Google preserves popular goo.gl URLs, retires the rest

In an important update to its link -shortening service, Google has announced it will preserve “actively used” goo.gl links, while all other links created with the service will stop functioning on August 1st. The decision provides a reprieve for many users who were bracing for a complete shutdown of the legacy service.The company, which had previously announced the deprecation of goo.gl, clarified its new policy in a blog post aimed at developers and users. According to the post, links that have received a significant number of clicks or are embedded in frequently accessed content will be identified as “actively used” and will continue to work indefinitely. This move aims to prevent widespread link rot on the internet, a concern that had been raised by webmasters and digital archivists.For links that do not meet the “actively used” criteria, the redirection service will cease to function, resulting in a 404 error for users who click on them. Google encouraged creators of these links to update their content with a new redirection service.“Nine months ago, we redirected URLs that showed no activity in late 2024 to a message specifying that the link would be deactivated in August, and these are the only links targeted to be deactivated. If you get a message that states, “This link will no longer work in the near future”, the link won’t work after August 25 and we recommend transitioning to another URL shortener if you haven’t already. All other goo.gl links will be preserved and will continue to function as normal. To check if your link will be retained, visit the link today. If your link redirects you without a message, it will continue to work,” Google said in a blog post. The move underscores the challenge of managing a vast and ever-changing internet infrastructure. While the transition may still require some effort from users and developers, Google’s decision to maintain active links shows a commitment to preserving the web’s functionality and historical content.