Google search results - getting actual links

Whenever I do a Google search, if I right click and copy the URL of a result link, it results in a Google redirector URL:

https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=get+rid+of+google.com/url&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CFQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsupport.google.com%2Fwebmasters%2Fbin%2Fanswer.py%3Fhl%3Den%26answer%3D1269119&ei=12z1T-m6H4iW-waK59nUBg&usg=AFQjCNGu4lqQob5nmkkt-H5OwapeffIIqQ

This has many disadvantages for me, the three most important being:

  • inability to copy a link without visiting it
  • the redirection often takes several seconds, while the actual page would load immediately
  • privacy issues

Is there a way to make Google link to actual URLs? Maybe there is a browser plugin which visits resolves all URLs and replaces them?

The same problem applies to Facebook - a typical outgoing link looks like this:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dod-jMrp9FVY%26feature%3Dshare&h=0AQEiN80h

My browser of choice is Opera so an userscript or Opera plugin would be preferred, but I'll be happy to hear about all possibilities.


Solution 1:

There are also extensions available in the Opera add-ons repository:

  • No Google Search Redirect
  • Facebook Redirect Fixer

Just in case you consider installing/updating extensions to be more convenient than userscripts.

Solution 2:

I have found that this script works as of July 2012: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/120330

In general, every time Google changes the way it adds a redirection link, someone is making a new script on userscripts.org - so if the above is out of date, just find a new one!

For Facebook's l.php: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/126898