Google has launched an API for its URL shortener, goog.gl. The API can be used to interact with the service and develop applications that store, share, and manage goo.gl URLs. 

"With this API, developers are able to programmatically access all of the fast, sleek goo.gl goodness that we currently provide via the web interface," says Ben D’Angelo with Google’s URL Shortener Team. "You can shorten and expand URLs using the API, as well as fetch your history and analytics. You could use these features for a wide variety of applications, enabling behaviors ranging from auto-shortening within Twitter or Google Buzz clients to running regular jobs that monitor your usage statistics and traffic patterns."

"We’re continuing to work on several usability improvements and to make our auto-detection of spammy or malicious content even more robust," D’Angelo adds.

Developers can find documentation for the API here. 

Goo.gl started out as something that was only available attached to various Google products. For example, those using the share button on the Google toolbar would generate a goo.gl URL. The same for those using Feedburner to set up feeds to post to Twitter. 

In September, Google made goo.gl available on a more general basis as a product called simply, Google URL Shortener. It keeps track of URLs shortened, showing both versions of the URL, when the shortened URL was created, the number of clicks it has received, etc. 

Google says goog.gl is one of the fastest URL shorteners out there.