Google Page Creator Help

Home

This page is best viewed with Mozilla Firefox:

After the great success of Google Page Creator Guide (googlepages listing) and Google Page Creator Tips (HTML/Javascript tricks and tips for googlepages), here comes the Complete Google Page Creator Help from A to Z for building a Google Page Creator Website:

Google Page Creator Help

Whether you are a beginner or an expert you will find this web page very helpful and interesting. This webpage is complementary to my previous GPC Guide and Tips. It is a must read for people who are starting to use Google Page Creator since I guide them throughout the whole process of publishing their website online.

Moreover, it has all the official Google links to support you ranging from their knowledge database to their help google group.

At Last but not least, this web page gathers all the interesting articles out there that review, discuss, and scrutinize Google Page Creator.

What is Google Page Creator

Google Page Creator is a free WYSIWYG web edit tool that lets you create web pages in your very own browser and publish them to the web very easily. You don't have to download any software since Google Page Creator will let you create ans and design your webpages. The pages you create are hosted on Google servers and are available at http://yoursitename.googlepages.com for the world to see. I will use the acronym GPC instead of Google Page Creator throughout this page and my website.

Top


Requirements

To be able to use Google Page Creator you need:

  • 1. Google Account
  • 2. Internet Explorer 6 (or later) or Mozilla Firefox 1 (or later). I guess it also works for the other browser but don't know which version
  • 3. JavaScript and cookies enabled

Top


Restrictions

  • 1. The maximum number of files is 500
  • 2. maximum size of an uploaded file
    is 10 MB
  • 3. Your quota (total file usage) is 100 MB
  • 4. There is a bandwidth usage limit but Google Page Creator doesn't seem to specify this number. when you exceed the bandwidth usage limit you still can see the pages, but pictures will disappear from the pages. Your bandwidth will be reset at the begining of the next month.

Top


Getting Started

Here is a step by step guide to get started using Google Page Creator and publish your homepage:

  • 1. Sign up for a free Google Account at this webpage Google Accounts (https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount)
  • 2. Go to Google Page Creator (http://www.pages.google.com)
  • 3. Login
  • 4. Once you are in your Site Manager page, click on a file named "your.login.name" next to an icon that has a small brown house (referring to you homepage)
  • 5. By default your template is a white simple one. Change the title of your page from "your.login.name's Home Page" to the title that you want. For now we just want to test that you can publish your homepage without making any changes so find the "Publish" button on the upper left side and click it. A warning banner should appear telling you "Your page has been published".
  • 6. In order to test it, open a new blank page in your browser and type your web address. It should be http://YourLoginName.googlepages.com
Now that you know how to publish one page then it's going to be easy to publish more. Your next level is to know how to change your website template and layout, to format your text, to add pictures and to create links. This page will guide throughout them.

Top


Site Manager

When you sign in to Google Page Creator, you will be automatically directed to your Site Manager. Here is a snapshot of the site manager with annotation:

Click on the picture to open the bigger size with annotation. Label numbers from the annoted picture will be shown in red in the following paragraphs.

This page shows the pages that you have online, files that are currently uploaded, and gives a number of options
for changing these files and pages. You can also check your website address (Label 4) at the top.

Create a new page

You can create a new page by clicking the green page "Create a new page..." (Label 1) link. You have to name it and then click on the "create and edit" button beneath it.

Action List

When you have created some pages (Label 2) , you have a few options available in the drop down action list (Label 5): Tell your friends, Discard unpublished changes, unpublish, duplicate, and delete page. you can click on the checkbox next to the page and then select an action from the drop down list. "Unpublish" might be helpful so that no-one will be able to see it until you think it's ready to be public.

Upload Files

Files can be added to your site by clicking on the browse button (Label 7) and then finding and choosing the file on your computer. Any uploaded files (Label 3) to your Google Page Creator account will appear on the right column under the "Uploaded stuff" heading.

To remove a file click on the trash icon (label 8) can to the right of it and answer "OK" to the confirmation question. At the moment there is no way to rename files instead you must delete them and upload a new file with the correct name.

Site Settings

"Site settings" button (Label 6) is found on the upper right side above the "uploaded stuff". Here is a snapshot:

The most important thing in the settings is the Site name since this is the first words to appear in the browser title. So the title would be: "Site name" - "Title page". For instance my webpage name shown in the browser title is "Rami El Mawas - Google Page Creator Help Rami El Mawas"

Edit a created page

All you need to do is to click on 1 of the pages (Label 2) that you want to edit. You will be directed to the Page Editor.

Other

The top and bottom parts of the Site Manager page contain links to resources such as to the Google Page Creator forum, help pages, create new site and your used quota

Top


Page Editor

This screen has most of the functionality that you will be using. Here is a snapshot of the page editor with annotation:

Click on the picture to open the bigger size with annotation. Label numbers from the annoted picture will be shown in red in the following paragraphs.

Top


Adding Text

To add content simply click in the boxes and type away.

Top


Google Page Creator Layouts

On top of choosing a design template for your webpage, GPC will also give you the option to switch the layout of the page to one, two, or three columns. Here is a snapshot of the options:

You will find the change layout button on the upper right side (Label 4).

Top


Google Page Creator Templates

Web design has been a piece of cake since google released its Google Page Creator. You should no more worry about hiring a web designer since all you have to do is to pick a "Look" for your website and then every time you create a new page, GPC will apply the picked template to it. Currently (Jully 19) there are 41 different templates among which some are elegant and simple but some other are colorful and lively. I can assure you that you will find a theme that will be up to your taste. Here is a small snapshot of 4 of the templates:

If you are still eager to to see some more templates then take a look at the this snapshot of 20 more templates. You will find the change layout button on the upper right side (Label 4).


Top


Uploading Pictures

Uploading is quite straight forward.

  • 1. First make sure to click with your mouse cursor somewhere in the main window at the place where you want the image to be.
  • 2. Then simply hit the image icon button then select an image either from your uploaded pictures or by specifying its URL location.
  • 3. Next you will prompted with a small menu. this Menu will let you:
    • Choose a size for you image: small, medium, large or orginial size.
    • Crop your picture
    • Rotate 90 degree counter clockwise
    • Rotate 90 degree clockwise
    • Use more tools including: Brightness, Mash-Up, Enhance, Reduce Colors, Sharpen, Revert Edits.
    • Removing Image
  • 4. The image is inserted into the web page editor and then you will be able to drag it around to wherever you want. You can align the image left, center or right. You can also place an image in the middle of some text and the text will attempt to wrap around it.

You will find the "Image" button on the left side (Label 1) or the top depending on the browser.

Top


Formatting Text

Heading

There are the 4 preset styles for 3 headings and your normal paragraphs. These are really useful since they'll automatically match your template without any work from you to pick fonts, sizes, colors, etc. To switch between them you simply click the required heading type from the menu. You will find the "Heading " button on the left side (Label 2) or the top depending on the browser.

Heading Types:

Heading: the largest heading

Heading

Subheading: the second heading type

Subheading

Minor Heading: the smallest heading type

Minor Heading

Normal: the default text type

Normal text





Top


Font Families

There are 7 font types to choose from:

1. Normal

2. Times New Roman

3. Arial

4. Courier New

5. Georgia

6. Trebuchet

7. Verdana

You will find the "Font" button on the left side (Label 1) or the top depending on the browser.

Top


Font Size

Small

Normal

Large

Huge

You will find the "Size" button on the left side (Label 1) or the top depending on the browser.

Top


Text Alignment

left alignment

center alignment

right alignment

You will find the "Align" button on the left side (Label 1) or the top depending on the browser.

Top


Other Formating Text Options

The other options include bold, italics, bullet lists, and text color pallete with 70 different colors to choose from. Here is the color palette:

You will find the "Palette" button on the left side (Label 1) or the top depending on the browser.

Top


Creating Links

In order to link a text to a webpage, highlight the text thta you want and then click on the "Link button". There are 4 types of links: Your pages, your files, web address, and and email address.

So if you want to link to a picture, click on your files and then choose your file or upload it from the same menu.

You will find the "Link" button on the left side (Label 1) or the top depending on the browser.


Top


Edit HTML

I will be adding some description soon.


Top


Add Google Gadgets

I will be adding some description soon.



Top


Google Page Creator Tips

GPC is really easy tool to use but some advanced (is it?) can't be implemented using its options. So I have compiled a list of tips that will help you add some really nice feature to your webpages. For instance : adding youtube videos, google search bar, javascript menu, picasa slideshow... Here is the link to my Google Page Creator Tips. This link has more than 15 tips plus links to the best GPC tips on the net.

Top


Google Page Creator Tutorials

Since the GPC has been released I followed very closely the development of google pages created by the interenet community. I kept track of good GPC tutorials that will help you while working with GPC. Here are one of the best:

If you still want more then please check out my Google Page Creator Guide.

Top


Google Page Creator on Google Groups

Google Groups is a free groups and electronic mailing list service from Google. Many groups related to Google Page Creator have spawned. Some of them are created by normal users like you and me but there is also one official Google Group discussion about GPC.

Official:

Unofficial:

Top


Google Page Creator on Wikipedia

Google Page Creator has a pretty small page on wikipedia and here is the link.

Top


Official Google Page Creator Links



Top


Google Page Creator FAQ

Largest and most Complete Google Page Creator FAQ

Top


Google Page Creator Articles

Google Page Creator - Google Press Center, Feb 23, 2006

Google Pages Released - TechCrunch, Feb 22 2006

Google Introduces Web Page Creator - SearchEngineWatch, Feb 23, 2006

Google's Latest: Page Creator - PC World's Techlog, Feb 22, 2006

Google Page Creator Patent Application Published - SEO by the Sea, Nov 2, 2006

Google's Web Page Creator Crashes On Takeoff - FOXNEWS, Feb 27, 2006

Google Page Creator - Google Blogoscoped, Feb 23, 2006

Top


Google Page Creator Reviews

I will be adding some description soon.

Top


© Rami's World