Classic Google Sites Retirement Timeline

Environment

U-M Google, classic Google Sites, new Google Sites

Issue

On July 1, 2022, all remaining classic Google Sites had editing and external visibility turned off. On January 30, 2023, Google officially ended support for creating and editing classic sites in every domain. According to Google, classic sites that were not converted were automatically saved as HTML files to the site owner’s My Drive and then converted to draft new sites for site owners to review and publish. The site owner should be able to find the converted draft site at sites.google.com.

The previously announced timeline for retiring classic Google Sites and replacing it with new Google Sites can be found below. As of January 30, 2023, the timeline is complete.

Resolution

ITS's retirement timeline

  • May 15, 2021 - Google turned off the ability to create new classic Sites.
  • July 1, 2022 - U-M classic Google Sites are no longer:
    • Editable by you (as owner) or your collaborators
    • Viewable by external users (i.e., individuals with a non-@umich.edu email address)

Google's retirement timeline

  • May 15, 2021 - The ability to create new classic Sites was turned off.
  • December 1, 2022 (previously June 1, 2022) - The ability to edit your remaining classic Sites was turned off.
  • January 30, 2023 (previously January 1, 2023) - The ability for users to view the content of classic Sites was turned off.

According to Google, if you did not convert your classic Google Site before January 30, 2023, Google automatically transitioned it as follows:

  1. Downloaded the site as an HTML file and saved it to the previous owners' Google Drives.
  2. Replaced the site with a draft in new Google Sites for the owner to review and publish if desired.
  3. Deleted the classic Site once converted.

Additional Information

  • For more information, refer to the ITS announcement on 4/22/21.
  • On May 16, 2022, Google announced another updated timeline for the retirement of classic Google Sites. This marked the fourth time Google extended the timeline since they first announced the retirement of classic Sites in 2017. To ensure a smooth transition for campus and avoid any future confusion or frustration around these shifting timelines, ITS followed the previous schedule regarding the removal of key functionality.
  • Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.
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