Google sets final countdown for goo.gl links, ending in 2025

Google is taking another step towards disabling support for goo.gl shortened links, which were widely used on the internet just a few years ago. New ones have not been accepted for a long time, but it has been announced that all existing ones will stop working in 2025.

Google announced on its blog that all links using the proprietary "goo.gl shortener" will stop working after August 25, 2025. This information is especially significant for developers who use this solution. Google states that all links will lead to a 404 error page after the given date, which means they won’t work. Therefore, it is necessary to change the address generation mechanism if it is used in applications before this time.

At the same time, Google announced that addresses using the goo.gl URL started on August 23 of this year. The URL will direct users to an additional page where they will learn about the planned service shutdown. Interestingly, not all links will immediately lead to additional notifications. Google states that more and more goo.gl links will operate this way as the planned service shutdown date in 2025 approaches.

The described shutdown of the goo.gl link shortening service is another example of Google's actions, which are not necessarily understandable in the long run. History remembers many other useful tools and applications that Google initially gained a lot of recognition for among many users, only to unexpectedly cease further development and remove any traces of previous operations from the internet. An example is the once well-regarded photo organizer and basic editor, Picasa.