Engineering / Free editable template

URL shortener system design diagram template

A system design diagram shows how requests move through your services and where data lives, which is what interviewers want to hear you reason about. This whiteboard answer for a link shortener covers the redirect path, the write path through a key generation service, click analytics and the numbers behind each choice.

Use this template →See the example ↓

No account needed · Opens as your own editable page

Preview the url shortener system design diagram

View full-size preview ↗
URL shortener system design diagram example showing read and write paths through cache and store, key generation service and analytics queue, requirement, capacity, api and trade-off notes
Everything in this example is editable. Replace the labels, move the shapes and adapt the layout to your work.

How to use this template

  1. Start with requirements and numbers

    Fill in the four stickies before drawing boxes. Read and write rates decide whether you need a cache, and storage size decides whether you need sharding, so the architecture follows from the estimates.

  2. Draw one request at a time

    Trace the redirect first, then the write, then analytics. Numbering arrows, like the 1 lookup and 2 on miss labels, helps the interviewer follow your reasoning while you talk.

  3. Swap in another problem

    Duplicate the board for a rate limiter, chat app or news feed. Keep the client, load balancer and API layer, then replace the storage and queue components with the ones that problem needs.

Questions about this template

How do I practise with different traffic numbers?

Edit the capacity estimate notes with your own read and write rates, then adjust the cache and sharded store if the new numbers change the design.

Do I need an account to use it?

No. Open the template and edit it in your browser. Your work saves on this device. An account is optional if you want to sync your workspace.

Can I export the finished diagram?

Yes. Use Export in the editor to save a PNG, SVG or PDF, or download an editable .epicdraw backup.

More Engineering templates →