T.LY Short Link Creator

Quick Start

1. Confirm a T.LY API key is available before doing anything else.
2. Prefer the TLY_API_TOKEN environment variable so the key does not get pasted into commands or logs.
3. If the key is missing, stop and tell the user to register at https://t.ly/register if needed, then create an API key at https://t.ly/settings#/api.
4. In Python environments, prefer the official PyPI package tly-url-shortener-api.
5. Install it if needed:

pip install tly-url-shortener-api

1. Use the CLI when available:

export TLY_API_TOKEN="YOUR_TLY_API_TOKEN"
tly shorten --long-url "https://example.com/article"

1. If the CLI is not available, use the direct API fallback in this skill.
2. Return the resulting short_url to the user.

Workflow

Follow this sequence:

1. Check for TLY_API_TOKEN.
2. If it is missing, ask the user for a T.LY API key or tell them to register at https://t.ly/register if needed, then generate one at https://t.ly/settings#/api.
3. Validate that the long URL is a full http:// or https:// URL.
4. In Python environments, prefer the PyPI SDK/CLI from tly-url-shortener-api.
5. If the SDK/CLI is unavailable, use the direct API fallback in this skill.
6. Prefer --output text when another command only needs the short URL string.
7. Prefer --output json when downstream work needs structured output.
8. If the API returns a failure, surface the response clearly instead of guessing.

Preferred Python SDK

Use the published SDK when the environment can install Python packages. The PyPI page describes it as a Python SDK for the T.LY URL Shortener API, with a CLI entry point named tly and Python client support. Source: PyPI package page.

CLI example:

export TLY_API_TOKEN="YOUR_TLY_API_TOKEN"
tly shorten --long-url "https://example.com/article"

Python example:

from tly_url_shortener import TlyClient

client = TlyClient(api_token="YOUR_TLY_API_TOKEN")
created = client.create_short_link(long_url="https://example.com/article")
print(created["short_url"])

Direct API Fallback

Use a direct API call when the SDK/CLI is unavailable or not appropriate.

curl -X POST "https://api.t.ly/api/v1/link/shorten" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "long_url": "https://example.com/article",
    "domain": "https://t.ly/",
    "api_token": "'"$TLY_API_TOKEN"'"
  }'

Expected success shape:

{"short_url":"https://t.ly/40a"}

Guardrails

• Do not claim the skill can work without an API key. It cannot.
• Do not hardcode a real API key into the repo, commands, or generated files.
• Prefer environment variables over literal secrets in terminal history.
• Prefer the published SDK/CLI over handwritten API calls in Python environments.
• Treat 422 API key is not valid. as a credential problem.
• Treat 422 Domain Not Allowed as a custom-domain permission problem.
• Treat 429 Short link limit reached... as an account or plan limit problem.
• Use the default short domain when the user does not specify one.

Resources

• references/api.md: Concise reference for the endpoint, payload, and common errors.