Creating Your First Site

By the end of this page, you will have a brand-new site ready to edit.

Choose a starting point

You can start two ways:

• From a theme. A theme is a ready-made design with sample pages. You change the words and pictures to make it yours. This is the fastest way to get a good-looking site.
• From a blank site. You start with one empty page and build everything yourself.

You can browse themes before you decide. Some are free and some cost a one-time fee.

Create the site

1. On your dashboard, click Create New Site.
2. Type a name for your site. This is what you call it, like "Maple Street Bakery."
3. Choose your web address. This is the part of the address people type to reach you. Use lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes.
4. Pick a theme, or choose blank.
5. Click the button to create your site.

Some names are saved for us and can't be used, such as "docs," "help," and "admin." If yours is taken or saved, you will see a message. Try a different one.

Your free trial

Every new site starts with a 14-day free trial. You don't pay anything to start, and you can build and edit the whole time.

• During the trial, you can build your site and see how it looks.
• To keep it going, click Activate site in the left panel before the trial ends.
• If the trial ends and you haven't activated, the site is paused. Nothing is deleted. Activate it and it comes back.
• Connecting your own domain name and adding redirects need an active, paid site. See Billing and Your Subscription for the full list.

You can have up to 3 trial sites at once.

What happens next

You will land in the editor with your site open. The next page shows you around.