Google Revises Its Plan for URL Shortener Service Shutdown

In a brief but important change, Google has revised its plan to shut down the goo.gl URL shortener service. 

In the beginning, Google announced that it would stop the support of every goo.gl link on August 25, 2025. However, after receiving user feedback, they’ve decided to walk back the line, but certain links will continue to be functional.

Google URL Shortener Background

Google stopped providing its URL shortener tool to new users in 2018.

In the beginning, they were providing links to existing ones. However, they also clearly indicated the end of the feature.

Then, fast-forward to July 2025, at which point Google officially declared that every goo.gl link would be shut down in August.

What Prompted the Policy Change?

The pushback from the users prompted this policy change.

Based on Google, 99% of goo.gl hyperlinks receive no traffic. However, they also acknowledged that 1% of them are typically embedded deeply in videos, documents, websites, and other media that are still being used.

Google’s New Approach

Since August 1st, 2025, Google has adjusted its position.

In an announcement, Google stated:

“While we previously announced discontinuing support for all goo.gl URLs after August 25, 2025, we’ve adjusted our approach to preserve actively used links.”

Google added:

“If you get a message that states, ‘This link will no longer work in the near future,’ the link won’t work after August 25, and we recommend transitioning to another URL shortener if you haven’t already.”

If your goo.gl link is still receiving traffic, it will continue to function. If it’s not active, it will probably stop working at the time of the cutoff date.

What You Should Do

If you’re managing older content using goo.gl links, especially in PDFs, blog posts, or YouTube descriptions, it’s worth looking them up today. Just click the link. If you get an alert message, you should replace it. Not a warning? You’re protected, at least at this point.

Final Take

Although goo.gl did not have the longevity of bit.ly or other modern-day alternatives, this move serves as a reminder that the link infrastructure won’t last forever, especially when it’s built with third-party tools. 

For professionals in SEO and content, it’s a good idea to own your hyperlinks (via trademarked short domains or redirects that are server-side) whenever you can. Also, if your current provider is goo.gl, it’s the right time to check and upgrade.