System Design Simulator

Throughput

0 rps

Latency

0 ms

Availability

0.00%

Cost

$0/mo

URL Shortener

easy

Basic Redirect Service

Build the simplest possible version: an API that shortens a URL and redirects visitors to the original.

0 / 66 levels complete

Functional Requirements

Non-Functional Requirements

Your Progress

Add a Client
Represents real user traffic hitting your system -- every design starts here.
Add an API Server
Runs your business logic and mediates every request between clients and your data layer.
Add a Database
Persists the data your system actually needs to remember between requests.
Connect Client -> API
The most direct path from user to logic -- fine for a single instance, but that instance becomes a single point of failure.
Connect API -> Database
The API's primary read/write path to persisted data.
Reach at least 500 RPS throughput
This is the real, computed capacity of your graph -- if a node upstream is undersized, no amount of wiring will get you here.
Keep availability above 97%
Every dead node and every point of strong consistency chips away at this number -- it's the cost of your reliability choices, made visible.