Google Deploys Redirects to Block Bot-Initiated Search Sessions

Google has rolled out an update to its search engine that adds new hurdles for bots and AI agents trying to scrape its data. The move is aimed at curbing the activity of these tools, which have been a long-standing problem for Google.

The company has tested 'google.com/goto' redirects since July and plans to deploy them to most logged-out users within a month. This means that instead of showing the full direct URL in search results, Google will now show a redirect link that requires a click to access the destination URL.

According to reports from rank tracking tools like Ahrefs and Moz, this change could lead to inaccurate results for some trackers. However, it's worth noting that these companies claim to have already adjusted their algorithms to account for the new redirects.

The impact on search engine optimization (SEO) professionals and AI developers is still unclear, but it's likely that bots and AI agents will need to adapt their strategies to navigate the new redirect system. Google has also expressed concerns about the accuracy of Search Console reports, which may be affected by the tactics of AI and tracking bots.

The move follows a lawsuit filed by Google against SerpAPI, a prominent scraper used by ChatGPT, in December 2025. While the court tossed out the original lawsuit, Google has since filed an amended version, indicating that it remains committed to restricting access to its search results.