Google is retiring all country-specific search domains, meaning users who try to visit sites like google.co.uk will soon be automatically redirected to google.com instead.
Unified Search Experience
Google is ending its long-running use of country-specific domain names like google.co.uk, redirecting all users to a single global homepage, i.e. google.com. The change, already rolling out, marks a decisive step in Google’s ongoing shift towards a unified, location-aware search experience that doesn’t rely on domain suffixes to deliver local content.
Why Is Google Making This Change Now?
Although announced back in April 2025, Google first restructured its approach to localised results much further back in 2017. At that time, the company moved away from delivering search results based on which domain you typed (such as google.co.uk or google.com.au) and instead began using the physical location of a user to determine what they saw.
Google explained this at the time by noting that “one in five searches is location-related,” suggesting that using a device’s GPS or IP address was a more accurate way to serve local content than relying on top-level domains.
Fast-forward to now, and Google believes its localisation technology has advanced far enough to render ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) obsolete. That includes not just .co.uk for the UK, but also .com.br for Brazil, .co.in for India, .fr for France, and so on.
In a statement issued on 15 April 2025, Google said: “Because of this improvement, country-level domains are no longer necessary. We’ll begin redirecting traffic from these ccTLDs to google.com to streamline people’s experience on Search.”
What Exactly Will Happen, and When?
Google says it’s rolling out the change gradually “over the coming months.” Users who continue typing local addresses like google.co.uk into their browser will automatically be redirected to google.com instead.
What’s important to note is that this redirection is cosmetic and, as such, it won’t alter the substance of search results. Google is keen to reassure users that location-based relevance will still be maintained, saying: “This update will change what people see in their browser address bar, but it won’t affect the way Search works.”
It should be noted, however, that in some cases, users may be asked to log back into their Google account or re-enter search preferences such as language, region, or safe search filters. These prompts are part of the transition and are expected to be minimal.
What About Businesses and Search Professionals?
While most casual users may hardly notice the difference, the change is likely to have more significant implications for businesses, advertisers, and SEO professionals.
For years, digital marketers and local businesses relied on country-specific domains as a signal for local intent. Seeing .co.uk in the address bar reassured UK users they were getting localised content. With that visual cue gone, it seems that businesses may need to work harder to communicate relevance to their audience.
Some SEO consultants have already raised concerns, that ccTLDs have long played a psychological role in establishing trust and a sense of local identity and that removing them could take away a small but meaningful visual cue that helps users quickly judge whether a result is relevant to their region.
On the technical side, it’s more of a mixed bag. For example, consolidating everything under google.com may mean less domain fragmentation and a cleaner search experience, but some businesses fear they’ll have less control over regional visibility.
That said, Google’s localisation signals are now based on far more than just the domain name. For example, language, browser settings, search history, and even device-level data play a role. From a technical standpoint, this change may encourage businesses to invest more in structured data, content localisation, and region-specific marketing rather than relying on domain-level cues.
Will It Save Google Money?
Although cost-cutting wasn’t mentioned in Google’s official statement, it’s difficult to ignore the potential operational efficiencies behind this move.
It’s likely that maintaining dozens of ccTLDs, each with separate infrastructure, legal requirements, and occasional localised content, is expensive. As Google streamlines its services across all its products, it’s plausible this change is part of a broader effort to reduce complexity and overheads.
Keeping a multitude of domains also introduces additional security considerations and potential legal complications in different jurisdictions. Consolidating to google.com, therefore, offers a more scalable, consistent platform from both a technical and administrative point of view.
A Brief History of ccTLDs on Google
Google’s use of country-specific domains stretches back to its early international expansion in the early 2000s. Back then, separate ccTLDs made sense as they helped users access locally relevant content and gave governments and regulators some measure of oversight.
In fact, ccTLDs were once a key part of Google’s global strategy. For example, there was google.ca for Canada, google.co.jp for Japan, google.co.za for South Africa (the list goes on). For over a decade, typing a country-specific address was the main way users navigated to “their version” of Google.
However, by 2017, the writing was already on the wall. As mobile use exploded and GPS-based location detection improved, ccTLDs became more of a legacy feature than a critical component of localisation. By delivering results based on physical location rather than the domain used, Google effectively decoupled the URL from the search experience.
As Google put it back then: “Typing the relevant ccTLD in your browser will no longer bring you to the various country services—this preference should be managed directly in settings.”
Now, eight years later, Google’s retiring those domains for good.
How Can Users Still Control Their Search Experience?
With the ccTLD route disappearing, users who want to customise their search region still have some options. For example, Google recommends visiting the settings on google.com, then selecting ‘Settings’ (bottom-right corner), ‘Search settings’, and then ‘Language and region’.
From there, users can select their ‘Results Region’ and confirm their preferences. It’s not quite as effortless as typing .co.uk into the address bar, but it gives users some control nonetheless. It’s worth noting that this could also become a more critical step for people who travel frequently or use VPNs, where physical location and desired results don’t always align.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Google’s move to retire country-specific domains marks the end of an era, but not necessarily a dramatic shift in day-to-day use. For the vast majority of users, the redirection to google.com will be seamless, with local results continuing to surface just as they did before. In that sense, the change is largely symbolic: a visible reminder of how far the technology has come since the days when a .co.uk domain was essential for getting UK-relevant content.
Even so, the impact will be felt in some corners. For businesses and SEO professionals who have built strategies around ccTLDs, there’s now a need to refocus efforts. Visibility in local search will depend less on the domain in the address bar and more on how well a business optimises its content for a specific region using technical signals and structured data. That may be more work in the short term, but it could ultimately lead to a more level playing field, particularly for smaller businesses that don’t operate country-specific sites but still want to compete in local markets.
For UK businesses in particular, there’s a communications challenge. Losing the .co.uk cue means finding other ways to demonstrate relevance and trust to a local audience. Whether through clear regional language, local contact details, or targeted content, companies will need to be intentional about showing that they’re rooted in the UK market. It may also prompt more attention to things like Google Business Profiles, location-based advertising, and hyperlocal content strategies.
For Google, this is as much about simplification as it is about modernisation. By consolidating its domains, the company reduces redundancy, eases infrastructure demands, and likely saves money, all while continuing to meet legal obligations in different countries. It also fits neatly with Google’s wider goal of delivering a consistent user experience across its ecosystem, from Search to Maps to AI-powered features.
Ultimately, this change reflects how the web, and the way we use it, has evolved. Search is no longer bound by the old rules of geography and domain suffixes. It’s now driven by data, context, and personalisation. This means that while the disappearance of google.co.uk from the browser bar may feel like a nostalgic loss for some, the mechanics of search will continue to evolve around us, often invisibly, and usually with far-reaching implications.