The timelines below are for administrators and users. If you're not a Google Workspace customer, see this different timeline for consumers.
The new Google Sites has become the default for website creation. As the next step, enable new Sites for user groups that don't already have access within your top-level organization. Your users can still switch back to classic Sites.
Prepare to transition to new Sites
With the right permissions, anyone can use the Classic Sites Manager to streamline the migration process. For details, go to Migrate classic Sites to new Sites.
If the Site creation and editing option is set to Users cannot edit Sites in the Google Admin console, the Convert this site option in Classic Sites Manager isn’t available.
Note: Convert websites created with classic Sites to new Sites by January 1, 2023.
What do I need to know?
Use the key dates below to plan and manage your organization’s migration from classic Sites.
August 2020: New Sites becomes the default for website creationIf you have:
- Both classic Sites and new Sites enabled, sites.google.com goes to new Sites.
- Classic Sites enabled and new Sites disabled, sites.google.com takes you to classic Sites.
- Only new Sites enabled, sites.google.com takes you to new Sites.
Anyone with the Manage classic Google sites admin privilege or Services Admin privileges can see and manage all websites in your organization created with classic Google Sites in the Classic Sites Manager. To give someone this privilege, go to Assign specific admin roles.
New websites can only be created in new Sites.
Site editors can’t make changes to their classic Sites. Viewers can still view classic Sites.
Admins can bulk disable and re-enable the ability for users to edit a selection of sites in Classic Sites Manager. We recommend taking this action earlier to help ensure a smooth transition to new Sites for your users.
When users try to visit a classic site, they won’t see the website content. Remaining classic sites are automatically downloaded as an HTML file, saved to the site owner’s drive (in Google Drive), and replaced with a draft new site for site owners to review and publish.
Tips to avoid disruption for viewers
If you want the site to be available to viewers, convert it to new Sites using the Classic Sites Manager or Sites settings before January 1, 2023. Using this tool, you can publish your new site at the same URL as the old site to avoid disruption to viewers. For details, see Migrate classic Sites to new Sites.
What do I need to do?
Start planning for the change to ensure a smooth transition for your organization. See the dates below and recommended actions you as the admin should take by those dates.
August 2020: Enable sites creation in new Sites, review old sites & plan migration- Enable site creation in new Sites in your Admin console for everyone. Users can switch back to classic Sites until January 2022.
- Using the Classic Sites Manager, review how many classic Sites are in your organization and develop a migration plan. Use this tool to view all classic Sites in your domain; export a summary to Google Sheets for project management; and take bulk actions to delete, archive, or convert your sites. See below, for the Sites transition best practices for admins.
- Disable classic Sites creation to ensure new sites are in the new experience.
- Using the Classic Sites Manager, convert classic Sites to new Sites.
- Disable editing of classic Sites on your domain to help ensure a smooth transition for your users.
- Convert or delete all remaining classic Sites.
If no action is taken, the changes outlined above will automatically be applied to your domain.
Sites transition best practices for admins
First, ensure all user groups have access to new Google Sites and to turn off creation of sites in classic Sites as soon as possible.
Next, decide on your approach for the transition. Do you want individual site owners to migrate their sites, or do you as the admin want to manage the entire migration?
- If you want individual site owners to migrate their sites, point them to Convert your classic Sites to new Sites.
- If you as the admin want to migrate your site, use the Classic Sites Manager.
Manage classic Sites migration
- Migrate inactive sites by deleting or archiving them. Choose an option:
- Export classic Sites using Google Takeout.
- Delete any classic Sites that are no longer useful to your organization.
- Turn off editing in classic Sites. (Feature scheduled to launch)
- Start migrating active sites by converting them or rebuilding them in new Sites:
- Convert the most viewed or most frequently edited sites from classic Sites to new Sites.
- When you have a draft of the new site, compare the sites and make any manual adjustments or changes the new Site might need.
- Publish the new site over the URL of the classic Site.
For certain sites, you might consider rebuilding the site from scratch in new Sites using the site templates available. This might be easier than converting and manually adjusting sites, especially for sites with a number of features that are unsupported in new Sites.
Go to Compare new Sites & classic Sites.
Questions
How do I know if I’m affected?To see if your organization has any classic sites that need to be migrated, visit the Classic Sites Manager.
The key dates for consumers and Google Workspace users are different. The dates in this article are accurate for Google Workspace customers. If you’re a Gmail user using classic Sites, see Convert your classic Site to new Sites.
We designed new Sites to help you and your users create websites without programming experience, across mobile and desktop, and with real-time collaboration. New Sites is a replacement for classic Sites, built on Google’s latest infrastructure. For more information, see the related Google Workspace blog entry.
After you enable new Sites in the Admin console, sites.google.com redirects to sites.google.com/new, instead of sites.google.com/classic.
The person who converts the site from classic Sites to new Sites becomes the site owner.
For example, if an admin converts the site, they become the owner of the new site, and:
- Previous owners become editors.
- Viewers stay viewers.
- Editors stay editors.
The admin can later transfer ownership of the site to someone else, if needed.
For more information about the experience for users, see the section about converting your site in classic Sites settings in Convert your classic Site to new Sites.
