Google has reversed its plan to deactivate every goo.gl short link, announcing that any URL still receiving clicks will remain active past 25 August 2025.
What changed
On 18 July 2024 Google said all goo.gl links would stop redirecting on 25 August 2025. Two weeks later, on 1 August, the company updated the policy: only links with no recent traffic will be disabled, while active links will continue to work indefinitely.
Key details
- Google engineers report that 99 percent of goo.gl URLs show no recent activity.
- Inactive links now load a notice that reads, “This link will no longer work in the near future.”
- Links without that notice will keep redirecting after the 2025 deadline.
Background
Launched in December 2009, the goo.gl shortener simplified sharing long web addresses. Google blocked new URL creations in March 2018 and encouraged developers to migrate to Firebase Dynamic Links, but it continued to support existing redirects. The July 2024 shutdown announcement was the first time Google had set an end date, prompting pushback from publishers and developers. The revised policy aims to retire only dormant links while preserving those still in use.
Further reading
Google’s full statement and FAQ can be found in the developer-blog post where the reversal was announcement explained.
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