Google Sites lets you create, share, and publish a simple website from your browser in a few clicks.
New to site builders and want a no-stress start? If you’ve searched for “how to use google sites,” you’re in the right place. Now.
Google Sites Basics: What You Can Do
Google Sites is part of Google Workspace and works inside your browser. You drag blocks onto pages, arrange sections, and publish to a public web address or to a limited audience. It plays nicely with Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and YouTube, which you can embed without code.
Feature Quick Guide
| Task | Where It Lives | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Create a site | sites.google.com → Blank or template | Starts a fresh draft with a homepage and theme. |
| Add pages | Right sidebar → Pages | Builds navigation and page structure. |
| Insert content | Right sidebar → Insert | Adds text, images, buttons, dividers, carousels, and embeds. |
| Embed Google files | Insert → Drive | Places live Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, or charts. |
| Change theme | Right sidebar → Themes | Swaps fonts, colors, and section styles. |
| Collaborate | Share button | Invites editors or viewers to the draft. |
| Publish | Publish button | Makes the site available at a web address. |
| Connect a domain | Settings → Custom domains | Maps your site to a short, branded URL. |
| Version history | More → Version history | View or restore earlier versions and pages. |
How to Use Google Sites: Step-By-Step
1) Plan A Lightweight Structure
Sketch the pages first: Home, About, Services or Projects, Contact, and a simple page for forms or downloads. Keep names short so they fit the top menu. Decide which pages should be public and which ones will be limited to a group.
2) Start From A Template Or Blank
Open Google Sites and choose a template that fits the goal, or pick a blank canvas. Rename the site, then set a simple web address in the publish dialog. Short addresses are easier to share, and you can always change the draft name later.
3) Add Pages And Navigation
Use the Pages tab to add top-level pages. Drag a page onto another to create a dropdown. For long pages, add section anchors and link to them with buttons or text.
4) Insert Content Blocks
Use the Insert tab to drop in text boxes, images, buttons, and dividers. Add a two-column section for a tidy layout: copy on the left, image or video on the right. Embed a Form to capture inquiries or RSVPs. Drop in a Drive file so live changes appear on the site without extra uploads.
5) Set A Theme And Layout
Pick a theme with readable fonts. Set a light color palette and a clear header image. Use the same section layout across pages to keep the experience consistent. Add a footer with your logo, basic links, and contact email.
6) Share The Draft For Editing
Click Share to invite teammates as editors or viewers of the draft. Editors can add and arrange blocks; viewers can leave comments on embedded files, not on the page itself. Use link sharing to limit access to specific people if the site is private.
7) Publish When You’re Ready
Hit Publish, choose a web address, and pick who can see the published site: anyone with the link, anyone on your domain, or a select list. Visit the URL to confirm images, links, and embeds look right on desktop and mobile.
Taking Your Site Live With A Custom Web Address
If your goal is a public site, scan Google’s official quickstart on how to use Google Sites for a fast refresher on creating, editing, and publishing.
You can connect a custom domain so visitors see a clean URL like www.yourname.com. In Settings, open the custom domain option and follow the prompts to verify ownership with your registrar. Only the owner can connect a domain, so confirm ownership before launch.
Want more control across a company? Workspace admins can map short URLs and manage domain-wide settings in the Admin console. If you don’t see the custom domain option, your admin may need to enable it for your account.
Smart Collaboration And Permissions
Draft Sharing Vs. Published Visibility
The draft lives in Drive and follows Drive-style sharing: invite people by email or share a link with view or edit access. The published site has its own visibility settings. You can publish for everyone on the web, limit to your organization, or restrict to named users.
No Page-Level Locks On The Public View
You can’t hide a single published page from the public while leaving the rest open. For sensitive material, keep that page off navigation and publish to a limited audience, or split content into a second site with restricted access.
Version History Saves Work
Open Version history to name checkpoints and restore earlier drafts. You can even restore a single page without rolling back the entire site, which helps when one section changes by mistake.
Design Tips That Keep Readers On Track
Write Short, Skimmable Sections
Use headings every few paragraphs and keep lines crisp. Avoid tiny text. Break long pages with section backgrounds.
Publishing Checklist That Prevents Rework
Run through this short checklist before you press Publish. It keeps broken links, odd spacing, and access hiccups from sneaking into a launch.
Final Pass
Scan every page on a phone and on a laptop. Check the header image crop and menu fit. Click each button and anchor link. Make sure the footer shows your email and a simple copyright line.
Permissions And URL
Confirm draft sharing is limited to the core team. Then open the publish dialog, set the web address, and choose the audience. If you plan to point a domain at the site, follow Google’s guide to use a custom domain and wait for DNS to finish.
Limits, Storage, And What To Expect
Sites content counts toward your Google Drive storage quota. Images and files added inside a site live within that site, not in separate Drive folders. Deleting a Sites file removes its contents from the web, but copies saved in Drive remain.
There are also size limits for large sites, measured in characters, pages, and images. Most small business and classroom sites sit far below these caps, yet it helps to know they exist when planning big archives.
| Area | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Per page | Up to 15 million characters | Text, code, and hidden markup count. |
| Per site | Up to 40 million characters | Plan sections and archives as you plan. |
| Pages per site | Up to 10,000 | Large intranets may approach this ceiling. |
| Images per site | Up to 15,000 | Compress and reuse assets when possible. |
| Storage | Counts toward Drive quota | Upgrade Workspace or clear unused uploads. |
Embed The Right Content
Drive Files
Embed Docs for policies, Sheets for price tables, Slides for decks, and Forms for sign-ups. These embeds stay live, so edits in Drive show up on the site without republishing.
Simple Site Models You Can Reuse
Local Service Site
Pages: Home, Services, Pricing, About, Contact. Add a Form that sends to your inbox, a small price table from Sheets, and a map with your service area. Put a call button in the header on mobile.
Classroom Hub
Pages: Home, Syllabus, Resources, Calendars, Submit Work. Embed a Class Calendar and a Drive folder that holds weekly materials. Keep the site limited to your domain if student privacy is required.
Team Handbook
Pages: Start Here, Policies, Quick Links, Requests. Place shared Docs for policies and a Form for requests. Keep the site restricted to named users and publish only to the organization.
SEO Basics For Google Sites
Set the site name, write page titles that match the content, and use concise descriptions. Use headings in order and write link text that names the destination. Connect a custom domain once the site is ready, then share the link so it gets crawled.
Analytics And Privacy
Google Sites supports measurement IDs from Google Analytics. Add your ID in Settings so traffic data flows to your property. If you collect personal data through Forms, post a short privacy note and keep data inside your Workspace.
Troubleshooting With Confidence
Can’t See The Custom Domain Option?
If you’re on a managed account, your admin may need to enable custom domains or map the URL for you. On personal accounts, check that you own the domain and that DNS records are set as the setup prompts direct.
Published But Not Public?
Check the published visibility setting. Pick “Anyone” to reach the open web. For Workspace users, admins can limit public publishing, which hides that option for your account.
Something Broke After An Edit?
Open Version history, pick an earlier checkpoint, and restore the site or just one page. Test again, then republish.
Wrap-Up And Next Steps
Now you know how to use Google Sites from draft to launch: plan a simple structure, add clear content, invite collaborators, publish to a clean URL, and keep a safety net with version history. Build a first page today, share the draft, and ship a tidy site. If you teach others “how to use google sites,” share this checklist as a starter map.