Architecture
Sink runs the dashboard, API, and short-link redirects on Cloudflare Workers or Pages.
What happens when someone opens a short link
- A visitor opens a short link on your domain
- Sink looks up the link and redirects (or shows a password/warning page based on stored settings; DoH safe-browsing checks run at link creation/editing time, not during redirects)
- You manage links in the dashboard or via the API (both require login)
- If analytics is enabled, visits show up in reports and logs
Cloudflare services Sink uses
| Binding name | Product | Required? | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
DB | D1 | Yes | Authoritative database storing links |
KV | KV | Yes | Fast cache for redirects + one-time setup flag |
ANALYTICS | Analytics Engine | Recommended | Visit events for charts and logs |
R2 | R2 | Optional | Object storage for backups and social images |
AI | Workers AI | Optional | Suggests short codes and titles |
D1 is where links are really stored. KV is a fast copy used for redirects. After you save a link, Sink updates the cache; if the cache is wrong, it is dropped and reloaded from D1.
After the first deploy, open Dashboard → Links once so Sink can finish storage setup. Until then, most link APIs fail with “storage not ready” (HTTP 423). See storage setup / migration.
R2 and AI are optional extras. Start with Getting Started.