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Google has begun phasing out country-specific URLs in favor of a unified Google Search experience on Google.com, marking a significant shift in how users access the search engine globally.
For years, users around the world have accessed Google Search through country-specific domains such as google.com.br for Brazil, google.fr for France, and google.co.uk for the United Kingdom. Now, Google is redirecting all traffic to a single global domain, google.com, rendering country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) obsolete.
Initially, ccTLDs were used to deliver localized search results. However, since 2017, Google has been providing regionally relevant results regardless of whether users accessed google.com or a country-specific domain. This latest update is simply the next step, as Google moves to “streamline people’s experience on Search.”
While the browser address bar will now display google.com instead of a local domain, Google assures users that this update “won’t affect the way Search works.” Additionally, it won’t impact compliance with national laws.
As this change rolls out over the coming months, users may notice a new URL and could be asked to re-enter some Search preferences.
This global shift in the Google Search experience on Google.com aims to simplify usage while maintaining the same functionality and regional relevance users expect.
