous shortening).
License
MIT
Comments
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From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.