Google's URL shortening service 'goo.gl' is shutting down in August
What's the story
Google is all set to retire its URL shortening tool, goo.gl, next month. The company announced that all links created with this service will stop working and return a 404 error starting August 25, 2025. The decision comes after the tech giant had already discontinued the creation of new links through this service back in 2019.
Service suspension
Why Google stopped allowing new link creation
When Google stopped allowing new link creation in 2019, it cited "changes we've seen in how people find content on the internet." The company had also said that more than 99% of goo.gl links had no activity in the last month. This was part of a broader trend where traffic to these shortened URLs had been steadily declining over time.
User alerts
Warning pages on goo.gl links
Along with the announcement of discontinuation, Google also started showing warning pages on goo.gl links. The page reads "this link will no longer work in the near future," alerting users about the impending end of service. If you still have any links using this service, now would be a good time to switch them to another URL shortener before they become inactive next month.