🔥Get Awesome Google Sites Templates!
Google Sites allows you to easily embed productivity tools from all over Google Workspace into your intranet. There are also plenty of other applications that can be integrated with Sites to improve communications and streamline content management.
Copying sections or entire pages in Google Sites helps you duplicate content without recreating everything from scratch.
Open your Google Site.
Navigate to the page where the section is located.
Hover over the section you want to duplicate.
Look for the copy icon (📄) on the left side of the section.
Click the icon, and an exact duplicate of the section will appear below the original.
To move the duplicated section, click and drag it to a new location on the page.
Modify the text, images, or links in the copied section if necessary.
Click Publish to apply the changes to your live site.
Note: To copy a section and add it to on different page, click the section you want to copy and you will see a blue border. Use the keyboard shortcuts to copy the section (CTRL+C to copy) and paste it on any other page (CTRL+V to paste).
Copying sections or entire pages in Google Sites helps you duplicate content without recreating everything from scratch.
If you want to create a duplicate of a full page:
Click the Pages tab on the right sidebar.
Find the page you want to copy.
Click the three-dot menu (⁝) next to the page name.
Select Duplicate page.
A new page will appear with the same content but named "Copy of [Original Page Name]".
Click on the new page’s name to rename it.
Click Publish to apply the copied content to your live site.
Go to Google Sites.
Select the site you want to edit.
Click on an existing text box to edit its content, OR
Click "Insert" → "Text box" from the right-hand menu to add a new text box.
Click inside the text box and start typing, OR
Click inside an existing text box to change or replace text.
Once you have selected text, use the formatting toolbar that appears above the text box:
Bold → Click the B button to make text bold.
Italic → Click the I button to italicize text.
Underline → Click the U button to underline text.
Click the dropdown menu (usually set to "Normal text").
Select from the following options:
Title – Largest text size (best for main headings).
Heading – Slightly smaller than the title (good for section headings).
Subheading – Medium-sized text (for subsections).
Normal text – Default size for body text.
Small text – The smallest text option.
Click the A (Text color) icon to open the color picker.
Choose a new font color for your text.
Click the Highlight color icon (next to the text color option) to add a background color behind the text.
Click the Alignment button (three horizontal lines) and choose:
Left align (default)
Center align
Right align
Justify (stretches text to fill the width of the text box).
Click the Bullet list (•) button to create an unordered list.
Click the Numbered list (1.) button to create a numbered list.
Highlight the text you want to turn into a link.
Click the Insert link (🔗) button in the toolbar.
Enter a website URL or select a page from your site.
Click Apply to save the link.
Changes save automatically, but you must click Publish (top-right corner) for the changes to appear on the live site.
Use headings and subheadings to structure content clearly.
Choose text colors that are easy to read on your site’s background.
Use bullet points or numbered lists to make information easier to scan.
Go to Google Sites.
Select the site you want to edit.
Click on the page where you want to add an image.
On the right-hand panel, click "Insert" → "Images".
Choose one of the following options:
Upload: Select an image from your computer.
Select Image: Choose from Google Drive, Google Photos, or search for free images.
Drag an image directly from your computer and drop it onto your Google Site.
Click on the inserted image.
Small blue circles (handles) will appear around the edges.
Click and drag a corner handle to resize while keeping the image’s proportions.
Click and drag a side handle to stretch or compress the image.
Click and drag the image to move it to a new location.
Use the alignment options (left, center, right) in the toolbar to adjust positioning.
Click the image, then select the crop icon (✂️) to trim the image.
Click the uncrop icon [ ] for it to automatically adjust to its borders.
Click "Replace image" if you want to swap it with a different one.
Click the image to access additional options:
Add a link (to make the image clickable).
Set as background image (for a section).
Alt text (alternative text) helps visually impaired users understand the content of an image.
Click on the image.
Click the three-dot menu (⁝) in the floating toolbar.
Select "Add alt text".
Type a brief but descriptive explanation of the image. (Example: "Library bookshelf with colorful books.")
Click Apply.
Click Publish to save the updates to your live site.
Use high-quality images to keep your site looking professional.
Keep image file sizes small to avoid slowing down your site.
Always preview your site to check how images appear on different devices.
You can upload PDFs/DOCs to Google Sites so visitors can view or download them easily. Follow these steps to add a PDF to your site.
Open Google Drive:
Go to drive.google.com on your computer.
Upload the PDF/DOC to your Drive.
Select the PDF/DOC you want to share:
Locate the PDF file you want to share.
You can either right-click on the file or select it and then click the "Share" button (it looks like a person with a + symbol).
Change General Access:
In the "Share" dialog box, look for "General access."
Click the dropdown arrow next to the current access setting (it might say "Restricted").
Select "Anyone with the link."
Set the Role:
Choose the level of access you want to grant:
Viewer: This will likely be the one you will want to choose. People can only view the PDF and not make changes.
Commenter: People can view and add comments.
Editor: people can view, comment, and edit the file. For a PDF, the editor role is not very useful, as most people will want to just view it.
Copy the Link:
Click "Copy link."
Click "Done."
Open Google Sites and go to the page where you want to add the link.
Highlight the text and click the Insert link (🔗) button in the toolbar.
Paste the Google Drive link to the PDF.
Click Apply.
✅ Tip: Use clear link text like “Download the Event Guide (PDF)” instead of just “Click here.”
Click Insert → Button in the right panel.
Name the button (e.g., “View PDF” or “Download PDF”).
Paste the Google Drive link as the button’s URL.
Click Insert and move the button where you want it.
✅ Why Use a Button? Buttons stand out and make it easier for visitors to find important PDFs.
Instead of just linking, you can embed a preview of the PDF:
Click Insert → Drive in the right panel.
Select the PDF file from Google Drive.
Click Insert to add it to the page.
Resize the embedded PDF as needed.
📌 Note: Users can scroll through the PDF directly on your site without downloading it!
Click Publish to save your changes.
Click the link or embedded PDF to ensure it opens correctly.
All PDFs added to your public website should be accessible to ensure everyone can read them. To improve accessibility:
Use text-based PDFs instead of scanned images.
Ensure the document has a clear heading structure before converting it to a PDF.
Add alternative text (alt text) for any images within the PDF.
Use tagged PDFs for screen reader compatibility.
Check your PDF with an accessibility checker before uploading.
For more details on creating accessible PDFs, view information under Accessibility Resources.
Go to Google Sites.
Select the site where you want to add a button.
Click on the page where you want the button.
In the right-hand panel, click "Insert" → "Button".
A pop-up will appear where you can:
Enter the button label (e.g., "Learn More" or "Contact Us").
Paste a URL (for an external link) OR
Select a page from your Google Site (for internal navigation).
Click Insert to add the button.
Click and drag the button to move it around the page.
Use the blue resizing handles to adjust the width of the button.
After inserting the button, use the toolbar to customize its appearance:
Filled – A solid color button (default).
Outlined – A button with just a border.
Text – A simple text-only button without a border.
Click the button and use the alignment toolbar to position it:
Left
Center
Right
Add multiple buttons and align them in a row or stack them vertically to create a clean layout.
Click Publish to save your changes.
Preview the site and click the button to ensure it directs users to the correct link.
Use clear, action-driven labels (e.g., “Sign Up,” “Get Started,” “Explore More”).
Ensure enough contrast between the button color and background for readability.
Test buttons on mobile and desktop to confirm they are easy to click.
Go to Google Sites.
Select the site where you want to add a hyperlink.
Click on the text box where you want to add the hyperlink.
Highlight the specific word(s) or phrase you want to turn into a link.
Click the Insert link (🔗) button in the toolbar (or press Ctrl + K / Cmd + K).
In the pop-up box:
For an external website: Enter or paste the full URL (e.g., https://www.example.com).
For an internal page: Click Pages, then select a page from your site.
For a Google Drive file: Paste the shared link of the document.
Click Apply to save the link.
Click Preview (👁️) at the top to see how the hyperlink works before publishing.
Click the link to ensure it redirects to the correct page.
Click Publish to make the hyperlink live on your site.
Click where you want a section to be linked.
Select the text and change it to a heading:
Click the Text box tool (if needed).
Highlight the text you want as an anchor.
In the toolbar, change the text style to Heading or Subheading.
Click Insert in the right-hand panel.
Select Table of Contents under the Components section.
The Table of Contents will automatically detect all headings on the page and create links to them.
Click the Table of Contents box to adjust the formatting.
Use the settings gear to choose whether to show/hide certain heading levels.
Click Publish in the upper-right corner.
Open the live site (not just the preview).
Click any link in the Table of Contents—it will now jump to the corresponding section.
Go to Google Sites.
Select the site you want to edit.
In the top-right corner, click "Settings" (gear icon).
In the left-hand Pages panel, click the "Add page" button.
Name the page and click "Done".
The new page will automatically appear in your navigation menu, based on the layout you chose.
Click the "Add link" button in the Pages panel.
Enter the URL of the external site and give it a name.
Click "Done" to add the link to your navigation menu.
4. Organizing the Menu Items
To change the order of the pages in the navigation menu, click and drag the page title to your preferred position.
To create a subpage under a parent page, simply drag the page you want to appear as a subpage underneath the main page title.
The subpage will appear as a dropdown menu item in the navigation.
5. Edit or Remove Menu Items
In the Pages panel, click the three-dot menu next to the page you want to edit.
Select "Rename" to change the page title or "Edit" for more options.
Click the three-dot menu next to the page or link you want to remove.
Select "Delete". This will remove the page from the navigation menu and from your site.
6. Save and Publish Your Changes
Once you've organized the navigation menu, click Publish to make the changes live on your site.
Keep it Simple: Limit the number of top-level pages to avoid overwhelming visitors.
Use Clear Labels: Make sure page names are concise and descriptive.
Group Related Pages: Use subpages to keep related content grouped together.
Test the Menu: Preview your site to ensure the navigation menu works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
Go to your Google Site.
Select the site where you want to add an announcement banner.
Click the Settings (⚙️) icon in the top-right corner.
Select Announcement banner from the dropdown menu.
Toggle Show banner to the on position.
Message: Type the text you want to display.
Button/Link (Optional): Add a clickable URL for more information (e.g., a news page or event details).
Banner Color: Choose a background color that stands out.
Placement: Decide if the banner should appear on all pages or only the homepage.
Click Close to save changes.
Click Publish to apply the banner to the live site.
Go to Google Sites.
Select the site you want to edit.
In the top-right corner, click on the three-dot menu (⁝).
Select Version History from the dropdown menu.
A panel will open on the right, showing a list of saved versions with timestamps.
Click on a version to preview what your site looked like at that time.
Once you find the version you want, click the Restore this version button at the top.
Confirm your choice if prompted.
If your site is already published, restoring a version won’t automatically update the live version.
Click Publish in the top-right to make the restored version public.
Restoring a version replaces the current version, but you can always go back to other versions if needed.
If you only need specific content from an older version, you can copy and paste instead of restoring the whole site.