A link copied from the Google Maps address bar is long because it carries the whole map view: the place name, the coordinates, the zoom level and a block of encoded data after data=. For a single café it often passes 150 characters. The Share button in Maps gives a much shorter maps.app.goo.gl link, and for sending your location to one person that is usually all you need.
On a website, a printed menu or a business card it works less well. The ending is random, the link cannot be pointed anywhere else later, and it does not tell you how many people opened it. This guide covers three ways to shorten a Google Maps link: the built-in share link, a short link with a readable ending that you can edit and track, and a clean URL you can build yourself.
Why the Google Maps link is so long
Open a place in Google Maps on a computer and the address bar shows something like this:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Your+Cafe/@40.3777,49.8452,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x40307d...
The part after /place/ is the name. The @ part is the latitude, longitude and zoom level of the current view, and everything after data= is Google's internal description of the place. Your browser needs all of it to restore exactly what you were looking at. The person you send it to does not.
The built-in way: copy the link from Share
On a phone:
- Open the place in Google Maps.
- Tap Share.
- Copy the link from the menu that opens, or send it straight to an app from there.
On a computer, click the place, click Share and copy the link from the Send a link tab. Either way you get a link that starts with maps.app.goo.gl/ and ends in random characters.
You may have read that goo.gl was shut down. Google stopped creating goo.gl links in 2019 and switched off inactive ones in August 2025, but it said in advance that links generated by its own apps, Maps sharing included, would keep working. The Google URL Shortener alternative guide has the full timeline.
The one-minute fix: shorten the Maps link
- Copy the
maps.app.goo.gllink from Share, or the long URL from the address bar. - Paste it into a URL shortener.
- Replace the random ending with something people can read, such as
linx.ly/cafe-nizami. - Save it and use the short link wherever the address would go.
The short link opens the same location. Unlike the share link, it has an ending you chose, it can be pointed somewhere else after it is printed, and it counts every click with the visitor's country and device.
The destination does not have to be Google. If many of your customers use Yandex Maps, shorten a Yandex link the same way.
Where maps.app.goo.gl falls short
For a chat message the share link is fine. The problems start once the link is printed, read aloud or published somewhere you cannot easily edit.
The ending is a random mix of upper and lower case characters. Nobody types it from a flyer without mistakes, and nobody remembers it.
It also cannot be redirected. If you open a second branch, move to a new listing or want the same link to lead to a booking page for a month, every place that already shows the old link keeps opening the old location. With a short link you change the destination once, and every printed copy leads to the new one.
And it counts nothing. Google Business Profile shows some statistics for your listing, but the share link itself does not tell you how many people opened it or where they came from. A short link counts each click. Give each branch, flyer or ad its own short link and you will see which one people actually use.
Build a clean Maps URL yourself
Google documents a URL format for Maps that does not depend on what was on your screen. To open a place, use search with the coordinates or the address:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=40.3777,49.8452
To open directions with the destination already filled in, use dir:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=40.3777,49.8452
To get the coordinates, right-click the spot on the map in a browser. The first line of the menu shows them, and clicking it copies them.
These links are readable and work on phones and computers, which makes them a good fit for a "Get directions" button on a website. For print they are still too long. They also share both gaps of the share link: they do not count clicks, and once published they cannot be changed. If you need either, shorten them the same way.
On a menu, a sign or a business card
Every Linxly short link comes with a QR code, generated automatically. The code holds the short link rather than the Maps URL, so when you change where the link goes, the printed code keeps working and does not need replacing. The difference is explained in dynamic vs static QR codes.
For an Instagram or TikTok profile, a map card on a bio page shows the pin on the page itself instead of a bare link. The small business link in bio guide shows how it sits next to opening hours and contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a short Google Maps link?
Open the place in Google Maps, tap or click Share and copy the link. You get a maps.app.goo.gl link with a random ending. For a readable ending, shorten that link with a URL shortener such as Linxly.
Do maps.app.goo.gl links still work after the goo.gl shutdown?
Yes. Before the shutdown Google said that links generated by its apps, including Maps sharing, would keep working. The links switched off in August 2025 were inactive ones made with the old public goo.gl shortener.
Can I customize a Google Maps short link?
Not inside Google Maps. Google generates the ending of a maps.app.goo.gl link and it cannot be changed. A separate short link lets you choose the ending, for example linx.ly/your-cafe.
Can I change where the link goes after I share it?
Not with the Maps share link. With a Linxly short link you can: change the destination in your dashboard, and everyone who opens the link from then on reaches the new location.
Can I see how many people opened my Google Maps link?
The Maps share link does not show this. A Linxly short link counts every click and reports each visitor's country and device.
How much does this cost?
Linxly starts at $0.99 a month and includes short links with custom endings, click analytics, QR codes and a bio link page. There is a 7-day free trial, cancel anytime.