Build Your Wiki: Google Sites Guide
This article explains how to create an internal wiki with Google Sites.
In today’s article, we will talk about:
- What is Google Sites?
- 5 Steps to Create an Internal Wiki with Google Sites
- Merits of Creating an Internal Wiki with Google Sites
- Limits of Creating an Internal Wiki on a Google Sites
- Recommended Internal Wiki Tool
What is Google Sites?
Google Sites is a free service offered by Google that makes it easy for people without technical knowledge to create a website. You can create a website using only intuitive operations. Since the website is automatically optimized for mobile devices as well as PCs, it can be viewed by smartphones and tablets, which are indispensable in daily life. Software Google Workspace can also be used to set up a unique URL for your site.
With Google Sites, the site can be made public to all users in the organization or only to specific users, making it possible to create a website for internal use, including organizing internal information in the form of a website.
5 Steps to Create an Internal Wiki on Google Sites
To make a new site on Google, you must first get a Google account. Some browsers might not support for Google Sites, so prepare a browser such as Chrome and Microsoft Edge to use. After that, you can proceed easily in 5 steps from creating a new site to publishing your website.
1. Create a New Site
Log in to the Google Sites with the following URL:
Google site URL: https://sites.google.com/new?tgif=d
Click on “Start a new site” at the top-left. Choose “Blank” or various templates to create your homepage.
2. Edit Site Title
With the Google Site screen open, select the area on the screen labeled “Untitled site” and enter text to edit the site title. In the Themes section on the right side of the screen, you can change the background, text color, font, and other elements as you wish.
3. Insert Text
To add text to your site, select “Insert” on the right side of the screen. Click on “Text Box” and then enter text in the text box that appears.
4. Add Content
Add images to your site and edit them as needed. You can add or edit Google files, and videos as well as organize pages to add content.
- Add Links
You can also insert links from text to images on your website. To insert a link, drag the area of the image or text into which you want to insert the link. Next, click “Insert Link” from the Edit menu that appears above the specified location, enter the URL of the link, and click “Apply”. - Add Images
To insert an image, click the “Insert” tab on the right and select “Image”. Select the location of the image you wish to add and click “Select” to add it. - Add Pages
The homepage created from a template includes several prepared pages such as Profile Page and Project Page. If you wish to add more pages than the template or create a multi-page homepage without using a template, click on the “Pages” tab on the right side of the screen and select “+” at the bottom to add a new page.
5. Make it Public
Once the internal wiki is complete, you can then publish the homepage. Click the “Publish” button at the upper right corner of the screen. A screen for entering the homepage address will appear. Remember to prepare an address and enter it.
If the address you entered is not used by others on the Google Sites, you can use it as your organization’s homepage address. If a check appears on the right side, it means the address is already in use, then you need to think of another address. After determining the address, click “Publish” in the lower right corner to publish the homepage.
Merits of creating an internal wiki with Google Sites
Free to Create
Creating an internal wiki on Google Sites eliminates the costs normally associated with creating a website. When creating a website, it usually costs money to acquire an original domain name. It could cost more if the website creation is outsourced to a professional company.
Instead, with Google Sites, the domain can be obtained for free. In addition, since no specialized knowledge is required, anyone can create the website. If you have never actually created an internal wiki and would like to try it out once, we recommend that you try creating it on the Google Sites first.
No Ads are Displayed
While advertisements would suddenly display on your site when using general free website creation services, Google Sites does not display any advertisements. Especially for internal use, frequent displays of advertisements can interfere with browsing and cause stress during work. Thus, Google Sites is suitable for business use.
For customers who might browse the website of a company or a store, a website that displays advertisements may make it difficult for customers to find the information they want.
Easy Integration with Other Google Services
Since Google Sites is a service provided by Google, it has the advantage of being easily integrated with other Google services such as Google Docs, spreadsheets, calendars, and maps.
Google Calendar can be placed in the internal wiki to check the schedule of each department. Google Forms can be used to easily collect and manage various information such as surveys and attendance confirmations. In addition, with Google Maps, it is possible to share addresses of companies and stores, completing a highly functional website.
Co-editing is Possible
Google Sites also includes a co-editing feature that allows multiple people to share work, similar to Google Docs and spreadsheets. This allows for efficient collaborative editing by assigning each person to a specific area of work.
It is also possible for multiple users to collaborate on the editing of the company website. This allows users to share responsibility for the creation, management, and operation of the website, reducing the risk of placing the management burden on a single employee.
Accessible from a Variety of Devices
Responsive design support is another reason why Google Sites is suitable for internal wiki use. Responsive design support is a feature that allows the screen to be displayed in an optimal design and layout according to the device the viewer is using. No matter which device the website is viewed on, like a smartphone, tablet, or computer, the screen will adjust to the optimal design for easy viewing.
This makes it easy to view the website even on small screens, such as the use of smartphones when you are out of the office. With this, you can always check the necessary information without missing anything.
Easy to Create and Update
The ease of creating and updating a website is a major attraction when using Google Sites. Even if you are unable to use HTML or other codes, you can still create and update Google Sites.
Limits of Creating Internal Wiki with Google Sites
Limited Browsers Available
Please note that Google sites can only be viewed from the following five browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. In addition, when creating or editing a website, you can only do so from Chrome version 24 or later or the latest version of Firefox.
The Hierarchy of Sites that Can be Created is Limited
When creating an internal wiki on Google Sites, there is a limit to the number of hierarchies you can create, so you must also decide in advance want hierarchies you want to create.
The maximum number of site hierarchies that can be created is five. Therefore, if you want to use more hierarchies with finer data classification, using Google Sites is not suitable.
Detailed Design is Not Possible
If you want to create a detailed design for your website, Google Sites does not have the ability to do so. You can edit your own design without using a template, but only with simple edits. Creating a detailed design requires specialized knowledge of HTML and CSS. If you are looking for a detailed design, services other than Google Sites might be more suitable.
Recommended Internal Wiki Tool
One recommended internal wiki tool is GROWI.cloud, provided by WESEEK, Inc, that supports Markdown and provides powerful functions.
GROWI.cloud
With GROWI.cloud, you can easily create homepages with a variety of functions. Even if the number of departments or applications increases while using the service, GROWI.cloud can handle such matters to create multiple homepages that can be used easily.
It also boasts high security and various authentication methods are available to simplify authentication management, including LDAP/OAuth/SAML.
Other than organizational use, GROWI.cloud is also available for individual use and you can always start with a free trial here. After the one-month free trial, you can change your plan into either the individual, duo, or trio plan, OR continue to use the personal plan for FREE with a maximum of 25 users! Go to price & features to learn about the details.
GROWI.cloud origins in Japan and now also offered in the Philippine and other countries which allows customers to use the service in English.
Go to GROWI.cloud to know more about us. You can also follow our Facebook to see updates about our service.
