Transferrable URL from a Google Site to elsewhere?

December 9, 2009 3:24 PM

Friends set up a sites.google.com site with a URL that they like. I've made them realize that Google Sites won't do what they want. So I want to remove it from Google, and make it into a wordpress site, or whatever. Problem is, they want to keep the URL. Anyone know if (and how) that's possible? If I shut down their google site, will that free the URL up for me to use elsewhere (like on GoDaddy)?

I asked in a google forum, but I assume I won't get a response there.

posted by omnigut to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Is the URL sites.google.com/foobar or did you register the URL yourself with some domain registrar? If the latter, just go into your domain control panel and redirect it wherever you want.
posted by GuyZero at 3:27 PM on December 9, 2009

you don't have a domain, you have a folder like http://sites.google.com/site/yoursitename

whatever he named that site (yoursitename), he can register as a domain if it isn't already registered by someone else..
posted by HuronBob at 3:31 PM on December 9, 2009

Also, if they are for a strange reason in love with a URL that has googlesites/blahblah - no biggy, just chuck a redirect on the page, to the new URL. :)
posted by smoke at 4:26 PM on December 9, 2009

If you have your own TLD (.com, .org, whatever):

1. Go to your site Dashboard (https://www.google.com/a/cpanel/whatever.com/Dashboard)

2. Look for the "domain names" link near the top of the page, and click it

3. Click "Advanced DNS settings", then "Sign in to DNS console".

You can now change where your DNS points with the domain registrar. Your new host should be able to provide you with the information that the registrar will need.
posted by Clandestine Outlawry at 5:11 PM on December 9, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks everyone!
posted by omnigut at 9:22 PM on December 9, 2009