Google Swaps Search Result Links with Redirects in Anti-Scraping Move

Google has started replacing destination URLs in search results with passthrough links on google.com/goto. This change, which began rolling out around four months ago, affects how rank tracking firms and measurement tools access page data. According to Nozzle, a rank tracking firm that recorded the change at near total coverage across several residential IP providers on August 26, 2026, this shift is intended as an anti-bot measure.

The new links follow a consistent pattern: 'Result link URLs are now being rewritten to google.com/goto?url=[custom base64-like encoding of URL or Google ID]. Upon click, they redirect to their proper destination.'

Nozzle's Derek Perkins explained that the goto links cannot be decoded locally, meaning providers have to follow the redirect rather than read the address. This approach is causing significant volume constraints for measurement tools, with resolving all links for a single five-page ranking taking between 500 and 1,000 requests.

Google confirmed the rollout in a statement, citing its history of deploying technical measures against evolving forms of abuse. However, the company did not provide further details on the scope or timeline of the change.