In short. Google Sites lets owners set draft collaboration and published-site viewing separately.
Definition: Yes. Google Sites provides separate access controls for the editable draft and the published site. A draft can be limited to named people or opened to anyone with a Google Account and the site link, while the published site can be limited to named viewers or opened for anyone to view.
Key facts
- Google Sites lets an owner publish a site and choose who can see it, according to Google's publication and sharing documentation.
- The editor documentation separates settings for the draft and published versions of a site.
- Draft access can be restricted to people added under Share with people and groups or opened to anyone with the site link and a Google Account for editing.
- Published-site viewing can be restricted to people added under Share with people and groups or opened to anyone.
- An editor using a non-Google Account can view a draft but cannot edit it, while an editor using a Google Account can view and edit without a verification code, as Google's editor documentation explains.
How do the draft and published-site settings differ?
Google's editor documentation places both controls in the Share dialog's Links section. The Draft setting governs access to the working version. It can be restricted to people already listed under Share with people and groups, or it can allow anyone with a link to the site and a Google Account to edit.
The Published site setting governs viewing of the version made available at the site's web address. It can be restricted to people listed under Share with people and groups, or it can allow anyone to view the site. These choices can therefore use different audiences: a team can work on a restricted draft while the published site uses a broader viewing setting.
Draft: You can restrict access to people added under 'Share with people and groups', or allow anyone to edit with a link to your site and a Google Account.
Published site: You can restrict views to people added under 'Share with people and groups', or allow anyone to view it.
How is published-site sharing changed?
Google's publication and sharing documentation instructs the owner to open the site, click Share, and use the Published site drop-down. The available choices are Restricted and Public. With Restricted selected, specific people and groups can be added as published viewers.
The same documentation describes a separate search setting for a site that is Public on the web and viewable by anyone. It is a request for public search engines not to display the site, and Google says the request may not prevent the site from appearing in those engines. That setting concerns search visibility, while Published site controls who can view the site.
What can editors and administrators change?
An editor's account type affects draft access. Google's editor documentation states that a person using a non-Google Account can view a draft but cannot edit it, and that viewing the draft requires a verification code. A person using a Google Account can view and edit the site without that code.
The owner or anyone with edit permissions can change the site's sharing settings. Google also documents a setting that removes an editor's ability to publish, change permissions, and add new people. For work or school accounts, an administrator may limit the ability to add an editor.
How can you check both settings?
Open the site in Google Sites and click Share. In the Links section, inspect Draft and Published site separately, then compare each audience with the people and groups listed in the sharing dialog. Google's editor documentation places both version-specific controls in that section and ends the workflow with Done.
If the published setting is Restricted, the publication documentation says that specific people and groups can be added as Published viewers. If the setting is Public, the site's web address is available for anyone to view under that setting.
Related terms
- How are changes reviewed before updating a published Google Site?
- Does hiding a Google Sites page from navigation restrict access?
FAQ
Can a restricted draft have a public published site?
Yes. Set Draft to restrict access to the listed people and groups, then set Published site to allow anyone to view it.
Can someone with a non-Google Account edit the draft?
No. Google states that a non-Google Account can view a draft but cannot edit it. You can give that person a Google Account, which allows draft viewing and editing without a verification code.
Can an editor change the site's sharing settings?
An editor with edit permissions can change sharing settings. You can clear Editors can publish, change permissions and add new people when sharing should remain with the owner.
Sources
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