Google URL Shortener Ends Support: What You Need to Know Before August 2025
Google has officially announced the termination of its URL-shortening service, goo.gl. The generation of new links ceased in March 2019, and as of August 25, 2025, all existing goo.gl links will stop working and will return a 404 error.
The service’s closure was first announced in 2018. At that time, the ability to create new links and manage analytics and settings for existing ones was discontinued for all users, including developers.
Starting August 23, 2024, users who follow shortened goo.gl links will see a notification stating, “This link will no longer funtion.” After clicking the “Continue” button, users will be able to proceed to the link, and there will also be an option to “Don’t show this again.”
Google warns developers that the intermediate notification page may cause issues with the current goo.gl links. For instance, if other 302 redirects are used, the intermediate page might disrupt the proper completion of the redirect. Additionally, if metadata for social networks is embedded on the target page, the intermediate page may interfere with its display. Therefore, Google recommends transitioning to alternative solutions as soon as possible.
For those significantly affected by the intermediate page, Google offers a workaround: adding the parameter “si=1” to existing goo.gl links, which will bypass the notification page.
It is worth noting that in 2018, Google suggested developers transition to Firebase Dynamic Links, which automatically detects the user’s platform and redirects them to the appropriate website or app. However, this service has also been discontinued for developers.
Thus, users and developers are advised to seek alternative solutions to replace goo.gl links before their final cessation in August 2025.
