- By August 2025, the goo.gl URL shortening service will no longer be operational.
- The shutdown of goo.gl will force users and businesses to find alternatives and manage migration.
OUR TAKE
The closure of Google’s goo.gl, a crucial tool for link shortening and analytics tracking, marks a significant shift for users. Without the ability to create or manage new links, users must seek alternatives, leading to increased migration costs and the need for services that match goo.gl’s security standards. This transition will force companies to adapt their marketing strategies accordingly.
— Yasmine Luo, BTW reporter
What happened?
Starting from 23 August this year, when users click on goo.gl links, they will first see a warning page stating that the link “will no longer work in the near future” before being redirected to the intended website.
Google had already shut down the goo.gl URL shortening service in 2018 and stopped users from creating new links. Now, Google has announced that it will completely stop supporting all existing goo.gl links, which will return a “404 page not found” result after 25 August 2025.
To give developers ample time to switch to other URL shortening services, Google will gradually display the warning page to visitors over the next year. Initially, this warning will appear on only a portion of the links, but the percentage will gradually increase until it covers most, if not all, goo.gl links before their shutdown date. Google warns that the warning page could cause disruptions and prevent users from accessing their intended URL, so developers are advised to update their shortened links as soon as possible.
The goo.gl URL shortening service will join Google’s ever-growing product graveyard, which includes other retired products and services like the Hangouts chat app, Stadia cloud gaming service, and Google+, which once aimed to challenge Facebook.
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Why it’s important
In today’s fast-paced digital age, reliable and efficient URL shortening services are essential. Launched by Google in 2009, goo.gl became a vital tool, enabling users worldwide to shorten long URLs into manageable, shareable links. Its user-friendly interface and real-time analytics allowed easy tracking of click counts, sources, and geographical locations.
However, the closure of Google’s goo.gl URL shortening service will have significant impacts. While existing goo.gl links will remain valid, users will no longer be able to create or manage new links, necessitating the search for alternatives. This transition will increase migration costs and require ensuring the stability and security of new services. Users must find alternatives that meet goo.gl’s security standards. Adapting to new service interfaces will take time, and companies will need to adjust their marketing and social media strategies.
