What Google Sites does and how to start

Google Sites is a free website builder that lives inside your Google account. You do not need to know code — you drag text boxes, images, and buttons onto a blank page, and Google handles the hosting and the web address for you. The result is a working website that you can share with a link or embed on another site.

To start, go to sites.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you do not have one, create it first at accounts.google.com — it takes two minutes and gives you access to Google Sites, Google Drive, Gmail, and other Google tools. Once you are signed in, click the Create button (a plus sign in the bottom right corner) to begin a new site.

Google will ask you to choose a template or start blank. The templates are pre-built layouts for common site types — a portfolio, a business site, a class page, a resume. If you are learning, start blank. You will see a blank page with a toolbar at the top and a sidebar on the left where you can add new pages.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Sites is free and requires only a Google account — no coding knowledge or separate hosting payment needed.
  • You add content by clicking the plus icon in the toolbar and choosing what to insert: text, images, buttons, tables, or embedded videos.
  • Every page you create gets its own URL automatically, and you can organize pages into a menu structure using the sidebar.
  • You share your site by clicking the Share button and sending a link, or by changing the publish settings to make it visible to anyone with the URL.
  • Google Sites saves your work automatically as you edit, so you do not have to manually save or worry about losing changes.

Adding and arranging content on your page

The toolbar at the top of the page has a plus icon. Click it and you will see a menu: Text box, Image, Button, Table, Drawing, YouTube video, Google Drive file, Calendar, Map, and more. Each one inserts that element onto your page where your cursor is positioned.

Start with a text box. Click the plus icon, select Text box, and a box appears on the page. Click inside it and type. You can make text bold, italic, or a heading by highlighting it and using the formatting buttons that appear. You can also change the text color and the background color of the box itself.

To add an image, click the plus icon, select Image, and choose Upload from your computer, search Google Images, or paste a URL. The image lands on the page at full width by default. You can resize it by dragging the corners, and you can add a caption below it by clicking the caption field that appears.

Everything you add can be moved. Hover over any element and a four-arrow icon appears in the top left corner — drag it to reposition the element anywhere on the page. You can also delete it by clicking the trash icon that appears when you hover over it.

Creating multiple pages and a navigation menu

On the left sidebar, you will see a section labeled Pages. Below it is a plus icon. Click it to add a new page. Google asks you to name the page — call it something clear like "About", "Portfolio", "Contact", or "Services". The new page appears in the Pages list.

Pages you create automatically appear in a navigation menu at the top of your site. Visitors can click the menu to jump between pages. If you want to organize pages into groups — for example, a "Services" menu that contains "Web Design", "Logo Design", and "Consulting" as sub-pages — right-click a page in the sidebar and select "Make this a sub-page". Then drag another page onto it to nest it underneath.

You can reorder pages by dragging them up or down in the sidebar. The order in the sidebar is the order they appear in the menu at the top of your site. You can also hide a page from the menu by right-clicking it and unchecking "Show in navigation" — useful if you want a page to exist but not appear in the main menu.

Changing the look and layout of your site

Click the paint palette icon in the toolbar to open the design panel. Here you can change the site theme — a pre-built color scheme and font combination. Google provides dozens of themes. Click one and the entire site updates when ready. You can also customize the theme by clicking the theme name and adjusting colors and fonts individually.

The layout of your pages is flexible. By default, content flows from top to bottom in a single column. You can create a two-column layout by inserting a table with one row and two columns, then placing content in each cell. Or you can use the layout options in the design panel to switch to a different page structure.

At the top of every page is a header area where you can add a site title, a logo, and navigation links. Click the header area to edit it. You can upload an image as a background, change the text color, and adjust the padding and alignment. This header appears on every page of your site automatically.

Publishing your site and sharing the link

Your site is private by default — only you can see it while you are editing. To make it visible to others, click the Publish button in the top right corner. Google gives you a URL that looks like sites.google.com/view/yoursitenamehere. You can copy this link and send it to anyone, or share it on social media.

If you want to change who can see your site, click the Share button (also in the top right). You can set it to "Anyone with the link can view" (the default), "Restricted to specific people" (you choose who), or "Published to the web" (anyone can find it in search results, though this takes time). Most people use "Anyone with the link" — it is public but not searchable.

Google Sites saves your work automatically as you type and click. You do not have to manually save. If you want to see what your site looks like to visitors, click the eye icon in the top right to preview it. This shows you the site as others will see it, without the editing toolbar.

Embedding content from other sources

You can embed videos, maps, calendars, and files from other Google services directly into your pages. Click the plus icon in the toolbar and select YouTube video, Google Drive file, Calendar, or Map. For YouTube, paste the video URL. For Google Drive, select a file from your Drive. For Calendar and Map, follow the prompts to choose what to display.

You can also embed content from other websites using the Embed option in the plus menu. Paste the embed code (most websites provide this when you click Share) and the content appears on your page. This works for things like Spotify playlists, Twitter feeds, or custom HTML code if you know how to write it.

If you want to add a button that links to another website or another page on your site, click the plus icon and select Button. Type the button text, then paste the URL you want it to link to. The button appears on your page and visitors can click it to navigate.

Common problems and how to fix them

If your site looks different on a phone than on a computer, that is normal — Google Sites automatically adjusts the layout for smaller screens. You can preview this by clicking the eye icon and then clicking the phone icon in the preview window. If something looks broken on mobile, try removing very wide images or tables and replacing them with narrower content.

If you cannot find a page you created, check the Pages sidebar on the left. If it is hidden, right-click the page and select "Show in navigation". If you deleted a page by accident, you cannot undo it after you close the editor, so be careful with the trash icon.

If your site is not showing up in Google search results, that is usually because you have not changed the publish setting to "Published to the web". Most people do not need this — sharing the link directly is faster. If you do want search visibility, go to Share, change the setting, and wait a few weeks for Google to index your site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my own domain name instead of the Google Sites URL?

Yes, but it requires a paid domain. You can buy one from Google Domains or another registrar, then connect it to your Google Site through the settings. The process involves updating DNS records, which is technical but Google provides step-by-step instructions. Most people use the free Google Sites URL unless they already own a domain.

What if I want to password-protect my site?

Google Sites does not have a built-in password feature. Your options are to keep the site private and share the link only with people you trust, or to use a third-party tool like Cloudflare to add password protection. For most uses, sharing the link privately is simpler and sufficient.

Can I edit my site on my phone?

Yes, but it is awkward. The editing toolbar is designed for a computer screen. You can make small changes like editing text, but adding new elements and arranging layouts is much easier on a desktop. For serious editing, use a computer.

How do I delete my site?

Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select Settings. Scroll to the bottom and click Delete site. Google asks you to confirm. Once deleted, the site and its URL are gone permanently, so make sure you want to do this before you click.

Can I export my site or read it as a file?

Google Sites does not have a direct export feature. If you want to move your content elsewhere, you will need to copy and paste text, read images, and rebuild the site on another platform. Plan ahead if you think you might switch platforms later.