Google URL Shortener (goo.gl): 2026 Status and Alternatives

Google's URL shortener, goo.gl, stopped accepting new links in 2019. On 25 August 2025, Google switched off the goo.gl links that had shown no activity in late 2024. Every other goo.gl link, including those created by Google apps such as Maps, still works. Google does not offer a replacement: Firebase Dynamic Links, the service it pointed developers to, shut down on the same day.

So if you arrived here looking for a free, no-fuss shortener like goo.gl used to be, you need an independent one. This guide covers what happened, how to check your old links, and which free shorteners come closest.

Short answer: Google no longer has a URL shortener. Old goo.gl links still work if they were in use in late 2024; inactive ones were switched off on 25 August 2025. For a free replacement that works without an account, use FattyURL, TinyURL, is.gd or T.LY.

The goo.gl timeline

Date	What happened
30 March 2018	Google announced the turn-down. From 13 April 2018, "anonymous users and users who have never created short links before today" could no longer create goo.gl links. Google recommended "popular services like Bitly and Ow.ly as an alternative"
30 March 2019	The goo.gl console closed to everyone. Google had said in 2018 that after this date "all links will continue to redirect to the intended destination"
18 July 2024	Google announced that goo.gl links would stop working on 25 August 2025, except links generated by Google apps such as Maps
23 August 2024	Some goo.gl links began showing a warning page before redirecting
1 August 2025	Google narrowed the plan: only links that "showed no activity in late 2024" would be switched off, and "all other goo.gl links will be preserved"
25 August 2025	Inactive goo.gl links stopped working. Firebase Dynamic Links shut down completely

The detail most people miss is in the first row. Until April 2018, goo.gl let anyone shorten a link without signing in. That simplicity is what people still search for.

Do goo.gl links still work in 2026?

Many do. After the 2025 change, a goo.gl link works if:

It showed activity in late 2024 and so was never marked for deactivation, or
It was generated by a Google app. Google's 2024 announcement says "goo.gl links generated via Google apps (such as Maps sharing) will continue to function."

Some sources still get this wrong. At the time of writing, Wikipedia's article on the Google URL Shortener says existing links stopped working on 25 August 2025, but Google's own update says only inactive links were switched off.

To check a specific link, Google's advice is to "visit the link today. If your link redirects you without a message, it will continue to work." If it shows an error, it is most likely one of the inactive links switched off on 25 August 2025, and Google has not offered a way to restore them.

What about Firebase Dynamic Links?

Firebase Dynamic Links was the product Google moved goo.gl's developer users to in 2018. It shut down on 25 August 2025, and Google's FAQ is blunt: "All links clicked will return a HTTP 404 status response to end users." Any app or email that still uses page.link style Dynamic Links is sending people to an error.

What to do if your goo.gl links broke

Find where the links live. Search your documents, PDFs, slide decks, email templates, help articles and printed materials for "goo.gl".
Recover the destinations. If the link is dead, the destination is gone with it, so use your own records or the context around the link to work out where it pointed.
Recreate the links you still need with a shortener whose policy says links do not expire, and update every digital place they appear.
Replace printed QR codes on anything still in circulation. A QR code that pointed to a dead goo.gl link cannot be fixed.
For citations and research, use permanent identifiers such as DOIs or an archived copy of the page rather than any commercial shortener.

What replaced the Google URL shortener?

Nothing from Google. In 2018 it pointed people to Bitly and Ow.ly, and both have changed since. Bitly now requires an account, allows 5 links a month on its free plan, shows no click data, and puts an ad page in front of free links. Ow.ly now lives inside Hootsuite, whose plans start at $99 per user per month billed annually.

If what you liked about goo.gl was simple, free, no-account shortening from a service that does not show ads, these are the closest options today:

Shortener	Account to shorten	Ads on free links	Free click data	Expiry policy
FattyURL	No	No	Yes, with a free account	Never expire (written promise)
TinyURL	No	Not stated; links from its deprecated API show a countdown notice	Visible after upgrading	"Never expire"
is.gd	No	No	Optional public stats	"Expect them to last forever"
T.LY	No	No	Public stats when enabled	"Do not expire"
Bitly	Yes	Yes, on free accounts	No	"Never expire"

Disclosure: FattyURL is our product. Sources for the other rows are linked below, checked on 26 September 2026.

FattyURL is the closest match to goo.gl's original promise: paste a link, get a short one, no account. You can also choose a custom slug, get a free QR code, and, with a free account, see click analytics and change where a link points later. For a wider comparison, see the best free URL shorteners in 2026.

The lesson from goo.gl

goo.gl did not fail because of a bug. By 2024, Google said more than 99% of goo.gl links had no activity in the previous month, and its written commitment changed twice along the way. Three habits protect you from the next one:

Choose a service with a written permanence policy and read the fine print for inactivity rules. We compare fifteen of them in do short links expire.
Keep your own record of important links and their destinations, so a shutdown costs you an afternoon rather than your archive.
Prefer links you can repoint. If your shortener lets you edit a destination, a moved page is a two-minute fix instead of a reprint.

FAQ

Is goo.gl still working?

Partly. goo.gl links that were active in late 2024, and links generated by Google apps such as Maps, still work. Links that showed no activity in late 2024 stopped working on 25 August 2025. No new goo.gl links can be created.

Does Google have a URL shortener anymore?

No. Google stopped new goo.gl links in 2018 and 2019, and Firebase Dynamic Links, its developer alternative, shut down on 25 August 2025.

Do maps.app.goo.gl links still work?

Yes. Google said goo.gl links generated via Google apps, such as Maps sharing, will continue to function.

What happened to Firebase Dynamic Links?

It shut down on 25 August 2025. Google's FAQ says all links now return an HTTP 404 error.

What is the best free alternative to goo.gl?

For free, no-account shortening without ads, FattyURL, is.gd and T.LY are the closest to what goo.gl was. FattyURL adds free click analytics and editable links with a free account.

Can I recover a goo.gl link that stopped working?

No. Google has not offered a way to restore switched-off links. Recreate the link with another shortener and update the places it appears.

Sources

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal or security advice. It was researched and drafted with the help of AI, and its facts were checked against the sources linked above, mostly each provider's own pricing, help and policy pages. URL shorteners, QR code tools and social platforms change their plans, prices and rules often, so confirm the details on the provider's website before you choose a plan, move your links or print a QR code. FattyURL is our own product. Spotted something out of date, or a FattyURL link being misused? Tell us and we will act on it.

Google URL Shortener (goo.gl) in 2026: What Still Works and What to Use Instead