Google to discontinue its URL shortener console next year

Google has begun to pull back support for its goo.gl URL shortener service since yesterday, March 30.

Michael Hermanto, Google's Software Engineer for Firebase, announced that starting on April 13, anonymous users and users who have never used Google's URL shortener before March 30 won't be able to create shortened links via the goo.gl console moving forward. For developers, Google is letting only projects with existing access to the URL Shortener APIs before yesterday to create truncated links.

However, existing users can continue to generate short links on the goo.gl console after April 13 and will also be allowed to view their analytics data and download their short link information in CSV format until March 30, 2019, after which the goo.gl console will be officially shuttered. Thankfully, existing goo.gl links will continue to redirect to their destination page after the service ends next year, Google says.

The move is part of Google's effort to shift its focus to the Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL), which are meant to bring users to any point on the web and within an iOS, Android or web app using deep linking. More to the point, Google is drifting away from its web-based URL shortener, which was launched in 2009, as users have increasingly used mobile devices, apps, and digital assistants to find content on the internet.

The search giant is now encouraging users to use FDL or other services like Bitly and Ow.ly to create new short links. Keep in mind that although the goo.gl console will be shut down next year, any existing short link will remain in place instead of being transitioned to the Firebase console. Nevertheless, users will have the option to migrate their link information from the goo.gl console.

Source: Google Developers Blog