Remember when Google announced it was going to stop supporting its classic goo.gl URL shortener links? Back in July 2024, the tech giant told everyone the service would vanish completely by August 25th. This news came after Google had already stopped letting people create new goo.gl links way back in 2019.
Google’s original reason for saying goodbye was pretty straightforward. They said traffic to these old links was dropping fast, year after year. In fact, they pointed out that over 99% of goo.gl URLs had seen no activity at all in the month before their announcement, meaning June 2024. It seemed like a logical step to clean house.
But then, something cool happened. Google got a lot of messages from users. People were pointing out that these short links held important things: old documents, videos, blog posts, and all sorts of content that still mattered to them. It wasn’t just about traffic; it was about preserving pieces of the internet.
Because of this strong feedback, Google changed its mind. They decided to scrap the full shutdown plan for good. Now, they say “active” goo.gl links will stay online and keep working just like before. This means if your old short link still gets clicks, it will stick around past August 25th.
However, not all links get to stay. Google also made it clear that some links were truly quiet. If a goo.gl link showed no real activity, especially in late 2024, it will still stop working after August 25th. For those specific links, Google suggests users find a different URL shortening service for any important content.
It’s a nice turnaround that shows Google pays attention to what its users say. It proves that even for older tech services, user feedback can really make a difference.