What you need to know
- Google is pulling the plug for shortened links created via Google URL Shortener.
- The popular goo.gl links will no longer work after August 25, 2025.
- Google will also be showcasing a new interstitial page for users to notify about the new move starting this August.
Google has announced that links created via its URL Shortener will no longer be available starting next year. The company shared the announcement through a developer's blog post.
Google introduced its URL Shortener back in 2009—an easy way to shorten and share links and simultaneously measure their domain's traffic. It would make any URL shorter with the "https://goo.gl/*" form.
In 2018, Google turned down support for it and encouraged users to utilize new Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL), which were supposedly smarter. However, for users/ developers who created through the former URL Shortener, Google allowed the links to still redirect to the intended destination.
Well, that is about to change, according to Google's announcement this Thursday (July 18). While Google had already disabled the ability to create newer goog.gl links, the existing links will no longer work starting August 25, 2025. The company is further planning to display an interstitial page for users who use goog.gl links. It will notify users that those links will not be supported after the said date before navigating to the intended destination assigned to the goog.gl link.
Some users will be notified via an interstitial page starting August 23, 2024. This percentage will gradually increase until the shutdown happens next year.
"This interstitial page should help you track and adjust any affected links that you will need to transition as part of this change. We will continue to display this interstitial page until the shutdown date, after which all links served will return a 404 response," the search giant notes in the blog post.
Users have to bear in mind that the interstitial page "may cause disruptions" in the current flow of goog.gl links. Google further explains, "For example, if you are using other 302 redirects, the interstitial page may prevent the redirect flow from completing correctly. If you've embedded social metadata in your destination page, the interstitial page will likely cause these to no longer show up where the initial link is displayed. For this reason, we advise transitioning these links as soon as possible."
Users having issues with the shortened links are allowed to contact Firebase support with any questions or concerns, as the new move from the search giant may cause them inconvenience while using the existing goog.gl shortened links.
