How do I deploy Chhoto URL template on Railway?

You can deploy Chhoto URL template on Railway by clicking the "Deploy Now" button on this page. Railway will automatically set up all the necessary services and configurations for you.

What are the system requirements?

Railway handles all the infrastructure requirements. You only need a web browser to deploy and manage your application.

Is this template free to use?

Yes, this template is free to use within your existing Railway account.

Can I customize this template?

Yes, you can fully customize this template. After deployment, you will have full control of what you've deployed in your Railway project.

How do I get support for this template?

You can get support through our community forum: chhoto-url-template-b2feec73, or join our Discord community for more assistance.

Deploy and Host Chhoto URL on Railway

Chhoto URL is a lightweight, open-source URL shortener written in Rust. It focuses on simplicity, performance, and self-hosting, allowing you to generate short links with optional expiration, analytics, and password protection without relying on third-party SaaS providers.

About Hosting Chhoto URL

Hosting Chhoto URL involves deploying a single Rust-based web service backed by a SQLite database. The application exposes an HTTP API and web UI for managing shortened links. On Railway, this typically means deploying the official Docker image or building from source, configuring environment variables, and attaching a persistent volume to store the SQLite database. No external cache or message queue is required, which keeps the infrastructure minimal. Railway handles networking, port exposure, and restarts, while the mounted volume ensures link data persists across deploys.

Common Use Cases

Self-hosted URL shortener for personal or internal team use
Privacy-friendly alternative to Bitly or TinyURL
Short links for marketing campaigns, documentation, or QR codes

Dependencies for Chhoto URL Hosting

SQLite (embedded, file-based database)
Persistent storage volume for database durability

Deployment Dependencies

Official repository: https://github.com/Sanix-Darker/chhoto-url
Docker image: https://hub.docker.com/r/sanix/chhoto-url
Railway volumes documentation: https://docs.railway.com/guides/volumes

Implementation Details

Chhoto URL expects a writable database path provided via an environment db_url. On Railway, this is commonly set to a file path inside a mounted volume (for example, /data/chhoto.db). The database file is created automatically on first startup if it does not already exist.

Why Deploy Chhoto URL on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying Chhoto URL on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.