Why tny.lv Says a Link Was Already in the Database

Updated

The message means the long URL you submitted has already been shortened on tny.lv before. The service keeps existing records and returns the stored entry instead of creating a duplicate short link. It is a deduplication notice, not an error — your link was accepted, and you can copy the short link that already exists for it.

What happens when you shorten a link

On tny.lv you paste the URL you want to shorten, optionally set a custom keyword, expiry date, or password, and submit it. The service checks its database before generating anything new.

  • New URL: a short link is created and shown for copying.
  • URL already stored: the existing record is returned with the message that the link was already in the database.

Because the check happens on the destination URL, submitting the same long address again — even with different advanced options — will surface the existing entry rather than a second short link.

Why the service does this

tny.lv describes itself as a sovereign short-link service built on YOURLS by adminForge, with no tracking, no logging, and no advertising. Deduplication fits that design: one long URL maps to one stored record, so the database stays clean and the same destination is not fragmented across multiple short codes.

A practical example: if you shorten https://example.com/a-long-page today and a colleague submits the same address next week, the second submission hits the existing record. The short link already in circulation keeps working, and no parallel code is issued.

What to do when you see the message

  1. Copy the short link shown. The page displays the existing short link with a copy control — that is the link to use.
  2. Check your advanced options. If you wanted a custom keyword, expiry date, or password and the returned entry does not have them, the stored record was created earlier without those settings. The message does not mean your new options were applied.
  3. Use a different destination if you need a distinct link. A separate short link requires a URL the database has not seen, since deduplication is keyed to the destination address.

Common sticking points

  • Expecting a new custom keyword. A custom keyword only takes effect when a new record is created; an existing record keeps its original short code.
  • Treating it as a failure. The submission succeeded — the destination is stored and reachable through the returned short link.
  • Re-submitting repeatedly. Sending the same URL again will keep returning the same record; nothing changes between attempts.

If you need to confirm the link works, open the copied short link in a browser and check that it redirects to your intended page.