Google launched a redesigned Sites back in 2016 for customers of G Suite (now Google Workspace). The classic Sites version has since remained in place alongside the new one as Google worked to build new capabilities similar to those of the legacy version.
While the legacy Sites continued to exist for a couple more years, its days are now numbered. Google announced today that any content posted on the classic Sites will no longer be visible starting on January 1, 2022. This means Workspace customers need to complete the migration until the end of this year.
Google will also archive and save all remaining classic Sites to the Drive account of customers as well as replace them with a draft in the new Sites. Owners can then choose to publish the drafts.
In addition, starting May 15, Google will remove the ability to create new websites in classic Sites. The search giant highly recommends that customers disable site creation in the legacy platform before that day. However, there"s no uniform timeline for this transition; it can vary for personal Google account owners. Beginning on December 1, you will no longer be able to edit any remaining classic Sites as well.
For admins, there"s an option to export classic Sites to the new version, bulk delete and restore sites, change ownership of multiple sites at once, as well as convert or archive a website.
The timeline applies to all Workspace customers, G Suite Basic and Business account owners, as well as owners of personal Google accounts.