google.com/goto: Google's anti-scraping update (autom.dev)

Article summary

Google has introduced a new anti-scraping update, rewriting organic result links to google.com/goto?url=... instead of exposing the destination URL directly in the HTML. This change affects users who are logged out or browsing in private mode. The update makes it more difficult for scrapers to extract URLs from Google search results. Google's goal is to prevent automated SERP harvesting and raise the cost of naive SERP scraping.

Main themes

• Google's anti-scraping update
• Search engine privacy
• Alternative search engines
• Browser extensions
• Search result scraping
• Google's business model

What commenters say

• The new google.com/goto link format is frustrating and slows down browsing due to the additional redirect.
• This change is a deliberate attempt by Google to track user behavior and prevent scraping, which is seen as an invasion of privacy.
• Some users are switching to alternative search engines like Kagi due to Google's increasing use of redirects and tracking.
• The update breaks certain browser extensions that previously allowed users to bypass Google's tracking redirects.
• Google's actions are seen as a desperate attempt to protect their business model rather than improving their product.
• The change has significant implications for users who rely on copying and pasting links, as the new format may not work as expected.
• Some users believe that Google's actions are justified in order to prevent scraping and maintain the quality of their search results.
• The use of AI-powered search tools is seen as a potential alternative to traditional search engines like Google.