Google U-Turns, Keeps Active goo.gl Links Alive Beyond August Deadline

Google has reversed its plan to disable every legacy goo.gl shortened link later this month, saying it will keep any URL that is still receiving traffic. In an update published 1 August, the company said only goo.gl links that began displaying a deactivation warning nine months ago—because they showed no activity in late 2024—will stop working after 25 August 2025. The about-face follows feedback from developers and publishers who argued that many shortened links remain embedded in documents, videos and social posts. Google noted that more than 99 per cent of goo.gl URLs recorded no recent clicks, but acknowledged that the remaining fraction continues to drive significant referrals. The change narrows the impact of the long-running shutdown of the service, which stopped generating new goo.gl addresses in 2019. Developers using inactive links still face 404 errors after the deadline and are advised to move to alternative short-link providers, while links created inside Google apps such as Maps remain unaffected.