Google had already announced in 2018 that it would discontinue the URL shortener Goo.gl. It was used to turn long URLs into shorter ones. From April 13, 2018, new and anonymous users could no longer access the goo.gl console to create short links. However, existing links were still redirected.
This will soon come to an end: From August 25, 2025, the forwarding will be discontinued.
From August 23, 2024, some goo.gl links will display intermediate pages that inform their visitors before they navigate to the original target page that the link will no longer be supported after August 25, 2025.
Goog.gl links are archived
The ArchiveTeam hosts a project with the aim of archiving the links and corresponding redirects from Link Shortner services and thus preserving them for posterity. Anyone can participate in this and many other projects.
Anyone can help
You can host a so-called ArchiveTeam Warrior for this purpose. This can be done as a Docker or VM on the home server, laptop or computer. These Warriors query content that is to be archived in collaboration with the Wayback Machine, prepare it and upload it to the Wayback Machine. In this way, everyone can make a contribution to the museum of the Internet. Read more.
What is the WayBack Machine?
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web operated by the non-profit organization Internet Archive. It was launched in 2001 and enables users to access earlier versions of websites. The Wayback Machine regularly saves snapshots of websites and stores them in a huge archive. With over 600 billion web pages stored, it provides a valuable resource for historical research, digital forensics and the preservation of digital culture. Users can simply enter a URL and search through previous versions of a website, documenting and tracing the development and changes on the web.