Transfer Ownership of a Google Site: A Detailed 4-Step Guide

When job roles shift, Transfer Google Site Ownership is a breeze with four straightforward methods.

Sometimes, you might have to move a Google Site from one person’s account to another. This could happen when someone leaves a job, and you want to give the site to another person. It can also be needed during organizational changes like mergers or spin-outs.

Here are 4 Ways to Transfer Google Site Ownership and content of a Google Site from one account to another. Since there are no mobile apps for Google Sites, you should use a computer and a modern web browser like Chrome to follow these steps.

The simplest way to transfer ownership of a Google Site is to transition responsibility via the Share menu.

1. Go to Google Sites.
2. If needed, sign in with your Google account. Make sure to use the account that is the owner of the site.
3. Click or tap on the site to open it.
4. Select the Share icon (Figure A, upper right). This displays the list of people with access.

5. Select the share option menu to the right of the transferee, then choose Transfer Ownership (Figure A, middle).
6. A “Make this person the owner?” message will display (Figure B).

7. Select Yes to confirm the transfer of ownership. The person will typically receive an email indicating they now have ownership of the selected site.

Google Sites doesn’t allow you to transfer a site from an organizational account to an outside account; if you attempt to do so, the system will prevent the transfer (Figure C). If you encounter this message, an alternative may be to make a copy of a site, as covered below.

If you have a Google Workspace account with shared drives, you can move a site to one. The shared drive then becomes the site’s “owner,” and all members get access based on their shared drive level. So, if someone is a Viewer in the shared drive, they become a Viewer in the Google Site too.

Here’s how to find your Google Site file on Google Drive and then move it to a shared drive.

1. Go to Google Drive.
2. In the search box, first narrow the file type with:

type:site

3. Following this, add a space and then enter the name of your site. For example, in Figure D, the entry shown is:

type:site BuzzAffairs Example

This should display your Google Site file in the results.

5. To the right of your file, select the More menu (Figure D, circled).
6. From the menu options, choose Organize, then Move (Figure D, arrows).
7. Next, navigate to your desired destination shared drive, such as the ones shown in the right half of Figure D.
8. Give the system a few moments to complete the move and configure permissions.
9. Optional: To confirm that the shared drive is now the owner of the file, access the site Share list. A Google Site on a shared drive will not list any account as the owner (Figure E), for example.

Consider making a duplicate of a Google Site instead of transferring ownership outside your organization. This copies the site’s content into a separate file, with the creator of the copy becoming the owner. This approach facilitates moving site contents between, for instance, two distinct Google Workspace organizational accounts or from a Workspace organizational account to a personal Google account.

1. Go to Google Sites.
2. If needed, sign in with your Google account. Make sure to use a Google account that has access to the site and is the destination account — the one in which you wish to have the copy of the site.
3. Click or tap on the site to open it.
4. Select the More menu (Figure F, circled).
5. Choose Make A Copy (Figure F, arrow).

5. Review and adjust any copy site options as desired. For example, when you want to ensure that all current collaborators gain access to the copied site, check the box to Share Copy Of The Draft Site With The Same People (Figure G).
6. Select OK to copy the site.

The copied site will have a different URL than the original site. In some cases, you may want to modify domain name registration settings to point to the new URL.

In some cases, if the options mentioned earlier don’t work, you may have to manually copy the content from a Google Site. This involves saving text and images from the site and adding them to a new Google Site. You can save text to files, right-click on images to save them, or print each page as a PDF. This process is faster for small sites, but for big ones with lots of content, it can be a lot of work. It’s usually better to try the other transfer methods first.

1. Save images and text from the original site.
2. Manually add the salvaged content to a newly created Google Site.
3. Save text to individual files, right-click on images to save them, or print each page to a PDF for reference.

Insight: While more time-consuming, this method becomes a viable last resort in rare circumstances where other options are not feasible.

The process of transferring ownership of a Google Site is nuanced, and the choice of method depends on your specific circumstances. Each option offers a unique set of advantages, ensuring you can navigate the intricacies of ownership transition with confidence and efficiency.

In conclusion, as you embark on the journey of ownership transfer, consider the nature of your organization, the collaborators involved, and the urgency of the transition. This guide equips you with the knowledge to make an informed decision, ensuring a seamless and well-managed transfer process.

1. Save images and text from the original site.
2. Manually add the salvaged content to a newly created Google Site.
3. Save text to individual files, right-click on images to save them, or print each page to a PDF for reference.

Insight: While more time-consuming, this method becomes a viable last resort in rare circumstances where other options are not feasible.