This project helps to shorten URL links (generate bitlinks) and to get clicks for already shortened links (bitlinks) by using Bitly - URL shortening service and a link management platform.

1. Firstly you have to install python and pip (package-management system) if it hasn't been already installed.

2. Create virtual enviorment with its own independent set of packages using virtualenv/venv. It'll help you to isolate the project from the packages located in the base enviornment.

3. Install all of the packages used in this project, in your virtual enviorment which you've created on the step 2. Use the requirements.txt file to install packages:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Also you need to create an account on bitly.com and generate your own access token, which would be used in The Bitly API.

5. Creat an .env file and locate it in te same directory where your project and main.py file are. Copy and and append your access token to .env file like this:

   BITLY_TOKEN=paste_here_your_token_from_step_5
   

6. Don't forget to add .env to your .gitignore if you are going to put project on GIT.

• Shortening URL:

>>> root@ubuntu:~$ main.py https://www.google.com/
Your shortened link for https://www.google.com/ is: https://bit.ly/3asd3esv

• Getting count of clicks for bitlink:

>>> root@ubuntu:~$ main.py https://bit.ly/3asd3esv
Count of clicks on https://bit.ly/3asd3esv is: 0

This code was written for educational purposes.