Historically, Google users around the world have visited country-specific sites like google.com.br (Brazil), google.fr (France), or google.co.uk (UK). Google Search is now getting rid of these country code top-level domain names (ccTLD) in favor of using google.com globally.
In the early days, Google used ccTLD to provide locally relevant search results. As of 2017, Google started providing local results regardless of whether you used a country’s ccTLD or google.com.
Google is now going ahead and redirecting traffic for all Search users to google.com, with country-level domains “no longer necessary.” This will “streamline people’s experience on Search.”
Users will see a new URL, but this “won’t affect the way Search works.”
It’s important to note that while this update will change what people see in their browser address bar, it won’t affect the way Search works, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national laws.
As part of this change, “you may be prompted to re-enter some of your Search preferences in the process.”
This is rolling out gradually over the coming months.
More on Google Search:
- Google tests new Search bar to access AI Mode on Android
- Google teases new homepage with Discover news stories and ‘At a glance’ widgets
- AI Mode adding multimodal Google Lens search
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