Google’s goo.gl Links Stop Working on August 25: Here’s What You Need to Know

Google’s once-popular URL shortening service is reaching its final shutdown phase. Starting August 25, 2025, all goo.gl links will stop working and return 404 errors, rendering them useless. This change has sparked questions from website owners, marketers, and longtime users of the service: What happens to existing goo.gl links? and What are the best alternatives? If you still rely on these short URLs, it’s critical to act now to avoid broken links across your digital footprint. In this blog, we’ll cover why goo.gl links are being retired, how it affects your content, and what you can do to preserve your links and site traffic.

Why Are goo.gl Links Stopping and What Caused This Change?

Google officially shut down new link creation with its goo.gl URL shortener back in 2019. At the time, the company noted shifting patterns in how people shared and accessed online content, particularly the rise of dynamic links and app-based sharing. Despite halting new short links, Google allowed previously created goo.gl links to continue working—until now. According to Google’s 2024 update, over 99% of those links showed no user activity in the preceding month, signaling that the service had largely fallen out of use.

This deprecation is part of Google’s broader strategy to phase out legacy tools that no longer serve modern digital needs. Now, with the final shutdown date looming, goo.gl links will no longer redirect users to their destination. Instead, they’ll lead to a dead end—a 404 error page. That means any email campaigns, blog posts, PDFs, or social media content relying on goo.gl will instantly become outdated unless updated with active links.

What This Means for Users Still Relying on goo.gl Shortened URLs

If your content—past or present—contains goo.gl links, you need to take immediate action. Whether you're a content creator, small business owner, social media manager, or just someone who once used goo.gl for convenience, those shortened links will soon lead nowhere. This can harm user experience, damage SEO rankings, and create credibility issues for brands. Broken links send a signal to search engines that your content might not be maintained, which can reduce visibility in search results.

Moreover, users clicking these links from newsletters, presentations, archived web pages, or even QR codes will be met with errors. This disruption can break the trust you’ve built with your audience and reduce conversion rates, especially if the goo.gl links were used in important CTAs or marketing materials. The best way forward is to audit all your past content, identify where goo.gl links appear, and replace them with new, active URLs using trusted alternatives.

What to Do Now: Alternatives and Link Management Tips

To avoid losing traffic or user engagement, start by migrating your old goo.gl links to other URL shortening services. Popular choices include Bitly, TinyURL, and Rebrandly, all of which offer analytics, branded link capabilities, and better long-term reliability. If you manage a business website, consider self-hosted URL shorteners like YOURLS for full control over your redirects and data privacy.

As part of your transition strategy, perform a full content audit using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to detect any lingering goo.gl links across your site. Replace them manually or use a content management system (CMS) plugin to update them in bulk. Don’t forget social media posts, old PDFs, YouTube video descriptions, and email footers. Lastly, if you’re using goo.gl for analytics or tracking, make sure to replicate any lost UTM parameters or tracking features with your new shortener.

Final Thoughts on the End of goo.gl Links

Google’s decision to shut down goo.gl links permanently underscores the importance of digital adaptability. Tools evolve, and relying on outdated platforms can lead to major headaches—especially when it affects link integrity and user trust. With just a short time left before goo.gl links stop working, now’s the time to take proactive steps. Migrate your URLs, double-check your archives, and choose a forward-looking link management system to ensure your content remains accessible and professional.