Google Search replaces direct URLs with redirect wrappers in organic results

Google Implements New Redirect Format

Google Search has begun replacing direct destination URLs in organic search results with a new redirect format: google.com/goto?url=.... When a user clicks a result, Google's server redirects them to the actual page. The 'url' parameter in this new format uses a custom, Google-specific encoding that cannot be easily decoded offline, appearing as an opaque reference to Google's internal index record for the page.

Distinction from Previous Redirects

This new 'goto' format differs from Google's older redirect method, google.com/url?q=[URL-encoded destination], where the target link was readable within the query string. With the 'goto' format, the result's href is '/goto', not the destination, and the real URL is found in the 'Location' header after requesting the '/goto' URL. This requires an additional request to Google to resolve each link.

Impact on SERP Harvesting

The shift is significant for entities that build search indexes by harvesting SERP data at scale, such as AI crawlers and SEO scrapers. Previously, scrapers could parse thousands of URLs directly from HTML. Now, each result requires a separate request back to Google to obtain the destination URL, making the process slower, more resource-intensive, and providing Google with clear signals of automated activity when many links are resolved sequentially.

Part of Broader Anti-Scraping Efforts

This move aligns with Google's ongoing efforts to counter automated SERP harvesting. It follows earlier measures such as removing the '&num=100' parameter for displaying more results and tightening BotGuard/SearchGuard protections. The consistent implementation of 'goto' links across logged-out and private browsing sessions since late August 2026 indicates a broader rollout of this anti-scraping strategy.