# New API for Google URL Shortener

**Author:** kinlane  
**Canonical:** https://apievangelist.com/2011/01/11/new-api-for-google-url-shortener/

Google launched a much anticipated API for the Google URL shortener today as part of the [Google Code Labs](http://code.google.com/labs/).

The Google URL Shortener at goo.gl is a service that takes long URLs and squeezes them into fewer characters to make a link that is easier to share, tweet, or email to friends.

The Google URL Shortener API allows you to interact with the service via a RESTful interface, and returns JSON data structures. Here is the [API Overview](http://code.google.com/apis/urlshortener/overview.html), as well as the [Getting Started Guide](http://code.google.com/apis/urlshortener/v1/getting_started.html).

Google has added to its new API console allowing developers to explore and get familiar with the API interface quickly.