From the desk of David Utke
Subj: Go from amature to pro with a real domain.
When you first create a Google Sites website, it comes with a default URL structure like sites.google.com/view/yoursite.
While this works functionally, having a custom domain like yourwebsite.com looks significantly more professional and builds trust with your visitors.
Why Use a Custom Domain?
Before diving into the technical setup, it’s worth understanding why a custom domain matters:
- Professional Appearance: Custom domains look more credible than subdomains
- Brand Recognition: Your domain name becomes part of your brand identity
- Trust Building: Visitors are more likely to trust sites with their own domains
- SEO Benefits: Custom domains can perform better in search engine results
- Control: You own the domain even if you switch website platforms later
Step 1: Purchase Your Domain Name
The first step is acquiring a domain name from a domain registrar. I recommend Namecheap for several reasons:
- Competitive Pricing: Low renewal rates for .com domains
- New Customer Discounts: First-year domains often cost just $6.49
- Free Domain Privacy: Protects your personal information from public WHOIS databases
- Reliable Service: Established registrar with good customer support
How to Get Your Domain Name
Let me break it down step by step:
- Visit namecheap.com.
- Enter your desired domain name in the search bar on the homepage.
- Check availability, try to get the .com whenever possible.
- Add the domain to your cart
- Consider registering for multiple years to lock in the current low pricing.
- Complete the checkout process and create your Namecheap account.
Important Note: Domain privacy is crucial because domain registration requires publicly available contact information. Privacy protection keeps everything private and is included for FREE with Namecheap.
Step 2: Access Google Sites Domain Settings
Once you own a domain, you need to connect it to your Google Sites website:
- Open your Google Sites website builder
- Click the Publish button in the top-right corner
- You’ll see a web address field with the default Google Sites URL structure
- Click the gear icon (settings) in the top-right corner
- Navigate to Custom Domain in the settings menu
- Click Connect Domain
Step 3: Initial Domain Verification
When you enter your custom domain name in Google Sites:
- Type your domain name (e.g., yourwebsite.com) in the domain field
- Google Sites will show “Domain name is not verified. Please verify ownership”
- Click the verification link provided
- This will redirect you to Google Search Console for the verification process
Step 4: Domain Ownership Verification via DNS
Google Search Console will guide you through domain verification using DNS records:
Understanding the TXT Record
Google will provide you with a TXT record that looks like a long string of random characters. This record proves you own the domain by demonstrating you can modify its DNS settings.
Adding the TXT Record to Namecheap
- Copy the TXT record provided by Google Search Console
- Log into your Namecheap account
- Find your domain and click Manage
- Navigate to the Advanced DNS tab
- Look for the Host Records section
- Click Add New Record
- Select TXT Record from the dropdown
- In the Value field, paste the verification code from Google
- In the Host field, use the @ symbol (this represents your root domain)
- Click the green checkmark to save the record
Completing Verification
- Return to Google Search Console
- Click the Verify button
- The system will check for the TXT record (this usually takes just a few seconds)
- You should see “Ownership verified. Done.”
Step 5: Setting Up the CNAME Record
After domain verification, you need to create a CNAME record to actually connect your domain to Google Sites:
Back to Google Sites
- Return to your Google Sites custom domain settings
- Enter your domain name again
- This time you should see a blue checkmark indicating verification
- Click Next
CNAME Record Requirements
Google Sites will provide you with specific CNAME record details:
- Host: www
- Target: ghs.googlehosted.com
Adding the CNAME Record in Namecheap
- Return to your Namecheap Advanced DNS settings
- Click Add New Record
- Select CNAME Record from the dropdown
- Host: Enter “www”
- Target/Value: Enter “ghs.googlehosted.com”
- Click the green checkmark to save
Final Connection
Almost done, now you simply need to assign the domain.
- Return to Google Sites
- Click Done to complete the domain connection process
- Google Sites will begin assigning the domain name to your website
Step 6: Publication and Propagation
After completing the DNS setup, just click the Publish button in Google Sites.
You should now see “Custom Domain” as an option. The system may display “Allow up to 48 hours for this site to be viewable.” This is normal and is called propagation.
After about 12 hours I would check to make sure your custom domain is working.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Domain Not Loading
If your domain isn’t working after several hours:
- Double-check that both TXT and CNAME records are correctly entered.
- Ensure there are no typos in the DNS records.
- Verify the CNAME points to “ghs.googlehosted.com” exactly.
- Contact your domain registrar’s support if issues persist.
SSL Certificate Delays
Google automatically provides SSL certificates for custom domains, but this can take additional time. SSL certificates may take a few extra hours to activate. Don’t worry, your site should automatically redirect to HTTPS once the certificate is active.
Verification Problems
If domain verification fails, double check the TXT record was saved properly in your DNS settings. Wait 10-15 minutes and try verification again. Also check that you’re using the @ symbol in the host field for the TXT record.
Conclusion
Unlike many website platforms, Google Sites doesn’t charge extra for custom domain connections, SSL certificates, bandwidth or storage (within reasonable limits).
Once you’re setup with a professional custom domain, why not now learn how to add ecommerce functionality to your site?
All the best. Your man,
-David
How I can help you. You're here, let's do this:
1. Website Review Your website may be clear and specific to you, but it may be really confusing to anyone who visits. That's where I come it, I'll give you actionalbe feedback to improve your site with my highly rated gig.2. My YouTube channel Helpful video tutorials showing you how to launch, grow and monetize your audience.
