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Google Sites Basics

Intro to Google Sites

Written by: Mei Lin Lee-Stahr | Winter Quarter 2023

Contents:

What is Google Sites?

Google Sites is an easy to use tool to help you build and create a website. Choose from a previously made template or create a website from scratch. Everyone with a Google account can access Google Sites for free!

Where to find it

You can either go to sites.google.com or go to your Google Drive and press new and scroll down for more to find the sites option. 

 

If you choose the Google Drive option, then you’ll immediately be taken to a new blank site, but if you go to the website directly, press “Blank” or browse templates.

Getting Started

For now, I’ll show you how to create a website from a blank one. If you chose to use a template, then it’ll be largely the same steps. 

 

Once you create your site, this is what it should look like:

 

To edit text, click on the text and it’ll give you editing options:

Click on the background to change its color or add a picture.

To add more pages go to the pages tab and press the “+” button

You have multiple options when adding a new page:

 

On the “Insert” Tab you can add different elements to your page:

 

Text Box: to add text

Images: Import images into your site

Content blocks: use these to help you order text and images in a coherent way

How to add a subsection to a page

1. Click on “add page,” title this whatever you want your page to be titled

 

2. Drag and drop the selected page over the home page and it’ll automatically become a subpage. 

 

3. This creates a dropdown menu on the final site, you can add as many subpages as you’d like

 

Extras

If you want to use a theme, but not a template, go to the theme tabs to change the overall look of your site

 

Want an example for inspiration? Check out my sample site here: https://sites.google.com/view/artinspo/home

How to add a Map

1. On the righthand toolbar, scroll down until you see "Maps"

2. A popup window will appear; then type in the location you would like to focus on in your map

3. You may then change the location of the red pin by clicking on "Drop a Placemark." NOTE: You cannot rename this pin, nor can you drop multiple pins. 

4. When you have dropped your pin where you want it, click "Select" to add it to your site

5. When you're done it should look like this:

 

NOTES: You may also add something called "My Maps" to your site. For more information on Google My Maps, please reference HERE