{{Short description|Mirrored website of Google Search}} {{Lowercase title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox website | name = elgooG | logo = elgooG 2015 logo.svg | logo_size = 220px | screenshot = elgooG 2015 screenshot.png | screenshot_size = 300px | collapsible = yes | caption = elgooG's homepage | type = Search engine | language = English | url = {{URL|https://elgoog.im}} | launch_date = {{Start date and age|2002}} | current_status = Active }}
'''elgooG''' is the word ''Google'' spelled backwards. It has been used in the URL of an unofficial joke mirror site of Google Search, which allowed users from Mainland China to bypass the Great Firewall.
== History == The first usage of the term comes from a Google mirror site created by All Too Flat, a website dedicated to "useless information and the promotion of laughter". It accepted queries and provided search results that were spelled in reverse alphabetical order.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=February 18, 2003 |title=Google Mirror FAQ |url=http://www.alltooflat.com/geeky/elgoog/info/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216180327/http://www.alltooflat.com/geeky/elgoog/info/ |archive-date=16 February 2025 |access-date=October 19, 2025 |publisher=All Too Flat}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Karch |first=Marziah |date=January 14, 2020 |title=What Is elgooG? |url=https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-elgoog-1616585 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250609134226/https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-elgoog-1616585 |archive-date=June 9, 2025 |access-date=October 19, 2025 |publisher=Lifewire}}</ref>
elgooG was not officially affiliated with Google,<ref name=":0" /> although the domain ''elgoog.com'' is owned by Google LLC as of March 8, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RDAP Lookup |url=https://rdap.markmonitor.com/rdap/domain/ELGOOG.COM|access-date=January 13, 2026 |website=Markmonitor |format=JSON}}</ref> Its creators asked Google for permission to sell elgooG merchandise to cover bandwidth costs but were refused.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 3, 2005 |title=Google users find mirror-image tweak |url=https://dailytitan.com/news/google-users-find-mirror-image-tweak/article_08e57bb9-e0d5-55c8-b8c9-1a2adf970cb4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523030054/https://dailytitan.com/news/google-users-find-mirror-image-tweak/article_08e57bb9-e0d5-55c8-b8c9-1a2adf970cb4.html |archive-date=May 23, 2025 |access-date=October 19, 2025 |website=The Daily Titan}}</ref>
elgooG gained popularity in 2002 because it could still be accessed from mainland China through the Great Firewall even after the government blocked search engines such as AltaVista and Google, although the mirror site did not have support for Chinese characters.<ref>{{cite web |last=Knight |first=Will |date=September 6, 2002 |title=Google mirror beats Great Firewall of China |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2768-google-mirror-beats-great-firewall-of-china.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241010015116/https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2768-google-mirror-beats-great-firewall-of-china/ |archive-date=October 10, 2024 |access-date=October 19, 2025 |website=New Scientist}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
On April 8, 2015, Google created an official mirrored version of Google Search for April Fools' Day with com.google.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tweedie |first1=Steven |title=Search Google backwards with this secret April Fools' Day trick |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/search-google-backwards-secret-april-fools-day-trick-2015-4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250709122254/https://www.businessinsider.com/search-google-backwards-secret-april-fools-day-trick-2015-4 |archive-date=July 9, 2025 |access-date=October 19, 2025 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> The site was the company's first ever use of the .google top-level domain.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Owen |date=April 1, 2015 |title=Roundup: All Of Google's Jokes For April Fools' Day 2015 |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/roundup-all-of-googles-jokes-for-april-fools-day-2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251019104631/https://thenextweb.com/news/roundup-all-of-googles-jokes-for-april-fools-day-2015 |archive-date=October 19, 2025 |access-date=October 19, 2025 |publisher=TNW}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Internet}} * List of Google Easter eggs
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}}
{{Google LLC}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elgoog}} Category:Google Search Category:Internet search engines Category:Internet censorship in China
{{Google-stub}}