Google URL Shortener Shutdown: What goo.gl Link Owners Need to Know
Google URL Shortener, also known as goo.gl, is no longer available for creating new short links. Google originally planned to discontinue support for all goo.gl links, then adjusted its plan so active links would continue working while some inactive links could still be affected.
That sounds like good news, but it does not mean every old goo.gl link should be ignored. If your business, school, organization, campaign, QR code, printed flyer, PDF, or email signature still uses goo.gl links, now is the right time to audit them.
Why the goo.gl shutdown still matters
Short links are easy to forget. A link created years ago may still appear on printed material, business cards, YouTube descriptions, old ads, restaurant signs, parking payment instructions, social media bios, or QR codes.
The problem is simple: when a short-link service changes policy, shuts down, or stops supporting old links, businesses may lose control over links that customers still use.
Which goo.gl links should you check first?
Start with the links that customers, visitors, or the public can still access.
- QR codes printed on signs, flyers, menus, or business cards
- Payment links
- Parking lot payment instructions
- Restaurant menu QR codes
- Old marketing campaigns
- Email signatures
- Public PDFs and brochures
- Social media profiles
- Video descriptions
- Customer support documents
How to check an old goo.gl link
- Open the goo.gl link in a browser you control.
- Check whether Google shows a warning page.
- Record the final destination URL.
- Confirm the destination is still correct.
- Find every place where that short link is still being used.
- Replace important public links with a modern monitored short link.
Why simply replacing the link is not enough
A basic URL shortener can create a new short link, but that does not solve the trust problem. A link can be clean today and risky later. A destination can change. A domain can expire. A redirect chain can become suspicious. A QR code can be copied or replaced.
That is why businesses should think beyond basic shortening. Public links should be checked, monitored, and easy to verify.
The safer replacement approach
A better replacement workflow looks like this:
- Collect your old goo.gl links.
- Check the destination and redirect chain.
- Create a new checked short link.
- Generate a new QR code if needed.
- Update public materials.
- Monitor the destination over time.
- Allow users to report suspicious behavior.
Where chked.link fits
chked.link is being built as a safety-first link management platform. It shortens, brands, tracks, and manages links, but adds destination validation and continuous safety monitoring.
Instead of treating short links as blind redirects, chked.link is designed to help users and businesses understand where a link goes before people trust it.
Example: old QR codes
Old QR codes are especially important. When a person scans a QR code with a phone camera, they usually see very little context before opening the destination. If the QR code uses an old goo.gl link, the user may not know whether the final destination is still controlled, current, or appropriate.
Replacing old QR links with checked links gives businesses a better way to manage destinations, monitor changes, and provide more transparency to users.
Bottom line
The Google URL Shortener shutdown is a reminder that short links should not be forgotten infrastructure. If a link matters to your business, it should be tracked, replaceable, and monitored.
Short links should not be blind trust. Check them, replace them, and monitor them.