Open the tabs below to learn more about IT supported web hosting platforms or scroll down for a side-by-side comparison. Note: Cyber Security restricts approval of cloud web hosts beyond those described here.
Google Sites
Visit sites.google.com to create or modify a free Google Site. Google Sites is ideally suited to pages for individual groups, projects, meetings, and conferences. Google Sites can be made public, or restricted. If you want a custom subdomain mapped to your Google site so that your site appears as mysite.lbl.gov (not as sites.google.com/lbl.gov/mysite), please to Request a Custom URL.
Commons
Everyone can have a personal page on Commons. Login at commons.lbl.gov and click your name in the upper right hand corner. Choose “Personal Space” and then edit your personal page. You can then request a short URL, e.g., go.lbl.gov/mysite to point to your page.
WordPress
IT can assist with setting up larger, more complex WordPress websites with hosting and management provided by WP Engine. WordPress is a widely used free and open source content management system (CMS) based on PHP and MySQL. Contact the Help Desk for questions, technical support, or to initiate a new project.
go.lbl.gov Shortlinks
You can use go.lbl.gov/mysite to point to any page and brand your URL. Just open a Help Desk ticket with the request for your URL. URLs must describe the content appropriately and institutionally relevant URLS may be reserved (for example, you may not register go.lbl.gov/conference for your individual conference – that would be reserved for an institutional function – but go.lbl.gov/actinite2018 is fine…). Contact IT Networking for more DNS services.
Comparison of Website Platforms
The table below provides a comparison of IT-recommended platforms for creating and managing websites at Berkeley Lab. The information may be used for education or reference purposes and may not always reflect the most recent updates to service. Contact the Help Desk or Creative Services for questions or assistance.
| Website Platforms | Google Sites | Wordpress | Commons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service | Google Sites is a Google Workspace app used to publish websites easily and quickly. | Wordpress. is a popular, open source content management system used to build websites | Commons is the Lab’s installation of Confluence, a wiki platform for sharing team workspaces and project documentation. |
| Recommended Usage | Simple websites for individuals or groups; Internal projects; Special events such as meetings and conferences; Collaboration with external users; Portfolios | Primary Area and Division sites; Complex, ongoing, public-facing projects and initiatives | Wikis and documentation; Sites for individuals or groups and their Lab projects |
| Hosting | Unlimited hosting on Google. | Hosted and managed through WP Engine. | Unlimited spaces and pages. |
| Cost | Free | Cost and storage limits determined by selected plan. | Free |
| Required Experience | No prior experience is necessary. Click, drag and drop interface. | No prior experience is necessary for basic editing. Some training or web development experience is helpful for advanced changes. Click, drag and drop interface. | No prior experience is necessary for basic editing. Some training or web development experience is helpful for advanced changes. Click, drag and drop interface. |
| Editing Permissions | Customize by individual or group, similar to Google Docs. Open to external collaborators. | Editing Area and Division sites is restricted to Berkeley Lab users unless exceptions are necessary. Other project sites may include external users if needed. | Editing is restricted to Berkeley Lab users. |
| Viewing Restrictions | Public; Private; Restrict to Berkeley Lab users only; Restrict to designated users | Public; Private; Restrict to Berkeley Lab users only (Requires IT support) | Public; Private; Restrict to specific Berkeley Lab users |
| Domain | Request a Custom URL Reserve go.lbl.gov Short Link | Contact the Help Desk to establish a custom URL. | Reserve go.lbl.gov Short Link |
| Training Resources | Google Sites training and help; Google Sites Essential Training | LinkedIn Learning; Google Users Group at LBNL | Learn WordPress; Wordpress Essential Training | LinkedIn Learning; Try out the Block Editor | Create/Edit Commons | IT FAQ; Confluence Fundamentals | Atlassian Training; Set up your site and spaces | Atlassian |
| Support | Content is self-managed and maintenance is the responsibility of respective owners. IT is available for limited technical support. Referrals to external vendors may be necessary where IT is unavailable. Contact the Help Desk or Creative Services for questions or requests for assistance. | ||
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