Google to end support for these short links by 2025: Find out who's affected and what to do next

Google short links: If you have been using links created using the Google URL Shortener that start with ‘https://goo.gl/‘, there is some bad news for you: Google is going to stop supporting them after 25 August 2025. That means when you click on them, they won’t load the page they used to lead to.

That said, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern for many since Google officially shut down the URL shortener in 2019. However, those who still rely on the shortened links will have to stop using them.

“The time has come to turn off the serving portion of Google URL Shortener,” Google said, announcing the end of support in a blog post.

Short links serve as a more convenient way to share links. They not only consume fewer characters but also are more aesthetically pleasing when shared on platforms like social media.

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End of goo.gl links: What will happen?

Starting 23 August 2024, Google will begin reminding existing users that the particular link will no longer function after 25 August before they can visit the target page. The frequency of this reminder will increase as the shutdown date—25 August 2025—approaches.

After the shutdown date, all short links will show a 404 response.

Google also notes that if you have been using 302 redirects, the interstitial page (reminder) may cause issues with loading. Therefore, it is recommended to migrate as soon as possible.

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Are there any alternatives?

Back in 2019, Google stopped support for the URL Shortener and has since recommended users switch to Firebase links. These are dynamic links that let one go to either Android or iOS, and will always load a compatible version of the website. This makes it simpler to optimise and avoids having a plethora of links for every platform. Other popular solutions include Bitly, Rebrandly, TinyURL, Short.io, and more.

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