How to Publish a Google Site

To publish a Google Site, open the site in Google Sites on a computer, click Publish at the top, enter a web address for your site, and click Publish. Then click Share and, next to Published site, choose Public so anyone can view it, or Restricted to limit it to people you add.

This guide follows Google’s Sites Help articles Publish & share your site, Invite others to edit your site and Create, name, delete, or copy a site. It covers previewing, publishing, choosing who can see the site, publishing later changes, changing the web address, keeping the site out of search results, and unpublishing.

Step 1: Preview Your Site

Google recommends checking your site before it goes live.

1. Open your site in Google Sites on a computer.
2. At the top, click Preview.
3. At the bottom right, choose a layout to see how the site looks on a phone, tablet or computer.
4. To go back to editing, click Exit at the bottom right.

Result: You can spot layout problems, like text that wraps badly on a phone, before anyone else sees them.

Step 2: How to Publish a Google Site

1. Open your site in Google Sites on a computer.
2. At the top, click Publish.
3. Enter the web address you want for the site. Google won’t allow terms that violate its Acceptable Use Policy.
4. Click Publish.
5. Optional: visit the web address to make sure the site is published correctly.

Result: Your site is live at its Google Sites address. Personal accounts get an address that starts with sites.google.com/view/, while work and school sites usually include the organization’s domain.

If the address you want is one you’ve used before for another site you own, Google says you have to change that other site’s address, or permanently delete that site, before you can reuse it.

Step 3: Choose Who Can See Your Site

Publishing a site and making it public are separate settings. A site can be published but still restricted, especially on a work or school account, so check this step even after you’ve clicked Publish.

1. Open the site in Google Sites on a computer.
2. At the top, click Share.
3. Next to Published site, open the drop-down list and select Public or Restricted. Work and school accounts may show other options.
4. Click Save or Done.

If you chose Restricted, Google says you can add specific people or groups. Enter a name or email address, choose Published Viewer from the drop-down, and click Send. Check Notify people if you want them to get an email.

Result: A public site can be opened by anyone with the address. A restricted site can only be viewed by the people you added.

Draft Access vs. Published Access

Google Sites has two versions of every site: the draft you edit and the published site visitors see. Google’s Invite others to edit your site article explains that the Links section of the Share window has separate settings for each. The draft setting controls who can edit with a link, while the published setting controls who can view. People sometimes open up the draft by mistake, which gives others editing access instead of just letting them see the site.

How to Publish Changes to a Site That’s Already Live

Edits you make in Google Sites save to the draft automatically, but visitors don’t see them right away. According to Google’s How to use Google Sites overview, you publish your changes by clicking Publish at the top right again.

Result: The live site updates to match your latest draft.

How to Change Your Site’s Web Address

1. Open the site in Google Sites on a computer.
2. At the top right, next to Publish, click the drop-down arrow and choose Publish settings.
3. Under Web address, enter the new address.
4. Click Save.

Old links and bookmarks to the previous address will stop working after the change, so update anywhere you’ve shared the link. To use your own domain instead of a Google Sites address, see Google’s custom domain guide. Google says only the site owner can connect a domain, and changes can take up to 48 hours to show up.

Keep Your Site Out of Search Results

If you don’t want the site to show up in search engines, Google offers an opt-out for sites that are public on the web.

1. Open the site in Google Sites on a computer.
2. At the top, next to Publish, click the down arrow.
3. Click Publish settings.
4. Click Request public search engines to not display my site.
5. Click Save.

Google notes that this is a request and doesn’t guarantee the site won’t appear in public search engines.

How to Unpublish a Google Site

You can take a site offline by clicking the arrow next to Publish and choosing Unpublish. The site is no longer available to visitors, but you can still edit and preview it, and you can publish it again later.

Troubleshooting

• People can’t open the site: Click Share and make sure Published site is set to Public. If it’s Restricted, only the people you added can see it.
• Your changes don’t show up: Click Publish again. Edits stay in the draft until you do.
• The web address is taken: Pick a different address, or free up an address you own by changing or deleting the site that uses it.
• You can’t add people or change settings: On a work or school account, your admin may limit sharing. Google also lets owners uncheck Editors can publish, change permissions, and add new people, which blocks editors from changing sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to publish a Google Site?

You can publish a site at a sites.google.com address with a Google account. Google’s custom domain guide says you can buy a domain through a Google Workspace plan if you want a custom web address, which is a paid subscription.

Can I let someone edit my site without making it public?

Yes. In Share, enter their email address under Share with people and groups and choose Editor. Google notes that editors without a Google account can view a draft but can’t edit it. The published site’s visibility is a separate setting.

More Google Guides

• How to download a folder in Google Drive
• How to upload a PDF to Google Drive
• How to get a shareable link for a Google Sheets file