# How to connect Shorten.REST to OpenClaw (paste one key, 6 tools) > Connect Shorten.REST to OpenClaw with ClawLink: paste your Shorten.REST key once and 6 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/shorten-rest The usual route to Shorten.REST access for OpenClaw is an MCP server you configure and keep running, plus your own OAuth app or API keys. ClawLink gives OpenClaw a more practical Shorten.REST setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Shorten.REST in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Shorten.REST actions from any chat surface with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself. ## Setup It takes three steps to connect OpenClaw to Shorten.REST. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect Shorten.REST** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard. 3. **Use it from chat** — ask OpenClaw in plain English. **Paste this into OpenClaw to set up ClawLink:** > I want to connect my apps to OpenClaw through ClawLink. > Please install the ClawLink plugin from ClawHub and enable it: `openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin` > When it is installed, tell me and stop. After I reply, give me the ClawLink pairing link. Setup notes, if you need them: https://claw-link.dev/skill.md **Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the OpenClaw plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login # sign in via browser — no API key to paste npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect shorten-rest # connect Shorten.REST (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions shorten-rest # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run shorten-rest --input '' # execute (add --confirm for writes) ``` ### Install by command The setup prompt above does all of this in one paste. By hand, it is one install command plus a browser approval: ```bash openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin ``` Then ask OpenClaw to set up ClawLink. It starts browser pairing and prints an approval link — open it, approve the device, return to the chat, and say `done`. Finally, connect Shorten.REST in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Shorten.REST API key once. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Pull the relevant data from Shorten.REST, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ### Using a different agent? The OpenClaw plugin is one client of ClawLink's MCP server. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any agent that can run a shell command pairs with the same ClawLink account through the CLI: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login ``` `login` opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once Shorten.REST is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 6 Shorten.REST tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: [connect apps to any AI agent](https://claw-link.dev/learn/connect-apps-to-any-ai-agent). ## Shorten.REST MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a Shorten.REST MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Shorten.REST to OpenClaw and exposes 6 Shorten.REST tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using Hermes instead? The [Hermes Shorten.REST integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/shorten-rest) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw Shorten.REST integration can do 6 Shorten.REST tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. The 5 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 6. ### 5 of 6 Shorten.REST tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Get aliases** `shorten_rest_get_aliases` | Retrieve all URL aliases of the authenticated user | | **Get clicks** `shorten_rest_get_clicks` | Retrieve click data for shortened URLs | | **List aliases by domain** `shorten_rest_list_aliases_by_domain` | Retrieve all alias names associated with your account and a given domain | | **Create alias** `shorten_rest_create_alias` | Create a new alias (short URL) under a specified domain | | **Update alias** `shorten_rest_update_alias` | Update an existing short URL alias by providing its alias name and domain | ## Example prompts **Get Aliases** > Pull the relevant data from Shorten.REST, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Clicks** > Pull the relevant data from Shorten.REST, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **List Aliases By Domain** > List the relevant items in Shorten.REST, group them by priority, and recommend what OpenClaw should do next. **Create Alias** > Create it in Shorten.REST for me, then confirm the important fields before you finish. ## ClawLink vs. building it yourself The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Shorten.REST working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Shorten.REST API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Shorten.REST account becomes available to the agent without you building credential management. | | **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for Shorten.REST. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. | | **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right Shorten.REST actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 6 tools for Shorten.REST are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Shorten.REST to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for OpenClaw users instead. You install the plugin once, connect Shorten.REST in the browser, and the 6 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Shorten.REST key you paste at setup is stored server-side rather than kept in your environment. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison. ### OpenClaw installed the Shorten.REST skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Shorten.REST, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Shorten.REST is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ### Connection succeeds but no tools appear Reconnect Shorten.REST from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded. ### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling Shorten.REST tools Shorten.REST tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every Shorten.REST call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again. ### Shorten.REST returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs. ### API key setup works but results look incomplete Double-check that the API key for Shorten.REST has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes. ### Is there a OpenClaw Shorten.REST integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Shorten.REST: link your Shorten.REST account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Shorten.REST API through 6 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add Shorten.REST to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Shorten.REST skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Shorten.REST. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files, and the Shorten.REST key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Shorten.REST to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Shorten.REST in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Shorten.REST up myself? The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Shorten.REST working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the Shorten.REST skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Shorten.REST, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Shorten.REST is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ## Related - [Connect GitHub](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/github) — Manage repositories, issues, pull requests, and workflows - [PagerDuty](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/pagerduty) — Manage incidents, on-call schedules, and services - [OpenClaw SafetyCulture integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/safetyculture) — SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) is a workplace operations platform that enables teams to conduct digital inspections, manage audits, track issues, schedule tasks, and maintain compliance through mobile and web applications.