This wiki page was created as a place to share "step-by-step" workarounds for common issues in Google Sites. Please feel free to add your own step-by-step guides. Be sure to give yourself credit (Submitted by...)!

NOTE:  You are cautioned to verify the links in this document BEFORE clicking on them.  There is a very high probability that they have been changed to point to porn/hack/attack sites, and not where you would expect.  (The text you click on will appear correct, but the underlying link will likely have been changed.)  You have been warned...

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Adding a Page Background Image in Google Sites

Submitted by bcj19

August 15, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#PageBackgroundImage

Some people have reported having an issue with getting a custom background image to work in Google Sites. This Step-by-Step Guide focuses on a possible workaround for getting a Page Background Image to work with a Site.

1. Log into your site.
2. Select the "Site Settings" link in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Click on the "Appearance" tab.
4. Click on the "Colors and Fonts" tab.
5. Select "Page background color" from the list of page elements in the listbox.
6. DELETE the color value in the text box at righ.
7. Select "Page background image" from the list of page elements in the listbox.
8. Click the "Browse" button to the right of the listbox.
9. Locate / select the image you wish to use for your background.
10. Define your Repeat, Horizontal Position and Vertical Position options.
11. Click "Save Changes"
12. Click "Return to site"

This should give you your desired results. It is worth noting, however, that the preview that appears on the "Colors and Fonts" page will likely NOT give you a preview that includes the image. The key step (step 6 above) here is that you DELETE the value in the text box for the "Page background color".

In theory, steps 5 and 6 above should be unnecessary. However, I've found that this is the only way I can get it to work.

Adding a Google Groups Promotion Box in Google Sites

Submitted by bcj19

August 15, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#GroupsPromotionBox

Due to the restraints placed on adding custom HTML code to Sites, you are presently unable to add a Promotion Box for your Google Group(s). A possible workaround for this issue is...

1. Log into your Site.
2. Navigate to the page you wish to include the Promotion link on.
3. Click the "Edit Page" button.
4. Select the text that you would like to use for your link (or type it in if it does not yet exist).
5. Click the "Link" button on the edit toolbar.
6. Select the "Web Address" tab.
7. Enter a link to the signup page for your Google Group:
   
   http://groups.google.com/group/GROUPNAME/subscribe
   

   (GROUPNAME = The name of your group.)

This will create a basic link that will get your users to the subscription page for your Google Group(s). It's obviously not seamless as the promotion box would be, but until Google makes it a little easier, this is an optional workaround.

Using IFRAME to Embed Google Group Page in Sites

Submitted by bcj19

August 16, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#IFRAMEForGroups

Note: This no longer works

A Google Group can be "integrated" within a Google Site through the use of an IFRAME. As Sites generally disallows most custom code - including IFRAME's - this has been an issue for most users. However, using the following code will enable you to "integrate" Groups within your Site(s).

1. Log into your Site.
2. Navigate to the page you wish to include Google Group on (or create a new page).
3. Click the "Edit Page" button.
4. Click the "HTML" button on the edit toolbar.
5. Copy and paste the code below into the HTML editor:
   
   <iframe igsrc="http://www.google.com/ig/images/no_image/no_image_gadget_thm.png" src="http://groups.google.com/group/NAMEOFYOURGOOGLEGROUP" frameborder="0" class="igm" width="800" height="800"></iframe>
   
   
6. Replace the "NAMEOFYOURGOOGLEGROUP" in the code above with the name of your Google Group.
7. Click "Update" in the lower-right corner of the HTML editor.
8. Click "Save" in the edit toolbar.

That's it.

It may be worth noting that you can use the above code with any page your would like to display in an IFRAME on your Google Site. All you have to do is change the URL that follows the src tag above (src="http:......").

Linking to FTP Site in Google Sites

Submitted by bcj19

August 18, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#LinkToFTP

Due to the way that Google Sites handles <A HREF...> tags when entered via the Edit toolbar's "Link" option, it is necessary to add links to FTP sites manually. To do this, follow the steps below.

1. Navigate to the page on which you want the link.
2. Click the "Edit Page" button.
3. Enter the text you wish to use for your link.
4. Click the "HTML" button on the Edit toolbar.
5. Locate the text entered in step 3 above.
6. Surround the text with the following code: <a href="ftp://ftp.example.com">.....</a>
7. Click the "Update" button in the bottom-right corner of the HTML edit screen.
8. Click the "Save" button on the Edit toolbar.

If you want the FTP site to open in a different window, simply add "TARGET=_BLANK" inside the <A HREF...> tag.

Note: Be sure to replace ftp://ftp.example.com with your desired FTP destination address.

Example:

CODE: <A HREF="ftp://ftp.example.com/">FTP Example</A>

 

Moving a Page in Google Sites

Submitted by bcj19

August 23, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#MovingAPage

On occasion, you might create a new page in Google Sites that would fit better under another parent page, or might be better suited to exist as a top level page. This Step-by-Step Guide walks you through the process of moving a page in Google Sites.

1. Navigate to your Site.
2. Sign In.
3. Navigate to the page you would like to move.
4. Click the "Move Actions" button.
5. Select "Move" from the More Actions menu.
6. In the "Move Page" dialog box, select the page you would like the current page to exist UNDER. (If you would like the page to become a top level page, select the first item in the list, which should be the name of your Site.)
7. Click the "Move" button.
8. Repeat these steps for any page(s) you would like to move.
   

Embedding Multiple Calendars in Google Sites

Submitted by bcj19

August 25, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#EmbedCalendars

Some people have reported problems with embedding multiple calendars into a single Google Sites page. I've been able to do this successfully by following the steps below:

To find the URL for your calendars:

1. Navigate to your calendar
2. Click the "Settings" link in the upper-right corner of the screen (If this link is not visible, you may need to login.)
3. Locate the calendar you wish to embed and click the "Edit Settings:" link under the "Sharing" column
4. Click the "Calendar Details" tab
5. Scroll down to the "Calendar Address" section
6. Click the "HTML" button (NOTE: Make sure you are NOT clicking the HTML button in the "Private Address" section)
7. Copy the URL

Repeat these steps for each successive calendar.

To embed the calendar(s) into your Google Sites page:

1. Log into your Google Site
2. Navigate to the page on which you would like to embed the calendar(s)
3. Click the "Edit Page" button
4. Place the cursor where you would like to embed the (first) calendar
5. Select "Calendar" from the Edit toolbar's "Insert" menu
6. Paste in the calendar's URL from the section above
7. Adjust the settings of your calendar to suit your layout needs
8. Click the "Save" button

Repeat these steps for each successive calendar.

To embed a single calendar gadget with events from multiple calendars:

http://groups.google.com/group/google-calendar-help-misc/browse_thread/thread/773638be37c862d4/cb2f4ce2057a208a

(Courtesy of DLW. Thanks!)

Changing Your Site's Landing (Home) Page

Submitted by bcj19

August 28, 2008

http://groups.google.com/group/sites-help/web/step-by-step-guides#LandingPage