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Google Sites FAQ


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Contents

  1. 1 What are the administrative URLs for my site?  Where can I find my Google Sites sitemap?
  2. 2 How do I create/use custom page templates?
  3. 3 How do I remove myself from the access list for a Google Sites website?
  4. 4 How do I copy a Google Sites website?
  5. 5 How do I use the Google Sites Table of Contents Gadget?
  6. 6 How do I integrate Google Checkout with Google Sites?
  7. 7 How do I recover a deleted page?
  8. 8 How do I add a custom Favicon to my Google Sites website?
  9. 9 How do I re-gain Ownership of my Google Sites website?
  10. 10 How do I add / remove the Recent Site Activity gadget from my sidebar?
  11. 11 How do I re-use a previously deleted URL (site name)?
  12. 12 How do I use the Navigation gadget to create an expandable menu structure in my sidebar?
  13. 13 Can I post affiliate links on my Google Sites website? 
  14. 14 How do I provide Recent Site Activity updates via RSS?
  15. 15 How do I add a custom search engine (CSE) to Google Sites?
  16. 16 How do I regain site ownership?
  17. 17 How do I configure AdSense to work with Google Sites?
  18. 18 How do I generate an RSS feed from my Google Site?
  19. 19 What is the best way to manage images and other file attachments with Google Sites?
  20. 20 How can I map my custom domain (www.example.com) to my Google Site?
  21. 21 What do the terms CNAME, alias and mapping mean?
  22. 22 Where do I go to change my web mapping settings?
  23. 23 How do I build a custom gadget?
  24. 24 How do I include Flash or other forbidden code in my Google Site?
  25. 25 How do I include an IFRAME in my Google Site?
  26. 26 How do I make my Google Site public? I don't want visitors to have to sign in (login). 
  27. 27 How do I wrap text around a table in Google Sites?
  28. 28 How do I move a page using Google Sites?
  29. 29 How do I change the landing (default / home) page for my Site?
  30. 30 How do I reuse the name of a deleted page in Google Sites?
  31. 31 How do I include a PayPal Donate button on my site?
  32. 32 How do I use CSS to customize and format my Google Site?
 

What are the administrative URLs for my site?  Where can I find my Google Sites sitemap?

Google Sites incorporates a variety of administrative features into its WYSIWYG design, and it is not always apparent how to access these features.  There are also other Google services (Webmaster Tools, for example) that rely on URLs from your site.  To help alleviate the challenge of locating these pages/URLs, use the Google Sites Link Generator:

How do I create/use custom page templates?

Google Sites offers users the ability to create and use custom page templates.  For more information on working with templates, please see the following articles:

How do I remove myself from the access list for a Google Sites website?


How do I copy a Google Sites website?

Copying a Google Sites website can be done in just a few quick steps:

How do I use the Google Sites Table of Contents Gadget?

Google Sites provides a Table of Contents gadget that can be used to quickly and easily add intra-page navigation to your site.

How do I integrate Google Checkout with Google Sites?

Google now offers an experimental "Google Checkout Store Gadget" that can be used to quickly and easily turn your Google Sites website into a fully functional online storefront.

How do I recover a deleted page?

Google Sites makes it easy to recover a previously deleted page.  The following article shows you how:

How do I add a custom Favicon to my Google Sites website?

Adding a custom Favicon to your website is as simple as adding an attachment to your site.  The following article walks you through the steps:

How do I re-gain Ownership of my Google Sites website?

If you happen to lose your status as Owner of a Google Sites website, you have a couple of options.  These options are outlined in the following article:

How do I add / remove the Recent Site Activity gadget from my sidebar?


How do I re-use a previously deleted URL (site name)?


How do I use the Navigation gadget to create an expandable menu structure in my sidebar?

Google Sites offers a highly configurable Navigation gadget that can be used to create an expandable/collapsible menu in your sidebar.  The following article discusses how to work with this feature:


Can I post affiliate links on my Google Sites website? 

From time to time, people ask what content limitations there are with Google Sites.  For example, users often ask whether they can include affiliate links on their sites.  For the answer to this question, and others, please see the following article:


Google Sites does not natively provide an RSS feed for recent updates to your site.  The following article walks you through the process of creating one on your own:

How do I provide Recent Site Activity updates via RSS?

Google Sites does not natively provide an RSS feed for recent updates to your site.  The following article walks you through the process of creating one on your own:

How do I add a custom search engine (CSE) to Google Sites?

Though Google Sites offers a built-in, site-specific search engine, there are times when you would like to do more than just search your site.  For that reason, it's nice to have access to the Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) service.  The following article outlines how to create and embed a CSE into your Google Site:


How do I regain site ownership?

If you've somehow managed to remove yourself from the list of site Owners, you'll want to review the following article:


How do I configure AdSense to work with Google Sites?

AdSense has been integrated into the Google Sites framework.  For complete instructions on how to access this feature and enable it for your site, please see the following article:

How do I generate an RSS feed from my Google Site?

While Google Sites does not currently offer RSS feeds, this doesn't mean you have to go without.  There are a number of services available that will "scrape" your Google Site and generate the feed you are looking for.  In the following two articles, I walk you through how to use two such services:

What is the best way to manage images and other file attachments with Google Sites?

With three distinct places to host your images and files in Google Sites, managing attachments can be confusing.  The following article discusses the three options, and provides some guidance on how to work with them.

How can I map my custom domain (www.example.com) to my Google Site?

For many Google Sites users, there is a definite need to use a custom domain (URL) to access their site(s).  Unfortunately, the technical skills required to make this happen are not always readily available.  This doesn't mean they have to go without!  The following article provides a non-technical overview of what it takes to map your custom domain, as well as some basic instructions for tackling the issue:

What do the terms CNAME, alias and mapping mean?

For many Google Sites users, there is a definite need to use a custom domain (URL) to access their site(s).  Unfortunately, the technical skills required to make this happen are not always readily available, and the terminology can sometimes be confusing.The following article provides a non-technical overview of what it takes to map your custom domain, as well as some basic instructions for tackling the issue:

Where do I go to change my web mapping settings?

The Link Generator has been designed to help site administrators quickly and easily locate the necessary pages of their Google Sites' control panel and/or Google Apps control panel when changing the web mapping for their sites.

How do I build a custom gadget?

Google Sites provides some interesting hurdles to cross when it comes to including certain features on your pages.  There are limitations on Flash animations, scripting and certain HTML coding (forms, IFRAMEs, etc.).  There is a way, however, to include all of these features - and more! - in your Google Sites:  Custom gadgets.  The following article provides an introduction to creating and using your own gadgets:

How do I include Flash or other forbidden code in my Google Site?

Google Sites provides some interesting hurdles to cross when it comes to including certain features on your pages.  There are limitations on Flash animations, scripting and certain HTML coding (forms, IFRAMEs, etc.).  There is a way, however, to include all of these features - and more! - in your Google Sites:  Custom gadgets.  The following article provides an introduction to creating and using your own gadgets:

How do I include an IFRAME in my Google Site?

Google Sites provides some interesting hurdles to cross when it comes to including certain features on your pages.  There are limitations on Flash animations, scripting and certain HTML coding (forms, IFRAMEs, etc.).  There is a way, however, to include all of these features - and more! - in your Google Sites:  Custom gadgets.  The following article provides an introduction to creating and using your own gadgets:

How do I make my Google Site public? I don't want visitors to have to sign in (login). 

By default, each Google Site is private.  Because of this, anyone who tries to view your website is prompted with a user login screen.  Fortunately, Sites offers a quick and easy way to change this setting, making it so that your site is visible to anyone in the world.  The following article walks you through the changes that need to be made in order to make your site public.


How do I wrap text around a table in Google Sites?

For some, formatting pages in Google Sites can be a bit confusing.  This is because the WYSIWYG interface doesn't always respond the way you might expect.  Fortunately, Sites offers an easily accessible HTML editor that gives us additional control over the layout and appearance of our pages.  The following article outlines one way to control the layout of your pages:

How do I move a page using Google Sites?

Creating a new page in Google Sites is quick and easy.  However, it can be very easy to create the page in the wrong place (hierarchically).  To correct this problem, Google has included a simple way to move pages around in your Sites structure.  The following article describes the steps necessary to make this happen:

How do I change the landing (default / home) page for my Site?

Sometimes, after a site has been built, the need arises to change the home (default / landing) page.  With Google Sites, this can be accomplished quite simply.  The following article describes the steps necessary to make this happen:
 

How do I reuse the name of a deleted page in Google Sites?

When working with Google Sites, there may come a time when you need to scrap a page entirely and start over.  The most common reason for this is that you chose one page type when you created the page, but now you realize you need a different page type.  Unfortunately, when you delete the initial page, Sites will not allow you to reuse the page name (URL) for the new page.  The following article tells you how to get around this limitation:

How do I include a PayPal Donate button on my site?

A very common question in the Google Sites User Forum is how to include PayPal buttons and forms.  People not only want to know how to make this work, but also why it doesn't work in the first place.  The following article addresses both of these questions:


How do I use CSS to customize and format my Google Site?

Though you cannot create a custom CSS file for your entire site, you can use inline CSS to gain greater control over the formatting of your site.  Keep in mind that not all controls are available to you, as Google will strip certain properties, but there are a number of available options that will enable you to give your site that one-of-a-kind look and feel.