Build a Website with Google Sites

About Google Sites as a Free Site Builder Platform

What is the Google Sites web building platform?

Quite simply, Google Sites is a free web building platform by Google. It is purposed for both public websites, company intranets and private portals. It is included within the Google Workspace business productivity suite of applications, but is also available through standalone Google or Gmail accounts. Users can collaborate simultaneously to build webpages to form a wiki.

How does Google Sites compare to other popular content management systems (CMS)?

We've created this handy table showing a comparison table of features in Google Sites, Wix, GoDaddy, Wordpress and Squarespace. We also review other free site builders and what limitations they have.

What does Google Sites cost? Are there any hosting fees?

Google Sites are free to build, host, and maintain with a Google or Gmail account. There are no web hosting fees. If, however, you are using Google Sites in conjunction with Google Workspace, the cost is rolled into the user license fee of all plans.

How difficult is Google Sites to use?

There is no HTML or CSS coding required to work well with Google Sites. Writing, editing, and inserting images are all very easy tasks. It is similar to using a word processor like Google Docs. If you want, there are advanced options available for editing the code directly. You can embed HTML, CSS, JavaScript and deploy Apps Script using "embed from the web".

Can I use a custom domain (ex. a dot com)?

Yes. Connect a domain you already own or purchase one through a domain registrar. In your domain's DNS settings, you can handle the custom web address mapping and forward to your naked domain. Please note that, on average, domains cost about $15 per year. For technical support, you can assign us delegate access to manage your DNS records and ensure your website is live.

• Complete video tutorial for the process of adding a custom domain

What kind of websites can you make with Google Sites?

Informational websites are best-suited for Google Sites. Google Sites really excels at intranet applications because of the easy integration with apps like Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc. There is limited capability for shopping websites since Google Sites does not operate with PHP and other database-driven languages. There is currently no feature for a log-in, register, member's only type experience.

Can I Make an E-Commerce Website with Google?

The lack of a proper CMS makes the prospect of managing a large ecommerce site on Google Sites impractical. However, templates have been made which utilize Pay Now buttons and simple storefronts. 

Do I have to register for Google Workspace, Formerly called G Suite and Google Apps for Business?

We encourage clients to have or create a Google Workspace account for their Google Site. This Workspace domain provide greater security, stability, backup and live support options. We will transfer a design to that account and it's under your ownership.

How much storage space is there on Google Sites.

Under Google Apps, Classic Google Sites has 10GB of storage space. That far exceeds most website's needs. On a free Google account, 100MB per site is available, which often is adequate for a small website.

Update: New Google Sites uses no storage space in Google Drive or Google Workspace. 

Can Google Sites be used for dynamic or interactive websites?

Yes, we can create slideshows, RSS feeds, mouse-over buttons, facebook badges, twitter feeds, and much more. Please check out our intranet gadget gallery for some examples of our Google Sites plugins.

What coding languages can be used with Google Sites?

You can use HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, jQuery, Google Apps Script and other code through the use of custom Google Sites gadgets. These modules can host this code and display it directly on the page content. On the actual page content, only HTML and CSS can be used.

What SEO options are available?

This is a common question. We all want to get to the top of Google or the search engine and be on page one. Although Classic Google Sites used to support entry of meta data like meta descriptions, New Google Sites has been simplified. It allows:

• Site Title

• Page Title

• Heading Tags

• Image Alt Tags

In addition, Google Analytics and Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) can track and make sure your website is in good SEO form. For more information on SEO, please see the videos of Matt Cutts, Google Webmaster Tools representative or read our complete SEO guide for New Google Sites.

Is Google Sites good for SEO?

There is nothing preventing Google Sites from performing well in search. We've provided some tips to help Google Sites users with SEO.

What can I connect with my Google Site?

Google Sites connects with many Google products like Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools (Google Search Console), Google Plus (deprecated), Google Groups for Business & Google Currents (now Google Spaces), and other Google Apps for Workspace using Google Apps Script.

Where can I find free Google Sites templates?

There are many talented designers of Google Sites, but we recommend our own templates marketplace. You can pay what you want for access to about 30 templates. 

There are also premium themes available for a professional head start on your site.

General Google Sites Information

All Under One Roof

This is a huge benefit. Google Sites is another application in the Google Apps environment, so you have the same intuitive controls, settings, and no additional cost. Hosting is free and it’s easy to manage straight from your browser.

Great Functionality

It’s easy to tap into the other Google Apps like embedding documents, calendars, and spreadsheets. Achieve even more customization with Google Apps Scripts or by creating your own HTML or JavaScript gadgets for your site.

Easy to Build & Great Looking

We design our Google Sites to look beautiful, so we design custom for every organization the look and feel. We build a clear structure so you can maintain the site without writing a single line of code. It's as easy as writing a document.

Intuitive and Secure Permissions

Google Sites lets you set different access lists for different pages of each site. You could use this to let a partner or vendor see only the relevant part of your project site or to built an entire intranet for your company with the right access for each division.

Big Storage

Google Sites comes with loads of storage. Your company gets a quota of 10GB + 500MB for each user at your company for attaching files. Documents, calendars and videos embedded from Google Docs don’t count against this quota. 

Update: Google Sites doesn't even factor into Google Drive storage now, so we went from big storage to infinite storage. 

Google Security

Google Sites is designed for security and reliability with features like encrypted connections to Google’s servers, real-time file save, simultaneous replicated storage for your sites, built-in disaster recovery and fine-grained sharing controls that let you share your work with the right people.

Google Sites Sign In

There are multiple ways to sign in to Google Sites.

• sites.google.com

• drive.google.com

• Google Workspace account app launcher