DOMAINS

"If I link my personal domain to a site created on Google Sites and later decide not to renew the domain after one year, will I be able to revert the site back to its original free Google Sites domain?"

Yes 👍

If you connect your own custom domain (like www.yourname.com) to a Google Site and later decide not to renew the domain, your Google Site will still exist.

• The custom domain will simply stop working after it expires.
  
  

• Your site will automatically remain accessible at the default free Google Sites domain (something like https://sites.google.com/view/your-site-name).
  
  

• You can also manually remove the custom domain mapping anytime from your Google Sites settings.
  
  

So, you don’t lose your site — you just lose the custom web address when the domain expires.

👉 Do you want me to show you the exact steps to switch back to the free sites.google.com URL after disconnecting your domain?

Great 🙂 Here’s how you can switch back to the free Google Sites domain if you stop using your custom domain:

🔹 Steps to remove custom domain and go back to free sites.google.com URL:

1. Open Google Sites
   
   

   • Go to https://sites.google.com.
     
     

   • Log in with the same Google account you used to publish your site.
     
     

2. Select your site
   
   

   • Click on the site you want to manage.
     
     

3. Open Site Settings
   
   

   • On the top right, click the gear icon (⚙️ Settings).
     
     

4. Go to Custom Domains
   
   

   • In the left menu, choose Custom domains.
     
     

   • You’ll see your custom domain mapped here.
     
     

5. Remove the custom domain
   
   

   • Click on the three dots (⋮) next to the domain name.
     
     

   • Select Remove.
     
     

6. Check your free URL
   
   

After removing, your site will remain published at its default free address: https://sites.google.com/view/your-site-name

6. • You can share this link with anyone.
     
     

✅ Important: Even if your domain expires and you forget to remove it, your site will automatically still be available at the free sites.google.com/view/... URL.

Would you like me to also explain how you can find or change your free Google Sites URL (so it’s easier to share)?

Perfect 🙂 Here’s how you can find or change your free Google Sites URL once you’re back on the default domain:

🔹 How to Find Your Free Google Sites URL

1. Go to Google Sites.
   
   

2. Open your site.
   
   

3. Click Publish (top-right).
   
   

   • If your site is already published, it will show your current URL under “Web address”.
     
     

It usually looks like:

https://sites.google.com/view/your-site-name

🔹 How to Change Your Free Google Sites URL

1. Open your site in Google Sites editor.

2. Click Publish (top-right).

3. In the Web address box, you can edit the last part of the URL (your-site-name).

   • Example:

     • Old: https://sites.google.com/view/myportfolio2024

     • New: https://sites.google.com/view/budhadesigns
       
       

4. Click Publish again to save.

⚠️ Note:

• You can only change the part after /view/ (the “site name”).

• The beginning (https://sites.google.com/view/) cannot be changed.
  
  

👉 Would you like me to also show you a trick to make the free URL look shorter and cleaner (e.g., using Google’s free redirect or a URL shortener)?

Alright 👍 Here are a few ways you can make your free Google Sites URL shorter and cleaner:

🔹 Option 1: Use a Free URL Shortener

• Bitly (bitly.com) or TinyURL (tinyurl.com) lets you create short links.

• Example:

Original: Alright 👍 Here are a few ways you can make your free Google Sites URL shorter and cleaner:

🔹 Option 1: Use a Free URL Shortener

• Bitly (bitly.com) or TinyURL (tinyurl.com) lets you create short links.
  
  

• Example:
  
  

Original: https://sites.google.com/view/budhadesigns

Shortened: https://bit.ly/budhadesigns

Pros: Simple and free.
Cons: The link looks less “professional” than a real domain.

🔹 Option 2: Use Google’s Free Redirect via Blogger

This is a neat trick if you want something like yourname.blogspot.com to redirect to your Google Site:

1. Go to Blogger (free from Google).

2. Create a new blog with your desired free address (e.g., yourname.blogspot.com).

3. In Blogger settings, set the homepage Redirect URL to your Google Sites link.
   
   

Now, whenever someone visits yourname.blogspot.com, they’ll be redirected to your Google Site.

🔹 Option 3: Buy a Cheap Domain Later

If you want a professional look without committing long term, you can buy a .xyz or .shop domain for ₹50–₹200/year (very cheap) from Google Domains, GoDaddy, or Namecheap, and map it to your Google Site.

👉 For your case (since you may drop your custom domain later), Option 1 (Bitly/TinyURL) is the easiest, and Option 2 (Blogger redirect) gives you a free custom-like domain.

Do you want me to walk you through Option 2 (Blogger redirect) step by step, so you can get a free “custom domain feel” without paying anything?

Perfect 🚀 Let’s set up the Blogger redirect method so your Google Site gets a nice, clean URL without paying for a domain:

🔹 Step-by-Step: Free Redirect via Blogger

1. Create a Blogger Site

1. Go to Blogger.

2. Log in with the same Google account.

3. Click “Create New Blog”.

4. Choose:

   • Title → Anything (like Budhaditya Portfolio).

Address → This will be your free URL, e.g.: yourname.blogspot.com

4. •  (Make sure it’s available!)

   • Theme → Any (you won’t use it much).
     
     

5. Click Create Blog.

2. Set Up the Redirect

1. In Blogger, open your new blog.

2. Go to Settings (left-hand menu).

3. Scroll down to Errors and redirects → Custom Redirects.

4. Click Add.

   • From → /

To → paste your Google Sites link, e.g.: https://sites.google.com/view/budhadesigns

4. • Tick ✅ “Permanent”.

5. Save changes.
   
   

3. Test It

Now visit your new URL: yourname.blogspot.com

• It will instantly redirect visitors to your Google Site! 🎉

✅ Result:
You now have a free, custom-like URL (yourname.blogspot.com) that points to your Google Site, without paying for a domain.

👉 Do you want me to also show you how to make the Blogger page invisible (so only the redirect works, and people never see a “blog” page)?

Awesome 👍 Let’s make your Blogger “cover” page invisible so that it only acts as a redirect (visitors won’t even see a blog page for a second).

🔹 Steps to Make Blogger Act as a Pure Redirect

1. Remove Posts & Pages

1. In Blogger, delete the default sample post (“Welcome to Blogger”).
   
   

2. Don’t create any new posts/pages — we want the blog to stay empty.
   
   

2. Hide Blog Features

1. Go to Theme → click Customize.
   
   

2. In the Blogger theme editor, remove/hide gadgets like:
   
   

   • Sidebar
     
     

   • Navbar
     
     

   • Footer links
     (You can do this under Layout as well).
     
     

3. Add Instant Meta Refresh Redirect (Optional but Best 🚀)

This step makes sure visitors never see the blog — they’ll jump straight to your Google Site:

1. In Blogger, go to Theme → click the ▼ arrow → Edit HTML.
   
   

2. Just after the <head> tag, paste this code:
   
   

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://sites.google.com/view/budhadesigns">

👉 Replace the URL with your own Google Sites link.

3. Save changes.
   
   

4. Test

• Visit yourname.blogspot.com.
  
  

• It should instantly redirect without showing the Blogger layout.
  
  

✅ Result:
Now your Blogger URL behaves like a real domain redirect → clean, free, and invisible.

Would you like me to also suggest a trick to make this redirect URL look even shorter, like:

bit.ly/myportfolio

(so you have both a free blogspot.com domain and a tiny shareable link)?

Perfect 👍 Let’s make your redirect URL even shorter and cleaner so it’s super easy to share.

🔹 Method 1: Use Bitly (Free & Customizable Short Links)

1. Go to bitly.com.
   
   

2. Sign up with Google (free plan is enough).
   
   

3. Paste your Blogger redirect URL:
   
   https://yourname.blogspot.com

4. Bitly will give you a short link like:
   
   https://bit.ly/3xYZ123

5. You can even edit the back-half (if available):
   
   https://bit.ly/myportfolio

🔹 Method 2: Use TinyURL (No Login Required)

1. Go to tinyurl.com.

2. Paste your Blogger redirect URL.

3. Enter a custom alias if you want (example: tinyurl.com/budhadesigns).

4. Generate your link.

🔹 Method 3: Google’s Own URL Shortener (via Firebase Hosting)

Google retired its old goo.gl shortener, but you can still create custom short links using Firebase Dynamic Links (free if you’re comfortable with setup). That way, you could get something like:

https://budha.page.link/portfolio

(This is a bit advanced compared to Bitly/TinyURL).

✅ Best Combo for You:

• yourname.blogspot.com → looks like a free custom domain.

• bit.ly/myportfolio → short, shareable, professional-looking link.
  
  

👉 Do you want me to also show you a way to make your bit.ly link show your own Google Site title/preview when you share it on WhatsApp or social media (instead of just a plain link)?

Great choice 👍 Let’s make your short link (Bitly/TinyURL) look professional when you share it on WhatsApp, Facebook, or LinkedIn — meaning it will show your Google Site’s title, description, and thumbnail image instead of just a boring plain link.

🔹 How Link Previews Work

• Platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter show a preview card (title + description + image) when you share a link.

• These previews are pulled from Open Graph (OG) meta tags in the webpage’s <head>.

• Google Sites already generates OG tags with your site’s title & banner image, but sometimes Bitly/TinyURL don’t refresh them correctly.

🔹 Step 1: Check Your Google Site’s Preview

1. Copy your Google Sites link (https://sites.google.com/view/budhadesigns).

2. Paste it into Open Graph Preview Tool.

   • You’ll see the title, description, and image that platforms will use.

   • If it looks good, you’re fine ✅.

   • If not, we can tweak it (see Step 2).

🔹 Step 2: Improve How Your Google Site Appears

1. Go to Google Sites Editor.

2. Click the Settings gear ⚙️ → Viewer settings → Brand Images.

3. Upload a logo and banner image (this will be used as the preview thumbnail).

4. Under Site Settings → General → Site Name, enter a clean, catchy site title (this becomes your link title in previews).

5. Add a description:

   • Go to Pages → Home Page → Insert → Text box and put a 1–2 line intro at the top.

   • Google Sites often picks this text as the preview description.

🔹 Step 3: Force Platforms to Refresh Your Link Preview

Sometimes, WhatsApp/Facebook cache the old preview. To fix this:

• Facebook Debugger Tool: https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/ → paste your link → click Scrape Again.

• LinkedIn Post Inspector: https://www.linkedin.com/post-inspector/ → paste your link → it refreshes.

• WhatsApp will usually refresh automatically within a few hours.

🔹 Step 4: Use the Short Link

Now, shorten your Blogger redirect (or directly your Google Site link) with Bitly/TinyURL.

Example: https://bit.ly/budhadesigns

• When you share it, the preview will still pull from your original Google Site’s OG tags 🎉.

✅ Result:
When you send your short link on WhatsApp or post it on Facebook/LinkedIn, people will see:

• Your Google Site title

• Your chosen image/logo/banner

• A short description line
  
  

👉 Do you want me to also give you some tips for writing the best site title + description so your shared link looks super professional (like a portfolio or business page)?

Perfect 👍 Let’s make sure your Google Site link looks professional and clickable when shared. Here’s how to craft the best title + description for your site preview:

🔹 1. Site Title (Shows Bold in Link Preview)

• Keep it short & clear (30–50 characters).

• Include your name/brand + purpose.

• Examples:

  • ✅ Budhadeep Saha – Portfolio & Projects

  • ✅ Creative Web Designer | Budhadeep Saha

  • ✅ Budhadeep Saha – Business Consultant
    
    

🔹 2. Site Description (Small Text Below Title)

• Keep it 1–2 lines (max ~150 characters).

• Should quickly explain what visitors will find.

• Examples:

  • ✅ Showcasing my work, skills, and achievements in design and technology.

  • ✅ Explore my portfolio – projects, case studies, and creative ideas.

  • ✅ Professional profile with services, contact info, and highlights.

🔹 3. Image / Thumbnail

• Best size: 1200×630 px (Facebook/WhatsApp standard).

• Use:

  • Your profile photo (professional-looking), or

  • A logo, or

  • A banner with your name + tagline.
    
    

• Upload it in Google Sites Settings → Brand Images.

🔹 4. Example of a Perfect Preview

If you share your short link (bit.ly/budhadesigns) on WhatsApp/Facebook, it might look like this:

Title (bold):
👉 Budhadeep Saha – Portfolio & Projects

Description:
👉 Showcasing my work, skills, and achievements in design and technology.

Image:
👉 A clean banner with your photo + “Portfolio of Budhadeep Saha”

✅ With this setup, your link will look professional, clickable, and trustworthy — almost like a paid domain.

👉 Do you want me to also design a sample banner image (1200×630 px) for your Google Site preview, so you can directly upload it as the thumbnail? No.