Google URL Shortener (goo.gl) Is Gone: The Best Free Alternative in 2026

Quick answer: Google no longer has a URL shortener. goo.gl stopped creating links in 2019, and goo.gl links that nobody used were switched off in August 2025. For a free alternative, paste your link into Url Jetz, add a custom name if you like and click Shorten. You get a link such as urljetz.com/spring-offer with a QR code and live click stats, and unlike goo.gl you can change where it points later.

For about ten years, "goo.gl" was the answer whenever someone asked for a free URL shortener from Google. It was simple, fast and trusted. Then Google closed it, step by step, and people still search for "free URL shortener Google" every day expecting to find it.

This guide explains what happened to the Google URL Shortener, which goo.gl links still work, which Google short links still exist, and how to get the same kind of free short link today.

Does Google still have a URL shortener?

No. You can't create new goo.gl links any more, through the website or the API. Here's how it ended:

• 2009: goo.gl launches as Google's public URL shortener.
• April 2018: Google stops accepting new users and points developers to Firebase Dynamic Links.
• March 30, 2019: the goo.gl console and API close for everyone. No new links can be made.
• July 2024: Google announces that goo.gl links will stop redirecting in August 2025.
• August 2025: Google keeps links that were still being used, and switches off only links that showed no activity in late 2024. Firebase Dynamic Links, the suggested replacement, shuts down the same month.

So the Google URL Shortener isn't coming back. If you need a new short link, you need another service.

Which goo.gl links still work in 2026?

How to check one of your links: open it in a private or incognito window. If it goes straight to the destination, it's one of the preserved links. If you see an error page, it's gone for good and you'll need to replace it wherever it appears.

Google's own short links that still exist

Google still makes short links inside some of its products. They're handy, but each one only works for that product:

• forms.gle for Google Forms (tick Shorten URL in the Send dialog)
• maps.app.goo.gl when you share a place from Google Maps
• youtu.be for YouTube videos

None of them let you choose the words, count clicks or point the link somewhere else later. And there's no Google shortener for a normal web page, a shop or a PDF. For those you need a general URL shortener.

What to look for in a goo.gl replacement

goo.gl was popular because it was free, quick and didn't get in the way. A good replacement should keep that and add what goo.gl never had:

1. Free for everyday use. No 5-links-a-month limit that runs out after one campaign.
2. No ads before the redirect. Visitors should land on your page right away.
3. Custom names. urljetz.com/menu is easier to trust and remember than random letters.
4. Click analytics. At least clicks, countries, devices and where people came from.
5. Editable links. If the page moves, you change the destination; the short link stays the same.
6. An API, if you shortened links from code or Google Sheets.

Most free plans fail at least one of these. Bitly's free plan gives 5 links a month, and TinyURL's free plan has no analytics and no editing. We compared them all in our guide to the best free URL shorteners.

How to make a free short link like goo.gl (step by step)

Url Jetz works the way goo.gl did, plus the features goo.gl never had. It's free, with no paid tier.

1. Open Url Jetz and paste your long link into the box on the home page.
2. Click Shorten. That's enough for a quick link; no account needed for up to 50 links a day.
3. For a custom name, create a free account, open Custom alias and type the words you want, for example spring-offer.
4. Pick a domain from the dropdown if you prefer a different short domain.
5. Copy your link or download its QR code.

With a free account you also get:

• Real-time analytics: clicks, unique visitors, countries, devices, browsers and referrers, with bots filtered out
• Editing: change the destination at any time, set an expiry date or a click limit
• Bulk shortening: up to 100 links at once
• An API to create links from your own apps

Shortening Google links: Docs, Drive, Forms and Maps

Most people who searched for a Google URL shortener wanted to shorten a Google link. Those addresses are among the longest on the web, so they benefit the most:

• Google Forms: see how to shorten a Google Form link, including pre-filled forms.
• Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides: see how to shorten a Google Drive link, with direct-download and "make a copy" tricks.
• Google Maps: use Share → Copy link, then shorten it and give it a name like urljetz.com/find-us for your business cards.
• YouTube: shorten the video link and name it, for example urljetz.com/trailer, so you can say it out loud in a podcast or put it on a slide.

How to replace old goo.gl links

If you have goo.gl links in documents, emails, videos or print, work through this list:

1. Find them. Search your website, PDFs, email templates, video descriptions and social bios for goo.gl.
2. Test each one in a private window. Note the ones that show an error.
3. Create a new short link for each destination. Give it a clear name so you can find it later.
4. Swap the links wherever you can edit them. Start with the places that get the most traffic.
5. Reprint QR codes that pointed to dead goo.gl links. New Url Jetz QR codes point to a link you can edit, so you won't have to reprint again if the page moves.

Tip: Even if an old goo.gl link still works, consider replacing the ones that matter most. Google decides what happens to goo.gl, and you have no way to edit those links or see their clicks.

Developers: replace the goo.gl API

Code that called the old Google URL Shortener API gets an error today. You can swap in the Url Jetz REST API: send the long URL with your API key and get a short link back as JSON. Our free URL shortener API guide has ready-to-paste examples for cURL, PHP, JavaScript, Python and Google Apps Script.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free Google URL shortener?

Not any more. Google closed goo.gl to new links in 2019. Google Forms, Maps and YouTube still make their own short links, but only for their own content. For everything else, use a free URL shortener such as Url Jetz.

Can I still create a goo.gl link?

No. The goo.gl website and API stopped creating links on March 30, 2019, and there's no way to get a new goo.gl address.

Will my old goo.gl links stop working?

Links that were still being used in late 2024 were kept and still redirect. Links with no activity in late 2024 were switched off in August 2025. Open a link in a private window to check it.

What replaced the Google URL Shortener?

Google suggested Firebase Dynamic Links for app developers, but that service also shut down in August 2025. Google doesn't offer a replacement for everyday short links, so most people moved to an independent URL shortener.

Are short links bad for SEO?

No. A short link is a redirect, and search engines follow it to the real page. Short links are for sharing in posts, chats, print and email; they don't help or hurt the ranking of the page they point to.