[ANN] gvu – CLI & hosted service for private Go module vanity import paths

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Tony Bai

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Jul 7, 2026, 2:58:04 PM (22 hours ago) Jul 7

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Hi Go community,

I’d like to share a small tool I built called gvu, designed to simplify vanity import paths for private Go modules.

The Problem

When setting up vanity import paths (e.g., mycompany.com/go/common instead of github.com/mycompany/common), Go relies on fetching the HTML go-import meta tag from your server (https://mycompany.com/go/common?go-get=1).

Traditionally, solving this for private modules involves running something like govanityurls behind Nginx, managing TLS certificates, and updating YAML configurations every time a team creates a new repo. While not difficult, it adds maintenance overhead and friction—especially across multiple teams or client projects.

What gvu does

gvu handles the vanity redirect/meta-tag layer as a lightweight hosted service, eliminating the need to self-host Nginx or manage certs manually:

Bash

gvu add gomod.io/mymodule https://github.com/your-org/mymodule.git

You can also attach custom domains for free via CNAME verification.

Important Technical Details & Trade-offs

Not a GOPROXY: gvu only serves the go-import HTML meta tag. It does not proxy, store, or cache your code. The actual git clone / go get authentication happens directly between your local machine/CI and your Git provider (GitHub, GitLab, etc.).

Hosted vs Self-hosted: Using gvu means trusting a third-party mapping service ("path X redirects to repo Y"). If your organization's policy requires 100% self-hosted infrastructure, standard govanityurls remains the better choice.

Pricing: Free for up to 5 routes anonymously (10 with a free account). Paid tiers exist for larger teams needing custom domains at scale.

Installation & Links

You can install the CLI via :

Bash

curl -fsSL gomodvanityurls.com/install.sh | bash

Website: https://gomodvanityurls.com

I’d love to hear feedback from anyone managing private Go infrastructure—does this solve a real pain point for your workflow, or are there specific features/integrations you'd expect before adopting a tool like this?