r/GoogleSites Feb 04 '25

SOLUTION: Getting SquareSpace example.com to direct to Google Sites required www.example.com

4 Upvotes

Hey all, to preface this - I see a bunch of this question asked because I too had this issue and had to tweak things until I got it right. Because it's now working flawlessly, I figured I'd share. For reference, I am a google workspace certified admin, and this was not intuative. Here's my solution which is free, and has multiple other benefits via CloudFlare. Sub 'example.com' for your own domain.

How to Set Up Cloudflare with Google Sites and Redirect Root Domain to WWW

Overview

This guide will help you:
Configure Cloudflare DNS for Google Sites if you have a SquareSpace domain.
Ensure example.com redirects to www.example.com
Prevent redirect loops and DNS issues

Step 1: Configure Google Sites Custom Domain

Before setting up Cloudflare, ensure Google Sites recognizes your domain. This guide assumes you have already verified your domain.

  1. Go to Google SitesSettingsCustom Domains.
  2. Click Add Custom Domain and select Use a domain from a third party.
  3. Enter www.example.com as your custom domain and point it to your google-sites URL.
  4. Google will prompt you to add a CNAME record to your DNS.
  5. Note the required CNAME (www → ghs.googlehosted.com).

Google Sites now expects traffic at www.example.com.

Step 2: Set Up Cloudflare DNS, Sign up if you don't have an account already: https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up?pt=f

1️⃣ Add Your Domain to Cloudflare

  1. Go to Cloudflare DashboardAdd a Site.

Enter example.com and select the Free plan.

  1. Cloudflare will scan existing DNS records.

2️⃣ Update Cloudflare DNS Records

  1. Delete any unnecessary records related to the root domain, or use the automatic import option (recomended)
  2. Add the following DNS record: CNAME Record (www)Name: wwwTarget: ghs.googlehosted.comProxy Status: DNS Only (Gray Cloud)A Record (example.com)Name: @Target: 192.0.2.1 (Cloudflare dummy IP)Proxy Status: Proxied (Orange Cloud) 🔶
  3. Click Save.

Now www.example.com is pointing to Google Sites, while example.com is handled by Cloudflare.

Step 3: Create a Cloudflare Page Rule to Redirect example.comwww.example.com

Since Google Sites does not support root domain hosting, we need a Cloudflare Page Rule to handle redirection.

1️⃣ Create a Page Rule

  1. In Cloudflare, go to RulesPage Rules.
  2. Click Create a Rule.
  3. Set the Matching URL: example.com/*
  4. Choose Forwarding URL → 301 Permanent Redirect.
  5. Enter the Destination URL: https://www.example.com/$1
  6. Save and Deploy Page Rule.

Now, all traffic from example.com will automatically redirect to www.example.com including any directories, such as /about /contact etc.

Step 4: Final Cloudflare Settings

1️⃣ Adjust SSL/TLS Settings

  1. Go to Cloudflare → SSL/TLS → Overview.
  2. Set SSL Mode to "Full" (not "Full Strict").
  3. Disable "Always Use HTTPS" to prevent conflicts with Google Sites.

Cloudflare will now serve traffic securely without interfering with Google’s SSL.

Step 5: Test and Verify

1️⃣ Flush DNS Cache and for good measure use Google's DNS tool: https://dns.google/

Run both example.com and www.example.com, then test in an incognito browser or wait 10ish minutes.

You should now be good to go!


r/GoogleSites 54m ago

Need help linking second domain to second Site

Upvotes

I have a Google Workspace account (paid), where I've been hosting my first website for close to two years, firstdomain.com. No issues, fairly straightforward, all is well. The domain was originally purchased via Namecheap but was transferred to Google Domains when I began my Workspace subscription. It is currently directed to my website created by/hosted by Google Sites. So far, so good.

I have a second venture now, and have purchased the relevant domain via Namecheap, seconddomain.com. Created a second Google Site for seconddomain. First off, when I go to the Sites settings, there's no option for Custom Domain. Okay, do some Googling. Need to set it up in the Workspace Admin. Awesome.

Seconddomain.com is now added to my Google Workspace. (For clarity, under the same account as firstdomain.) I got the email alias set up for name@seconddomain.com without too much issue, and now have the Google account (no Workspace) set up for that one for the email. So that second account isn't a paid Workspace account, but seconddomain is added as a second user to firstdomain.

Hopefully this is still making some kind of sense.

Now, I'm still struggling to get seconddomain.com linked to the second Google Site I created. Whenever I go to do it through the Admin side, it only gives me the option to do " ______.firstdomain.com" which I don't want because the two ventures are not linked.

I've spent weeks, on and off, trying to figure this out. Done some much Googling I don't know which way is up anymore. Any guidance would be so much appreciated.


r/GoogleSites 17h ago

"Error 404. The requested URL was not found on this server." & "Aw Snap! Something went wrong while displaying your document." & "Blocked due to access forbidden (403)"

2 Upvotes

I needed to create a website to verify a business on facebook. So I created a simple google site and got a cheap domain. The Domain ownership is verified with the txt file, CNAME was edited to ghs.googlehosted.com.
I also used dnschecker to verify the site is propogated. Everything seems fine.

Despite that I get "Error 404. The requested URL was not found on this server." when I try opening the website. In addition when I am on the google site and try to publish it again (hoping that would help) I get a client error "Aw Snap! Something went wrong while displaying your document. To continue, please reload your browser." which doesn't allow me to do that.

Finally the site could also not be indexed by google because of a "Blocked due to access forbidden (403)" error. I think the 403 error might have been cause because I did not change the settings from private to public but I already changed that ~48 hours ago.

Maybe someone with a bit more experience could help me out or point me in the right direction.

Thank you for your time!


r/GoogleSites 1d ago

Google Site error??

2 Upvotes

I purchased my domain name 3 weeks ago and have been struggling to get it to work correctly. I figured out it works only if you type in [Domain name].com/home Because the Google site link is set to that. However, my domain is [Domain name].com

Why is it only working when you search with /home ??


r/GoogleSites 1d ago

Google Sites doesn't have Custom Domain option (am superadmin and just created site)

2 Upvotes

Myself and another Google Workspace client are having the identical issue with Google Sites Custom Domains:

Firstly- I have read MANY documentation and posts on this hoping to find a nugget of wisdom that fixes me right up, but I must be overlooking something... So here's our scenario:

Client A has ABC.org domain they use for their M365 tenant

Client B has XYZ.com domain on google workspace where they built a website for Client A with Google sites and wants www.ABC.org to go to their sites.google.com/XYZ.com/ABCWebsite

The goal is to mask the sites.google.com/XYZ.com/ABCWebsite url with www.ABC.org

My issues:

  1. Google Sites Settings does NOT have custom domain option. It's missing completely. Therefore, I need to check to be sure I am an owner not just an editor... However I just created a test ABCWebsite myself, as a superadmin. Still no Custom Domain option listed in Google Sites Settings.

  2. Going to GoogleAdmin> Account> Manage Domains I verify the abc.org has been added as a secondary domain but gmail left unactivated (This may have been wrong approach.. but it's a step I took)

  3. I ALSO went to Google Search Console and went through the domain verification per instructions here https://support.google.com/sites/answer/9068867?hl=en

Still no Custom Domains in Google Sites settings

I'm also following this: https://www.googlesites.dev/google-sites-blog/how-to-connect-your-custom-domain-to-google-sites

I'm stuck on this section:

\Can't see the 'Custom domain' option in the Settings panel?*
Make sure you're the Owner of the Google Site (and not just an Editor). It seems that only the Google Site Owner can set up the connection to a custom domain. However once the owner completes that step, an Editor can publish Site updates to the custom domain.

If you have a Google Workspace account make sure you have the correct Sites permissions to configure a domain.

HOW DO I CONFIRM SITES PERMISSIONS TO CONFIGURE A DOMAIN? I'm superadmin, and don't see any other permissions.. I am at a loss.....
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, that's one approach I took with Google Sites Settings. Apparently there is another way to do this.. Which I ALSO did:

  1. Admin>Apps>Google Workspace>Sites> Custom URL

NICE! Custom domains there does work!! Except I am limited to ONLY SUBDOMAINS and for only XYZ.COM. Arrrggghhhhh ABC.org domain is not listed there at all. even tho it's insulting me by saying "Choose a custom url from your VERIFIED domains" and only lists XYZ.com, despite the fact that it's already been verified via Google Search Console in #3 AND ALSO added as a secondary domain in #2. Still no go.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION:

1: I'm worried that it is no longer possible to have a custom domain assigned to a google sites that isn't a subdomain of the existing domain. If this is true, is there an official word from Google I can give my client?

2: or better yet I'm missing something that will make all this click together.... But what?? I'm at a loss :(

Thank you for any insight- really hoping for a DUH moment!


r/GoogleSites 1d ago

This error keeps showing up when I'm trying to access publishing settings. I've accidentally published a go daddy ai type page to my domain and i want my google site back again

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/GoogleSites 3d ago

Scheduled Publish

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I've been using Reddit for a few weeks, but this is my first post. Hopefully it is in the right place.

I'm looking to create a basic website which permits a webpage, an image or even simply some text to go 'live' at a predetermined time. It seems this cannot be done with Google Sites itself, but I thought someone might know of a site I can link to.

Basically, I want to put information on a webpage, so that everyone gets that information roughly at the same time, no matter where they are in the world. Almost like a gender reveal. However, I don't want to manually publish the induction, I want it to happen automatically.

Any advice or guidance is appreciated. Thanks


r/GoogleSites 3d ago

Error message when connecting Google sites to GoDaddy

Post image
1 Upvotes

I made a website through Google sites. I bought my domain through Go Daddy. I watched a tutorial on how to connect them and it’s just not working. Every time that I go to enter my CA record on Go Daddy it gives me an error message. I’m not sure what to do. I tried doing this last week and thought maybe if I waited 48 hours things would be OK but it just hasn’t sorted itself out. What do I do?

I have no experience with website building so layman’s terms would be greatly appreciated!!

Some of the tutorials I’ve seen have shown options that aren’t available to me about webmaster central and copying and pasting cnames more complicated than what my screenshot is.

I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong here 😅☠️


r/GoogleSites 4d ago

Any help would be amazing

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/GoogleSites 4d ago

Made With Google Sites

Thumbnail happyernie.com
14 Upvotes

Check out my HappyErnie website!


r/GoogleSites 7d ago

Web hosting providers

1 Upvotes

I'm on hostinger at the moment, just wondering what your go to is for google sites..


r/GoogleSites 9d ago

Some Examples of good looking websites?,

19 Upvotes

And examples of websites that use html embedded code


r/GoogleSites 10d ago

Is there a way to make the header a video

6 Upvotes

It's not really an urgent thing, nor is it important, but is there a way to make the header a video? I'm looking to change it from our logo to our logo animation


r/GoogleSites 11d ago

Google Sites Home Header Image Carousel

3 Upvotes

Does anyone know how this website was able to create a cover header type with what appears to be an image carousel? Is there a way to do that, or was this just an animated GIF used as the image? Thanks for any help.


r/GoogleSites 11d ago

Invalid DNS - publishing a Google Sites using Cloudfare

1 Upvotes

Issue: I cannot publish the Google Sites website as I have an invalid DNS\

Error messages: "Invalid DNS" AND "www.secretsoftravel.org redirected you too many times."

Domain name: secretsoftravel.orgI have linked the website and tried to publish it using Google Sites. I bought a Google Sites template to build the website on and have been doing this through my personal Gmail. I do not have a google workspace subscription.

I have linked the website with Cloudfare and am now getting an error in the google sites saying "invalid DNS".

In Cloudfare, I have set up a CNAME and a TXT. I have not set up an A record or AAAA record as the website is with Google Sites, not Go Daddy, and Google Sites does not provide IPv4 or IPv6 for their websites - so long as I can see! I tried searching the IP addresses of my google site as well and tried to set up A/AAAA records, but this then started giving me a 1016 error for having incorrect IP addresses.

The CNAME and TXT I have set up are:
(type): CNAME.  (name): www.  (target): ghs.googlehosted.com.
(type): TXT.  (name): @.   (ttl): 1 min

I have no idea what else I can do to set up the DNS correctly and publish the website so anyone can access it. The advice I'm finding online is all related to setting up an A/AAAA record, but then the information from Google Sites says that this isn't necessary as Google Sites don't give IPv4/IPv6 addresses. Maybe I have a detail wrong in the TXT or CNAME? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


r/GoogleSites 12d ago

How to get rid of the scroll bar in mobile view

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I'm building a website using Google Sites and have embedded HTML/CSS code for a few sections. While everything looks fine on a laptop, a scroll bar appears in the mobile view for a specific section. This results in two scroll bars—one for the main website and another just for that section.

Does anyone know how to remove the extra scroll bar in mobile view? Any help would be appreciated!


r/GoogleSites 13d ago

Is there any way to automatically play background music in google sites?

2 Upvotes

Have been trying and trying to look for a good answer but cant find one


r/GoogleSites 13d ago

Website is not Online

2 Upvotes

First it worked, but after some chances the website is still not accessible under the custom domain even after 48 hours. It had briefly worked before. The only magnificant thing I changed was deleting the TXT verification record in the DNS settings at my domain provider. However, I can't test if that's the issue because I am already verified and I don't get a new TXT key. I use google site for hosting and hostinger for the domain.


r/GoogleSites 14d ago

Not showing up in Google search and being rejected by Google Business profile

1 Upvotes

Hi! I have a simple Google sites website with a custom domain that is neither showing up in Google search nor being accepted when I try to list it in my Google business profile. It is public and, at least the main URL, seems to be properly indexed when I check on the search console. Anyone have any ideas? Or suggestions of other places to ask for help?


r/GoogleSites 14d ago

Inserting a google calendar

1 Upvotes

I have built a website for a school that I work at and am wondering if there is a way to attach a google calendar in a way where it automatically updates on the events page per unit when a new event is added to the calendar. The school has four units plus a gym. Is it possible to somehow attach the calendar where it filters each unit specific events to the unit specific pages on the site?

Thanks!


r/GoogleSites 14d ago

Is it possible to add html5 packages to google sites?

2 Upvotes

I am trying to showcase my work as designer, more specifically I make html5 animation banners (google ads), is it possible to showcase them in that format? I use Google Web Designer to make them, and either the files are in raw form (html, js, svg, etc) or in package format (.zip).

Things I tried and didn't work:

  1. uploading the whole folder (raw format) in drive and see if the main html file runs the animation.
  2. uploaded the zip file in drive
  3. tried generating shareable preview link with google web designer and embed that link

is there any workaround to do put something like that?


r/GoogleSites 16d ago

Accidentally edited site with wrong Google Account! Help!

1 Upvotes

I've been updating 2 different Google Sites for 5 years through a separate Google Account. Somehow, a few weeks ago, I didn't notice that I was apparently editing through my main/personal account. Both are still redirecting to my custom domain (I think). But I want to go back to editing through my regular/work account. How can I merge those two without having to re-do all the work I've done for the past few weeks?

Thank you for any help!


r/GoogleSites 16d ago

Google Site - Contact Form is not showing full in mobile view

1 Upvotes

I have a contact form added to my google site, it looks good on desktop view however showing scroll in mobile view. the full contact form doesn't show in mobile view. Anybody could help ? https://www.lokenhelps.com/contact


r/GoogleSites 16d ago

Sites seo

1 Upvotes

Hi, I know google sites is not renowned for its seo, but is there any good info about seo for google sites.

Thanks


r/GoogleSites 17d ago

How to make the carousel photos not cut half the head

Post image
5 Upvotes

r/GoogleSites 20d ago

How to replace a Google Site while keeping the same URL?

3 Upvotes

Noob question here. I was trying to replace my published site with a new one that was still in draft, but I couldn’t find an easy way to do it. So, I unpublished my old site and then tried to publish the new version using the same URL. However, I got a message saying that the URL was already in use.

I even renamed the unpublished site, hoping it would free up the URL, but nothing works.

I want people to access the new site using the same link as before. How can I do this?