Google Sites

Google Sites is Google's web-based tool for creating and publishing websites, intranets, project pages, documentation hubs, and other structured collections of web content. It is distributed as part of Google's broader Docs Editors ecosystem, alongside services such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Keep. Unlike a conventional hosted web-development environment, Google Sites is designed around templates, visual editing, page organization, and integration with Google's productivity services rather than custom programming. The product originated in Google's acquisition of JotSpot, a wiki and collaboration company founded by Joe Kraus and Graham Spencer, who had previously co-founded Excite. Google acquired JotSpot in October 2006 and subsequently used its technology as the foundation for Google Sites. The Google-branded service was unveiled on February 28, 2008. At launch, users could create sites without paying for the service, but the initial arrangement required users to supply a domain name. On May 21, 2008, Google removed that requirement, making the service accessible through Google-hosted web addresses. Google Sites also became part of Google's consolidation of earlier web-publishing products. Websites created with Google Page Creator were migrated to Google Sites by 2009, helping Google move users from an earlier page-authoring service to the newer platform. In June 2011, Google added support for creating pages intended for mobile-phone viewing, reflecting the growing importance of mobile access to web content. A major product transition occurred in June 2016, when Google introduced a redesigned version of Sites that no longer relied on the original JotSpot technology. The newer product emphasized a simplified editor, visual layout controls, responsive pages, and closer connections with Google Drive and other Google Workspace services. Users of the legacy version were subsequently required to migrate to the newer Google Sites environment in 2021. The service has also raised governance and abuse concerns because users can obtain Google-hosted web addresses at no charge. The availability of recognizable Google domains has been criticized as potentially making fraudulent or deceptive pages appear more credible. Google Sites has additionally been involved in a notable access dispute in Turkey. In June 2009, Turkish authorities blocked access to all pages hosted on Google Sites after allegations that one hosted page insulted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In 2012, the European Court of Human Rights held in Yildirim v. Turkey that the broad blocking measure violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Google Sites remains positioned as a low-complexity publishing and collaboration tool. Its principal appeal is speed and integration: users can assemble pages, embed files and content from Google services, control sharing, and publish without managing servers or installing a conventional content-management system. Its trade-off is limited control compared with developer-oriented website platforms, traditional content-management systems, and fully customizable hosting environments.

Google Sites developed from JotSpot, a wiki and collaboration company founded by Joe Kraus and Graham Spencer, both associated with the founding of Excite. Google acquired JotSpot in October 2006. The acquisition supplied the underlying technology and product experience for Google's later hosted website and wiki service. Google unveiled Google Sites on February 28, 2008. The initial service was free to use, but users were expected to provide a domain name. On May 21 of the same year, Google made the service available without that requirement, allowing users to create sites under a Google-hosted address. This change broadened the product's appeal by making basic publishing possible without domain registration or separate hosting arrangements. The service became part of Google's broader web-product portfolio and was used as a destination for users of Google Page Creator. By 2009, websites made with Page Creator had been migrated to Google Sites. This transition connected Google Sites with Google's effort to consolidate consumer and organizational web-authoring tools around hosted services. Google Sites encountered a significant access and human-rights dispute in Turkey. In June 2009, Turkish authorities blocked all pages hosted on the service after allegations that one page insulted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The measure affected the entire hosted platform rather than only the disputed page. In 2012, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in Yildirim v. Turkey that the blocking violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of expression. Product development continued as web access patterns changed. In June 2011, Google introduced a feature for creating pages designed for mobile phones. In June 2016, Google announced a substantially redesigned version of Sites. The new service did not use the original JotSpot technology and presented a different editing and publishing experience. The redesigned version focused on simplified page assembly and closer integration with Google's web productivity environment. The two versions coexisted during a transition period. In 2021, users of legacy Google Sites were required to migrate to the new version. This marked the effective end of the original JotSpot-derived product architecture for ordinary users and established the redesigned service as Google's continuing Sites offering. Google Sites is also associated with recurring concerns about misuse. Because the service can provide a free Google.com-hosted web address, observers have noted that deceptive or fraudulent actors may use it to make imitation pages seem more trustworthy. This issue reflects a broader challenge for hosted publishing platforms: the same low-friction tools that help legitimate users publish quickly can also be used to distribute misleading material. Google Sites' overall proposition remains ease of publication, managed hosting, and integration with Google services, with less emphasis on deep customization than developer-focused hosting or full content-management platforms.

• 2021

  Legacy Sites migration completed

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Legacy Google Sites users were required to migrate to the redesigned service.

• 2016

  Redesigned Google Sites introduced

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Google introduced a new version of Sites that no longer used the original JotSpot technology.

• 2012

  European human-rights judgment

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  The European Court of Human Rights found Turkey's broad blocking of Google Sites incompatible with Article 10 protections.

• 2011

  Mobile page creation introduced

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Google added support for creating webpages intended for mobile-phone viewing.

• 2009

  Google Page Creator sites migrated

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Websites created with Google Page Creator were moved to Google Sites.

• 2009

  Turkey blocked Google Sites

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Turkey blocked access to pages hosted on the platform following a dispute over alleged insulting content.

• 2008

  Google Sites launched

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Google unveiled Google Sites on February 28 as a hosted website and structured wiki creation service.

• 2008

  Standalone domain requirement removed

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  On May 21, Google made Sites available without requiring users to supply a domain name.

• 2006

  Google acquired JotSpot

  [1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Google acquired JotSpot, whose technology later formed the foundation of Google Sites.

A simple, hosted website and intranet builder for individuals, schools, teams, and organizations that want fast publishing and integration with Google productivity services rather than extensive coding or design control.

• Website builder and hosted wiki · 2008

  Google Sites

  Google Sites is a browser-based publishing tool for assembling webpages and multi-page sites without conventional server administration. Users can organize pages, publish content under Google-hosted addresses, and use the service for personal pages, project documentation, internal information hubs, school sites, and other lightweight web destinations. Its value comes from simplicity and managed hosting, while its customization is more limited than that of developer-oriented hosting or full content-management systems.

• Legacy website and wiki platform · 2008

  Legacy Google Sites

  The original Google Sites product was based on technology acquired through JotSpot. It supported structured pages and hosted sites before Google replaced its architecture with the redesigned Sites experience. Legacy users were required to migrate to the newer product in 2021, making the original version a historical rather than continuing product line.

• Website builder · 2016

  New Google Sites

  The redesigned Google Sites service was introduced in 2016 as a separate technical and editorial experience from the original JotSpot-derived platform. It emphasized visual page construction, simplified publishing, responsive presentation, and integration with Google's broader productivity environment. It became the successor to the legacy product after the required migration process in 2021.

• 2009

  Turkey's nationwide blocking of Google Sites

  Turkey blocked all pages hosted on Google Sites after allegations that one hosted page insulted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The measure became a human-rights issue because it affected the entire platform rather than being limited to the disputed page. In 2012, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the blocking violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

  Source

• Abuse concerns involving deceptive hosted pages

  Google Sites has been criticized as a potential vehicle for scams and imitation websites because users can publish pages under Google-hosted web addresses. The concern relates to possible misuse of the platform's recognizable domain context, rather than to a single identified incident in the available source material.

  Source

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• 2021

  Require migration from legacy Google SitesStrategy

  Background

  The legacy and redesigned versions of Sites had coexisted after the 2016 product change.

  Action taken

  Google required users of legacy Google Sites to migrate to the redesigned service.

  Aftermath

  The redesigned product became the continuing Google Sites experience for users affected by the transition.

  Source

• 2016

  Replace the original Sites architecture with a redesigned productGeneration change

  Background

  Google Sites had evolved from JotSpot technology, while Google's web-product ecosystem was moving toward newer browser-based editing and collaboration experiences.

  Action taken

  Google introduced a redesigned Google Sites that did not use the original JotSpot technology.

  Aftermath

  The new version became the basis for the later migration away from legacy Google Sites.

  Source

• 2008

  Launch Google Sites from JotSpot technologyProduct launch

  Background

  Google had acquired JotSpot in 2006 and used its technology as the basis for a new hosted website and structured wiki service.

  Action taken

  Google unveiled Google Sites on February 28, 2008.

  Aftermath

  The launch established Google's branded successor to the acquired JotSpot product.

  Source

• 2008

  Remove the requirement for users to provide a domainStrategy

  Background

  The initial service was free but required users to have a domain name, which added a barrier to basic publishing.

  Action taken

  Google made Google Sites available without requiring a user-supplied domain name on May 21, 2008.

  Aftermath

  Users could create Google-hosted sites with less setup and without separately arranging domain registration.

  Source

• 2021

  Google Sites legacy users required to migrate[1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Users of the older Google Sites environment were required to move to the redesigned version of the service.

• 2016

  Google introduced a redesigned Google Sites[1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Product launch

  Google launched a redesigned version of Sites that was developed independently of the original JotSpot technology and adopted a more modern visual editing model.

• 2011

  Google Sites added mobile-oriented page creation[1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Google added a capability for users to create webpages intended for mobile-phone viewing.

• 2008

  Google Sites unveiled using JotSpot technology[1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Google launched Google Sites as a web-based site-creation service built from technology obtained through its acquisition of JotSpot.

• 2008

  Google Sites removed the domain-name requirement[1]Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The service became available without requiring users to provide their own domain name, lowering the barrier to creating a Google-hosted website.

1. 1Google Sitesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Google Sitessites.google.com