Admin preview for Google Sites automatic conversion tool

We’re introducing a tool that makes it fast and easy to move a site created in classic Sites to the new Google Sites interface. This will be available to admins from May 22nd, and will start to become available to end users who own eligible sites on June 19th.

The new Google Sites makes it easy for anyone to create functional and attractive sites. However, our users told us that it was time-consuming to manually move sites they had previously created in classic Sites into new Sites. This is why we developed this simple site conversion tool.

Classic site owners can use the tool to automatically create a draft of their site in the new Google Sites. This new draft site will have the updated look and feel of new Sites, and contain the content from the classic site. Starting the process will not affect the original site, so owners can review and edit the draft in the new Google Sites interface. When the new site is ready to go live, it can either be published to the URL of the classic site (to replace the original site and automatically redirect viewers), or published to a new URL.

The tool will currently work on some but not all sites. To see if the tool will work on a site, the site owner should open the classic site at sites.google.com and look for:


  • A banner at the top that says “New: Convert to new Sites,” or 
  • A link in the left sidebar at Settings > Manage Site > Convert to new Sites


If the banner and link are not available, the site is not eligible for conversion with the tool yet. This can be for several reasons, but is usually because it uses some features the conversion tool does not support yet. We’re working to make the tool work on more sites. When the site becomes eligible, the banner and link described above will appear.

The admin preview of the tool will roll out to admins in all domains within seven days. Use our Help Center to find out more about how to convert a classic site to a new site and what to expect when you convert a site.

Note: If new Sites is disabled for a domain, users will not see the banner and will not have access to the tool.


This admin preview period can help you to evaluate how you want to use the new Google Sites in your organization, and support your change management efforts with your users.

Launch Details
Release track:

  • Admin preview launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release. 
  • End user launch to Rapid Release will start on June 19. We’ll release a post with more details when this starts. 

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins only during admin preview. End users when launch starts on June 19.

Action: 
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information 
G Suite Updates blog post (May 2017): An update on the classic Google Sites deprecation timeline
G Suite Updates blog post (Nov 2016): A totally rebuilt Google Sites—now available to everyone


Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates