Google Sites for Blogging: What It Can and Can’t Do

Google Sites is a free website builder that lets you create simple, responsive pages without coding. For blogging, it can publish posts in a basic format, but it lacks the dedicated blogging features of platforms like WordPress or Blogger. This article explains exactly what Google Sites can and cannot do for a blogger, so you can decide if it fits your needs.

What Google Sites Can Do for a Blogger

Google Sites is excellent for creating a simple, static website. You can make pages, add text, images, embedded videos (like YouTube), and even Google Calendar or Maps. It’s free, has no ads, and offers a clean, mobile-friendly design automatically. You can also:

Create multiple pages and organize them in a navigation menu.
Embed Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms directly into a page.
Control who can view or edit the site with Google’s permission settings.
Use a custom domain (e.g., yourblog.com) for free, provided you own it.
Collaborate with others in real-time, just like Google Docs.

For a personal blog that updates rarely, or a portfolio site with a news section, Google Sites works fine. But if you plan to post regularly, you’ll quickly hit its limits.

What Google Sites Can’t Do for a Blogger

The biggest missing feature is a true blog system. Google Sites does not have:

Post categories or tags.
An archive of posts by date.
Comments on posts (unless you embed a Google Form or external service).
RSS feeds for your posts.
A built-in search function limited to your posts.
Automatic post scheduling.

Instead, you have to manually create a new page for each post and link it from a “Blog” page. That’s tedious for frequent posting. Also, there’s no way to have a single post appear in multiple categories, and no built-in pagination for long lists of posts.

How Blogging on Google Sites Actually Works

To add a new post, you create a new page, type your content, and then add a link to that page on your main blog page. For example, you might have a page called “Blog” that lists titles of your posts as links. Each post is a separate page. This works for a few posts, but when you have dozens, the list becomes unwieldy. You can embed a Google Calendar to show post dates, but that’s not a real archive.

If you want a blog with comments, you can embed a Google Form at the bottom of each post, but that’s clunky. Or you can use a third-party comment service like Disqus, but that adds scripts and may slow down your site. In short, you’re forcing a website builder to act like a blog platform, and it shows.

When to Use Google Sites vs. a Real Blog Platform

Choose Google Sites if you want a simple, free website that doesn’t need frequent updates. It’s great for a small business site, a wedding page, or a personal portfolio. For an actual blog with regular posts, use a dedicated platform like WordPress.com, Blogger, or Medium. These offer categories, tags, comments, archives, and RSS out of the box. If you’re already using Google Sites and need to switch, you can export your content manually, but there’s no one-click migration.

Common Mistakes and Limitations to Know

One common mistake is thinking that Google Sites will index your posts in Google Search automatically. It will, but without proper meta descriptions or custom URLs for each post, your SEO will be weak. Also, Google Sites doesn’t allow you to edit the HTML or CSS of your site (except for a few embed options), so you can’t customize the look beyond the provided themes. Another limitation: you can’t set up a custom 404 page, and there’s no built-in analytics—you’d have to add Google Analytics manually via a tracking code in the site settings.

Alternatives to Google Sites for Blogging

If you need a free, easy blog, Blogger (also by Google) is a better choice because it has true blog features. WordPress.com offers more flexibility but has a learning curve. For a self-hosted blog, WordPress.org gives you full control but costs money for hosting. Medium is great for writing without worrying about design, but you don’t own your audience. Compare these options based on your need for control, cost, and technical skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Google Sites for free? Yes, Google Sites is completely free with a Google account. You get a free subdomain (yourname.sites.google.com) and can connect a custom domain if you own one.

Can I add comments to my Google Sites blog? Not directly. You can embed a Google Form for feedback, or use a third-party comment service like Disqus, but there’s no built-in comment system.

Will my Google Sites blog appear in Google Search? Yes, Google indexes it, but you have to submit your site to Google Search Console for better visibility. SEO options are limited, so ranking may be harder than on WordPress.

Can I schedule posts on Google Sites? No, there’s no scheduling feature. You have to publish a page manually when you want it to go live.

Can I migrate from Google Sites to WordPress? You can copy your content manually, but there’s no automated tool. WordPress has a built-in importer for Blogger and other platforms, but not for Google Sites.

Is Google Sites good for a beginner blogger? If you just want to share occasional updates, yes. For a serious blog with regular posts, you’ll quickly outgrow it. Start with Blogger or WordPress.com for a more scalable solution.

Formula used

in t | Finish time | min | 50 | 0
in d | Distance | km | 10 | 0 | 100000
out pace | Average pace | min/km | t / d | 2
out speed | Average speed | km/h | d / (t / 60) | 2

Each line is one input (in, sel, list) or one result (out: label, unit, formula, decimals). How the calculators work

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.

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