How to generate short links and QR codes from Python

Keep the key server-side and treat the request as a machine workflow

The Python caller should never need to choose an organization or send browser cookies. A scoped API key already resolves organization ownership, allowed scopes, and plan entitlements.

• Prefer Authorization: Bearer <api_key>.
• Use a fresh Idempotency-Key for each new write attempt.
• Handle non-2xx responses as structured contract failures, not generic transport errors.

Send one request and use the QR metadata immediately

For most backend tasks, the shorten response gives you everything you need: the short URL, link id, and QR code object for later download or display.

• A successful shorten-plus-QR flow counts as one API call.
• If the same idempotency key is reused with a different payload, the API returns a conflict instead of silently creating a second record.

import os
import uuid
import requests

payload = {
    "original_url": "https://acme.ai/reports/q2-launch",
    "custom_slug": "q2-launch",
    "qr": {"include": True, "format": "PNG", "size": 256},
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://1get.site/api/v1/links/shorten",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['ONEGET_API_KEY']}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
        "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),
    },
    json=payload,
    timeout=15,
)

response.raise_for_status()
data = response.json()["data"]

print(data["short_url"])
print(data["qr_code"]["url"])

Pair the write lane with usage visibility and sane retry rules

Python jobs often run in batches or retry automatically. Make the API contract part of that operating model instead of treating it like a fire-and-forget request.

Read GET /api/v1/usage when your worker needs to understand the current window, remaining allowance, or active key count. That gives operations teams a cleaner view than guessing from task failures later.

• Retry only when you have a transport failure or clear retryable status.
• Use idempotency keys whenever the same task can be replayed.
• Move to Business when multiple services or larger batch patterns share the same API lane.