- Who can connect a domain
- Connecting your domain, step by step
- Verifying that you own the domain
- What changes once your site's on a custom domain
- Error messages and what to do
- When a custom domain stops working
- Moving a personal site into Google Workspace
- My verdict on a Google Sites custom domain
- Frequently asked questions
You connect a custom domain to Google Sites from your site's Settings: click Custom domains, then Start setup, enter your domain and follow the on-screen steps for your domain registrar. Only the site's owner can do it, and changes can take up to 48 hours to show on the internet.
Here's the catch. A custom domain isn't just a new address on the same site. Once the site isn't served from sites.google.com, a few things behave differently: embedded Google Groups won't render correctly, features that rely on Google Account sign-in may not work, and some extra fonts from Google Docs and Slides don't work on custom URLs at all. Your domain can also stop working if you transfer the site to someone else. Check all of that before you print the new address on anything.
Who can connect a domain
| Your situation | What Google says, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Personal Google account | The site owner connects the domain from Settings and Custom domains |
| Work or school account | Contact your administrator; you need administrator access to create a custom web address |
| You don't own a domain yet | Buy one through a Google Workspace plan from the Publish or Custom domains screen |
| Domain used to be with Google Domains | It stays linked, but you'll need to verify ownership to make edits |
| Editor but not owner | You can't connect it; the owner has to, or ownership has to change first |
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Connecting your domain, step by step
- Open your site and go to Settings.
- Click Custom domains, then Start setup.
- Enter your domain and click Next. If you're asked to verify ownership, do that first (see below), then try again.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your third-party domain registrar. The exact steps depend on your registrar, so keep their help pages open.
- Click Done, then give it time. It can take up to 48 hours to become visible.
You can connect up to five custom domains to one site, which is handy if you own a couple of spellings of your business name. Your URL must include a subdomain such as www.
Verifying that you own the domain
Google uses Search Console for this. Go to Google Search Console, choose Add property, and pick the Domain option, not URL prefix. Enter the domain, such as mydomain.com, and click Continue. Follow the instructions for Any DNS Provider: copy the TXT record Google gives you, add it to your DNS records at your registrar, then click Verify. The TXT record sits at your registrar, so domain registrars worth comparing differ mostly in how easy they make DNS.
The same verification comes up if your domain was previously managed by Google Domains. It stays linked to your Google Site, but to change anything you'll need to verify ownership first.
What changes once your site's on a custom domain
This is the part Google tucks into a Caveats section, and it's where most surprises come from.
- Sharing: the published site has to be shared with the world, or it redirects back to the sites.google.com address.
- Google Groups embeds: they won't render correctly on a site published to a custom domain.
- Sign-in features: anything that depends on Google Account authentication may not work, because the site's no longer on sites.google.com and Google's cookies aren't sent.
- Google Fonts: all supported on every domain, with over 600 designs plus Open Sans and Roboto.
- Extra fonts from Docs and Slides: licensed for Google's own domains only, so on a custom URL they fall back to web safe fonts or other fallback fonts.
- Web safe fonts: these depend on your visitor's operating system, whatever domain they use.
If your site uses one of those extra Docs and Slides fonts for its headings, switch to a Google Fonts choice before you connect the domain, so visitors see what you designed.
Error messages and what to do
| Message | What to try |
|---|---|
| Invalid DNS | Add a CNAME entry; if you already have, wait 24 to 48 hours and try again |
| This isn't a valid URL | Check for typos and include a subdomain like www |
| Already in use by another Google service | Delete the existing mapping in Blogger, Google Sites or AppEngine first |
| This URL is missing its certificate | Delete your custom URL and assign it again |
| This URL is not verified | Verify ownership in Search Console |
| Maximum number of URLs for this domain | There's a limit of 20 mappings per week for your URL |
When a custom domain stops working
Google lists three causes: deleting the Google Site, transferring ownership of the site to someone else, or moving the site into a Team Drive. If you're handing a site over to a colleague or a client, plan for the domain to need reconnecting afterwards by the new owner.
To remove a domain on purpose, go to Settings, click Custom domains, click the trash icon next to the domain and confirm with Delete.
Moving a personal site into Google Workspace
If you buy a domain through Google Workspace, the default plan is Business Standard, and Google's onboarding has an Import your Google site to Workspace step. To bring an existing personal site across, make your new Workspace account an editor of the site, sign in to the Workspace account, and use More and Make a copy. From there the admin manages the domain and site from the Admin console.
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Publishing still works the same way. Click Publish, enter a public site name under Web address, and the site goes live at sites.google.com with your site name. You can set the published site to Restricted or Public from the Share button, but remember a custom domain needs it shared with the world.
My verdict on a Google Sites custom domain
I'd connect a custom domain to any Google Site you want customers to find, because a web address people can remember is worth the setup. Do it as the owner, verify in Search Console first, and swap any Docs-only fonts for Google Fonts. I'd think twice if your site depends on embedded Google Groups or sign-in features, because those are the parts that break. If that rules it out, here are some Google Sites alternatives.
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Frequently asked questions
Who can connect a custom domain to Google Sites?
Only the owner of a site can connect it to a domain. On a work or school account, you need administrator access, so contact your administrator.
How many custom domains can one Google Site have?
You can connect up to five custom domains to one site.
How long does a Google Sites custom domain take to work?
It may take up to 48 hours for changes to your domain to become visible on the internet, though it's typically quicker.
Why does my custom domain redirect to sites.google.com?
Your site must be shared with the world for published viewers, or it redirects to the sites.google.com address.
Why did my Google Sites custom domain stop working?
Google lists three causes: deleting the Google Site, transferring ownership of the site to someone else, or moving the site into a Team Drive.
