Washington (TDI): Google has announced that it will begin phasing out its long-standing country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs) — such as google.co.uk, google.fr, or google.co.in — and redirect all users worldwide to the primary google.com domain, regardless of their location.
For years, users in different regions accessed Google’s Search service through these country-specific domains, which were designed to deliver localized search results. However, this model is evolving to reflect a more modern and unified approach to web search.
Under this new system, Google will continue to deliver regionally relevant results based on users’ real-time physical location — a practice that the company has employed since 2017 — while offering a consistent web address across the globe.
Whether browsing from London, Tokyo, São Paulo, or Sydney, users will now be directed to google.com, eliminating the need for separate local domains.
A More Unified and Streamlined Search Journey
Google emphasizes that this change will not affect the quality or accuracy of search results. Users will continue to receive results tailored to their current geographic location.
Local laws, policies, and content regulations will still apply, even though the visible URL will default to google.com.
Additionally, the company has noted that users who previously customized language or region-specific settings may need to revisit and adjust their preferences once the transition is complete.
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With the rise of AI-driven features, mobile-first browsing, and real-time personalization, Google believes the traditional reliance on separate country-coded domains has become less relevant.
The shift aims to offer users a simpler, more cohesive, and intuitive search experience — where location-based context takes precedence over the domain name itself.
The phased rollout of this change has already begun and is expected to reach all users over the coming months.
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Through its search innovations, AI-powered tools, and user-centric platforms, it aims to continues to redefine how billions of people explore, discover, and interact with information online.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
