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Pixel Link — Secure Pixel-Art Link-in-Bio Platform
A secure, single-admin link-in-bio platform combining streamlined link management with a distinctive Japanese lo-fi and pixel-art experience.
Project Overview
Pixel Link is a custom link-in-bio platform with a Japanese lo-fi and retro pixel-art aesthetic. It combines a public profile and link hub with a private management dashboard for a single administrator.
The Problem
Generic link-in-bio services offer limited control over branding, link organization, and administration.
The application also needed to run on shared cPanel hosting without SSH or cron access while keeping sensitive Laravel files outside the public web directory.
The Solution
I built a Laravel application that gives visitors direct access to a responsive public profile while providing the owner with a protected dashboard for managing links and profile information.
The public page contains no login button or visible administration reference. Management access is available through a configurable private route.
Key Features
- Create, edit, delete, activate, and deactivate links
- Add a custom title and explanatory subtitle to each link
- Reorder links using drag-and-drop controls
- Choose built-in pixel-style social icons
- Upload custom pixel icons
- Manage public profile information
- Open external links safely in new browser tabs
- Protect administration behind a configurable private route
- Prevent public registration
- Display responsive pixel-art visuals and lightweight animations
- Provide canonical metadata and an XML sitemap
Technical Implementation
The application was built with Laravel 13, Blade, MySQL, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript, Vite, and SortableJS.
Eloquent models and database migrations manage the administrator, public profile, and ordered links. Laravel authentication middleware protects the dashboard, while login rate limiting limits repeated authentication attempts.
SortableJS provides asynchronous drag-and-drop ordering. Changes made in the dashboard are reflected on the public page.
The frontend uses responsive layouts, custom pixel-art styling, lightweight animations, and pixel-preserving image rendering.
Shared Hosting Deployment
The deployment structure separates the Laravel application from publicly accessible files.
- Laravel core, dependencies, environment configuration, and storage remain outside
public_html - Only the front controller and compiled public assets are exposed
- A token-protected web installer runs migrations without SSH
- Production credentials are created from environment configuration
- One-time installer files are removed after deployment
Technical Challenges
The main challenge was deploying Laravel to shared cPanel hosting without terminal or cron access. This required separate deployment packages, absolute storage paths, browser-based migrations, and carefully managed filesystem permissions.
Another challenge was maintaining a distinctive pixel-art experience while keeping the interface responsive and readable across mobile, tablet, and desktop screens.
Result
Pixel Link provides a centralized link management experience with protected administration, flexible visual customization, and a deployment workflow designed for restricted shared-hosting environments.