1. I'm not sure if the question targets implementation or behavior. Briefly:
a. Behavior: it automatically mocks functions that are called from a different layer (eg. route handler, repository method) so you don't need to maintain such tests or mocks yourself.
b. Implementation: it transforms your codebase during testing by wrapping function implementations with a tracer or a mocker, depending on whether you're recording the behaviors or replaying/simulating them.
2. You still need to correctly test your entry-points' behavior. But here's the benefit this tool adds to "test correctness":
a. You no longer maintain mocks/stubs yourself, which often become outdated and inaccurate. Instead, their values are computed in real time. And mocks/stubs are validated just like any other function.
b. During tracing locally, it's your entire actual codebase running. The setup can be as close to production as possible.
c. During replaying in CI, you don't need to worry about the integrations. Some integrations you'll test by adding a setup/teardown for them. The rest, you can just review their cached behavior in version control.
3. It's simulated:
a. The tracing/recording, which happens locally, runs identically to an end-to-end test.
b. Meanwhile, replays, whether locally or in CI, simulate the end-to-end tests through isolated unit tests and integration tests.
Thank you so much for trying out Ziplink and for your kind words! I’m really glad you found it easy to use—that’s exactly what we were aiming for. It’s awesome that it’s already helping you!
You bring up some great points:
> Do short links impact click rates?
It really depends. Short links can make things look cleaner and more professional, especially in places like social media or SMS, which can sometimes lead to more clicks. But you’re absolutely right—authenticity matters too. That’s where branded links come in. Using your own domain gives you that authentic, trustworthy feel while still being short and trackable.
> Do normal users care?
Most users probably don’t think about it much, but they do respond to visuals. A branded short link can subtly reinforce trust and professionalism. However, if your audience values authenticity above all, sticking to original links could make sense for that specific case. On a side note, I believe the audience would appreciate https://example.blog/product-launch more than https://example.com/blog/product-launch?utm_campaign=product... even if they are more into "authentic" links.
It is always a pleasure to see that something is already on HN when I'm going to submit a post,
We honestly could not have gotten back on track if it was not for the persistent support of this community, so please let us know (on GitHub or Slack @kittybot or @boros) if you feel we missed to add you to the listing in the post.
