Using Google Sites + Glitches

How do you use Google Sites? Because others are far more adept at using and making guides for Google Sites, this guide links to other people's tutorials. This section will cover how to use Google Sites and note some glitches with the platform.

I highly recommend watching the 30-minute introduction video.


The Basics of Google Sites

This video will teach you the absolute basics of how to use Google Sites - text boxes, image placement, colour emphasis, etc. Google Sites is very easy to use without an introduction, but I'd highly recommend watching it because it's inevitable you won't discover all the features first try.

It is a little outdated because sometime in December 2020 Google Sites updated to allow their library of text types to be used, and Word Processing text adjustments can now be done. Also, it does not cover how to link your domain, section 2 of this guide.

You can turn on Closed Captions by hitting the "CC" icon in the bottom right corner of the video. Speed up or slow down his speech by pressing the "Settings" icon in the bottom right and adjusting "Playback Speed."

Free Video Tutorial by Stewart Gauld.


Google Sites Glitches / Missing Features

Google Sites is in ongoing development. Some notable glitches that come up when using features like text formatting. I'm taking note of the ones that distinctively get annoying as you're making a website, so you don't think you're crazy when it happens to you. As I find glitches, I'll add them here.

Important Note: Many of the original glitches/problems I had with Google Sites have been fixed within the last few months. They are really on top of solving issues.

The Font/Helvetica Problem
Since March 2021.

Unsupported fonts appear as Times New Roman instead of the font style you want. In addition, certain fonts not in the 'default' settings of Google Sites do not appear on the custom domain URL. However, they do appear on the direct google sites links. This is a known issue at this time, and Google is actively working on fixing it.

Avoid this issue by using 'system' fonts or by testing the font on your published website.

This issue can be avoided by not using fonts outside the "Theme" default. So instead of selecting text type that isn't on your site theme from the drop-down menu, you (1) only use fonts from your site theme and (2) use the "Normal text," "Header," "Subheading," and "Small" feature bar to the leftmost side.

For now, primarily use the preset default fonts if you want to completely avoid trouble (red box). My current portfolio, www.kaitlynhollander.com, only uses these defaults and (I hope) looks very good regardless.

Text Formatting Glitches

Since January 2021.

In-Browser Spelling Correction messes up Shift+Enter Text Formatting of your Text Box.

When you use your web browser's spelling correction in any part of a text box, it will reformat any text bolded, italicized, or underlined if it is spaced with "Shift+Enter." It will not affect any separate lines spaced with "Enter." If you correct a line spaced with "Enter" with a "Shift+Enter" section anywhere in the box, the result is the same: it will still reformat the "Shift+Enter" text, not the "Enter" text.

So, for example,

This text is

seperated by using "Enter".

and,

This text is
seperated by using "Shift + Enter".
It removes the automatic space that happens after a new line.

now, I'm correcting the spelling of "separate"

This text was separated by using "Shift + Enter." Unfortunately, all the formatting was erased because I used my browser's spelling correction on the topmost "separate." It left the top line intact but removed any formatting (Bold, italics) in the "Shift+Enter" section.