Starting from August 25th, 2025, goo.gl links will cease to be active due to Google’s announcement to discontinue its URL shortening service, goo.gl.
The discontinuation was recently announced on Google’s Developer blog. Users will soon receive notifications about the impending shutdown of the service.
Upon visiting the notification page, users will be informed that “this link will soon be inactive.” Users can choose to proceed to the link destination and select “do not show this alert again” to skip the warning page until August 25, 2025.
Google warns that the notification page may potentially disrupt various processes, such as:
- Interruption of the redirect process for links utilizing 302 redirects.
- Inability to display social metadata embedded on the destination page when the original link is shared.
Developers experiencing disruptions can add the si=1 parameter in the query to bypass the notification page. However, this temporary solution will only be effective until August 25, 2025.
Background of Google’s URL Shortening Service
In 2010, Google introduced its URL shortening service. Initially used by Google Toolbar and Feedburner, it later became available for public use. During a test in 2010, a Ghack link was created — https://goo.gl/pKTg — showing limited utility.
By April 2018, Google transitioned to a new internal system and halted new user registrations. A year later, the service was discontinued for existing users, with existing shortened links remaining untouched until now when they will all be deactivated next year.
Options Instead of Goo.gl URL Shortener
Users and developers who depend on goo.gl shortened links are advised to switch to other services promptly.
Some alternatives to goo.gl include:
- TinyURL – A reputable service with a free account choice and a limit of 100 URLs per month.
- Bitly – Providing features for up to 10 links per month, sufficient for certain users.
The exact count of active goo.gl redirects is uncertain. Considering Google stopped receiving new links in 2019, there is a strong possibility that many links are no longer functioning.
Nevertheless, with Google and users creating links for almost a decade, it is logical to assume that many links are still active and being used.
While some links might be substituted with direct URLs or other shortening services, others will become inactive next year, raising concerns about the linked content’s availability.
Image Source: BigTunaOnline / Shutterstock
