---
title: "Deploy ZWS - Zero Width Shortener"
description: "Shorten URLs using invisible spaces"
category: "Other"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/zws-zero-width-shortener
---

# Deploy ZWS - Zero Width Shortener

Shorten URLs using invisible spaces

**[Deploy ZWS - Zero Width Shortener on Railway](https://railway.com/template/zws-zero-width-shortener)**

- **Creator:** Muhammad Bilal
- **Category:** Other
- **Total deploys:** 5

## Template content

### Redis https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sy1jschh/production/0ce0bfdcfbdbf69662b1116671f97c2dd788b655-157x157.svg

- **Image:** redis:8.2.1
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c "rm -rf $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH/lost+found/ && exec docker-entrypoint.sh redis-server --requirepass $REDIS_PASSWORD --save 60 1 --dir $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH"`

### api

- **Source:** iqbalexperience/zws
- **Start command:** `bun run start:api`
- **Public domain:** Yes

### Postgres https://devicons.railway.app/i/postgresql.svg

- **Image:** ghcr.io/railwayapp-templates/postgres-ssl:18

### web

- **Source:** iqbalexperience/zws
- **Start command:** `bun run start:web`
- **Public domain:** Yes

## Documentation

# Deploy and Host ZWS - Zero Width Shortener on Railway

ZWS (Zero Width Shortener) is an open-source URL shortener that replaces traditional alphanumeric codes with invisible zero-width characters. When rendered, these characters appear invisible in text but still securely encode the destination URL. This provides a unique, highly discreet way to shorten and share links.

## About Hosting ZWS - Zero Width Shortener

Deploying ZWS on Railway provides a streamlined, cloud-native hosting solution for this Node.js application. Railway automatically handles the Turborepo monorepo build, executes the Drizzle ORM database migrations, and serves the application. This continuous deployment setup ensures your ZWS instance is always up to date and scales effortlessly.

## Common Use Cases

* Obscuring long, tracking-heavy, or unsightly URLs in social media bios and plain text.
* Creating "invisible" links for privacy, aesthetic, or stylistic purposes.
* Integrating discreet link tracking and visit analytics into custom applications using the ZWS API.

## Dependencies for ZWS - Zero Width Shortener Hosting

* Node.js runtime (ZWS is built as a TypeScript monorepo using Turborepo)
* PostgreSQL database (for storing URL mappings and visit analytics via Drizzle ORM)

### Deployment Dependencies

* [ZWS Official GitHub Repository](https://github.com/zws-im/zws)
* [ZWS API Documentation](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://zws.im/api-docs)

### Implementation Details 



## Why Deploy ZWS - Zero Width Shortener 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 ZWS - Zero Width Shortener 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.


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