Advanced Features of Google Sites

These are great options for adding creativity and polish to your Google Site.

Section Layouts

You can combine text and image on a section of a page by using a section layout template. These are simple, but add a slick look.

• On the right, click Insert.
• Under “Layouts,” click the layout you want or drag the layout you want to your page.
• Add text, images, docs, or videos as you wish.

Collapsible Text

Add Collapsible Text

You can add a collapsible text box to save space on your Google Site.

• On the right, click Insert Collapsible text.
• To add heading and body text, click the text boxes.
• To publish your changes, at the top right, click Publish.

Edit Collapsible Text

• Click on the heading. This will expand the collapsible text.
• To edit, click on the heading or body text box.

Delete Collapsible Text

• To select the text box group, point to the top of the collapsible text box and click the blue outline.
• Click Delete group.

Turn Collapsible Text On and Off

You can toggle between collapsible and regular text.

• Select your text box group by pointing to the top of the text box (whether it’s collapsible or not) and clicking the blue outline
• Toggle “Collapsible” to on or off.

Note: We checked to see if collapsible text is ADA compliant, and received the green light from the Accessibility Office that it’s okay to use. Screen readers see collapsible text as long as the text has been opened so that it’s visible on the screen.

Buttons

Add a Button

You can add a button on your site to take people to another URL or page.

• On the right, click “Insert” and select “Button.”
• Enter a name. This will appear on the button.
• Paste a URL the button should point to, or choose a page on your site.
• Click Insert.

Edit or Delete a Button

• Click the button you want to edit or delete.
• To change the style: Click the down arrow and choose “filled,” “outlined,” or “text.”
• To change the name of the button or the URL to which it links, click “Edit” (the little pencil icon).
• To delete the button, click “Delete” (the little trash can icon).

Announcement Banners

An announcement banner highlights important information in a clear and customizable way. It will appear above the header, right where your students will see it.

Add an Announcement Banner

• At the top right, click Settings (the little gear icon), then choose “Announcement banner.”
• Turn on “Show banner.”

Choose on Which Pages Your Banner Appears

• Click Settings, then choose “Announcement banner.”
• Scroll to the bottom of the menu, and choose “Home page only” or “All pages.”

Edit Banner Text

• In the field under “Message,” enter your desired banner text.
• Click the X at the top right of the popup window to exit and save your changes.

Add a Button to Your Banner

You don’t have to have a button in your banner, but it might be fun.

• Click Settings, then choose “Announcement banner.”
• Type text into the “Button label” field.
• Type or paste a URL into the “Link” field.
• Choose whether you want your link to open in a new tab or not by checking the box as appropriate.
• Click the X at the top right of the popup window to exit and save your changes.

If you don’t want to have a button in your banner, simply leave both “Button label” and “Link” blank.

Customize the Color of Your Banner

• Next to “Banner color” select the dropdown arrow.
• Select a color or add a custom color by clicking on the plus sign.
• Click the X at the top right of the popup window to exit and save your changes.

Dividers

A divider can help organize your content visually.

• Choose “Insert” and then scroll down and select “Divider.”
• Your divider will appear.
• There are no settings to change on a divider – what you see is what you get.

Image Carousels

Image carousels are auto-playing decorative “slideshows” of images (and sometimes links) that can be used to enhance your site. Note: Use image carousels only for decorative images, not for essential content, as they may not be universally accessible for all students using assistive technology.

• To add an image carousel to your Site, choose “Insert” and then scroll down and choose “Image carousel.”
• Choose the images for your carousel (when we tested this, we found it a bit buggy – in some cases, we couldn’t upload images).
• Click “insert” when you’re done.
• You can add, remove, or reorder the images in the carousel by selecting it and clicking the “Settings” icon in the navigation menu that appears.
• Drag and drop images to put them in the order you want.
• Click “Update” to save your changes.