Google URL Shortener Replacement: Goo.gl Status & Migration Guide

Google no longer offers a URL shortener or lets anyone create new goo.gl links. If you need a Google URL Shortener replacement, T.LY covers the same basic job and adds custom domains, editable destinations, analytics, QR codes, browser extensions, mobile apps, and an API.

The status of old Google links needs a little more explanation. Google changed its shutdown plan in August 2025 and preserved actively used goo.gl links. Firebase Dynamic Links, a separate Google service, did shut down. Here is the current picture.

Does the Google URL Shortener still work?

Not as a service you can use today. The goo.gl website, console, and API no longer create or manage short links.

Some old links still redirect. Google originally said all goo.gl links would stop responding after August 25, 2025. On August 1, 2025, it updated that plan to preserve actively used links.

The links targeted for deactivation were inactive links that had displayed a warning saying, “This link will no longer work in the near future.” All other goo.gl links were preserved. Links generated through Google products such as Maps were also excluded from the shutdown.

If you have an old goo.gl link, test it now:

• If it reaches the expected destination, record that destination and replace the short link anywhere you control.
• If it returns an error, Google does not provide a way to reactivate or claim it.
• If you have hundreds of links, use the Bulk URL Expander to resolve them in batches.

Even a preserved link is a poor foundation for a new campaign. You cannot edit it, see its old Google analytics, or move it to an account you control.

Google URL Shortener and Firebase Dynamic Links are not the same thing

Google positioned Firebase Dynamic Links as the successor to goo.gl in 2018, but it was not a direct replacement. Goo.gl was a general-purpose shortener. Firebase Dynamic Links focused on app journeys, including device routing and deferred deep linking after an app installation.

Google then deprecated Firebase Dynamic Links too. According to the official Firebase Dynamic Links deprecation FAQ, the service shut down on August 25, 2025:

• Links on page.link domains stopped working.
• Firebase Dynamic Links on custom domains stopped being served.
• The link creation and analytics APIs stopped working.
• Unmigrated link clicks began returning HTTP 404 responses.

For normal web links, campaign routing, and analytics, T.LY is a practical replacement. If your app depended on deferred deep linking, install attribution, or Firebase Authentication flows, a regular shortener is not a drop-in SDK replacement. Review Google's migration guidance and use Apple Universal Links, Android App Links, updated Firebase Authentication SDKs, or a dedicated mobile deep-link provider where the app behavior requires it.

What should replace Google URL Shortener?

A replacement should solve more than link length. Google’s shutdown is a good reason to choose infrastructure you can control.

Look for:

1. Custom domains: Your brand owns the domain instead of borrowing a provider's identity.
2. Editable destinations: Fix a target without changing the URL already printed or shared.
3. Useful analytics: Referrers, devices, locations, QR scans, and campaign data should be available on the plan you use.
4. Bulk tools and an API: Migrations and recurring workflows should not require creating every link by hand.
5. Routing rules: Device, country, browser, or fallback routing can replace many basic Dynamic Links use cases.
6. Predictable limits: Check link creation, tracked clicks, data history, domains, and team access.

Using your own short domain is the biggest long-term improvement. If you ever change providers again, you still control the domain and can plan the transition instead of waiting on another company’s shutdown notice.

Why T.LY is a strong Google URL Shortener replacement

T.LY started as a simple alternative when Google stopped accepting new goo.gl links. It still lets you create a quick link without an account, but the managed product now covers the work that usually comes next.

All T.LY plans include unlimited clicks, custom domains with SSL, private stats, QR codes, and API access. The important difference from goo.gl is control: managed links can be organized, edited, branded, and measured after they are published.

Explore the T.LY custom URL shortener or create a short link to test it first.

How to migrate away from goo.gl

There is no button that transfers ownership of a goo.gl URL. Migration means rebuilding the mapping on a new short domain and replacing the old link wherever you control it.

1. Find every old link

Search your website, CMS, source code, email templates, social profiles, support macros, documents, QR artwork, and campaign spreadsheets for:

• https://goo.gl/
• http://goo.gl/
• *.page.link
• Any custom domain previously connected to Firebase Dynamic Links

Analytics and server logs may reveal links that are not present in your current content repository.

2. Build a source-to-destination map

For each working link, follow the redirects and save the final destination. The Link Expander handles one URL; the Bulk URL Expander handles several at once.

Record at least:

• Old short URL
• Final destination
• Where the link appears
• Owner or campaign
• Whether it is printed or encoded in a QR code
• Whether the destination still makes sense

Do not blindly recreate every old link. A migration is a good time to remove dead campaigns, fix outdated destinations, and add consistent UTM parameters.

3. Choose a domain you control

For low-risk links, use t.ly. For campaigns that need to last, connect a branded domain such as go.example.com. Set a fallback destination for visitors who open the domain without a valid slug.

4. Recreate and test the mappings

Create the replacement links manually, through the API, or with a CSV import. Preserve readable slugs where possible, then test every redirect on desktop and mobile.

If you are replacing Firebase Dynamic Links, separately test app routing, authentication actions, Universal Links, and Android App Links. A successful web redirect does not prove that the app flow works.

5. Replace links at the source

Update the places found in the audit. Prioritize paid campaigns, evergreen content, automated emails, high-traffic pages, QR codes, and printed materials.

A static QR code contains the old URL. If it points directly to goo.gl or page.link, changing a destination elsewhere will not repair it; the QR code must be replaced. This is why new QR codes should point to a short domain you control.

6. Monitor the cutover

Watch click data and 404 reports after the change. Keep the migration sheet long enough to answer questions about an old link, and assign an owner to important evergreen redirects.

Google URL Shortener history

• December 14, 2009: Google launched goo.gl for Toolbar and FeedBurner.
• September 2010: The shortener became available to the public.
• January 2011: Google released the URL Shortener API.
• March 30, 2018: Google announced deprecation and directed new projects toward Firebase Dynamic Links.
• April 13, 2018: Anonymous users and people who had never created a goo.gl link lost access to new link creation.
• March 30, 2019: The console and API stopped creating links. Existing links continued redirecting.
• July 18, 2024: Google announced a plan to turn off existing goo.gl links.
• August 23, 2024: Some inactive links began showing a shutdown interstitial.
• August 1, 2025: Google revised the plan and said actively used links would be preserved.
• August 25, 2025: Targeted inactive goo.gl links were deactivated, and Firebase Dynamic Links shut down.

Google URL Shortener replacement FAQ

Can I create a new goo.gl link?

No. Google stopped new link creation and shut down the public console and API in 2019.

Can I transfer my old goo.gl link to T.LY?

You cannot transfer or keep the goo.gl address because Google owns that domain. You can resolve the destination, recreate the mapping with T.LY, and replace the old URL anywhere you control.

Will my existing goo.gl link keep working?

It may. Google preserved actively used links and links that did not display its shutdown warning. Test each link and migrate important placements even if the redirect still works.

Is Firebase Dynamic Links still available?

No. Firebase Dynamic Links shut down on August 25, 2025. Its links and APIs no longer work.

Is T.LY a replacement for Firebase deferred deep linking?

T.LY can replace short links, branded domains, analytics, and device or location routing. It does not replace every Firebase SDK behavior, especially deferred deep linking after installation. App teams should pair the new short-link setup with the appropriate Apple, Android, authentication, or attribution implementation.