At first I wasn’t thrilled with the switch from the old version of Google Sites to the new one. That was largely due to the absence of many useful features in the new version that had existed in the old version. Slowly Google has added those features back into the new (current) version of Sites. In December Google added support for third-party embed codes, in January they added new sharing options, in March custom favicons became an option, and today Google announced the option to put custom links into the navigation bar in your Google Sites.

As with most updates to Google Sites, this new feature will be rolled-out over the course of a few weeks. If you don’t see the new feature today, it’s coming soon.

Applications for Education
Adding custom links to the navigation bar in Google Sites means that your site’s header navigation could include links to things like your social media profiles, your school district’s website, or to any reference sites that you frequently direct your students to visit.

High school students who are using Google Sites to build digital portfolios that may seen as part of an application to college or internship program, may want to consider using custom navigation links to their social media accounts. Doing so could show awareness of their digital footprints.