Goo.gl, which was closed to new link shortenings in 2019 and declared unusable by Google, will now be completely obsolete as even previously shortened links will no longer redirect. Google has announced that as of August 25, 2025, none of the shortened links will direct to their correct addresses.
Say farewell to Goo.gl
In its announcement, the tech giant stated that Goo.gl links will redirect to an error page from this date onwards, displaying Google’s famous ‘404 Error.’
In fact, starting today, if you click on a page link redirected by Goo.gl, you’ll see a window informing you that this service will soon be discontinued and directing you to a blog post published by Google for more detailed information.
Google is making changes to its web content indexing policy. Every new content will no longer be featured by default.
This move follows Google’s recent shutdown of its Google One VPN service, which drew criticism from some users. The closure of certain applications offered as part of the paid One package can anger users who have paid for these services. Similarly, websites that have shortened hundreds or even thousands of links using Goo.gl may face similar frustrations.
This decision reflects Google’s ongoing efforts to streamline its services and focus on more widely-used applications. However, it also highlights the potential risks of relying heavily on third-party services for core web functionalities.
