I have an existing website but am unable to access it ...

[OPanc...@chesscenter.net]

I have an existing website but am no longer able to access it through my previous editor, Microsoft Expression Web3 unsure why). I downloaded Google Web Designer and want to know if I can, and how to download the files from the existing site so that I may use GWD to edit and modify the site and then upload the new info. I tried to open the html files from my computer but GWD could not as it wasn't created with this program. Can you help? Other suggestions?

Omar Pancoast (computer dinosaur, age 70)

[Jaz]

Hi Omar,

Currently you cannot open content in GWD that was not created in our program. The community has let us know that they would like to be able to import non-GWD created html files, so we have this logged as a customer feature request.

Thanks so much!

jaz
Jasmine Rogers
Program Manager, GWD

[zol...@geograph.co.za]

Hi Jaz,
The inability to import even the simplest HTML website is a MASSIVE deal-breaker.

Please give some indication as to how seriously Google is taking this, and is there some roadmap to solving this.
We are now 7 months after Omar raised this issue, and a year after another posdt I saw, related to this short-coming.

Please provide urgent feedback on this issue.

Kind regards,
Zoltan

[kameron cole]

I agree - it's a big design error not to be able to import existing websites.  It strikes me as odd, but I find it is common, at least in all of the free web design tools I have seen.  I wonder if it's a cost thing? I I know that in something like IBM's Rational Application Developer, it has been possible since the product's release in 1999.  Not sure about Dreamweaver.

In any case, it is a simple process.  Traditionally you would download your site using FTP (Filezilla), and then work on files individually, "publishing" them using ftp again.  But how strangely primitive for these times, when web design is done by Junior High kids!

Even if Google modified each web page it imported, with the "generated by GWD", it would be preferable.

Bottom line: in the year 2016, it should be SIMPLE to push a button and import an existing website into even the most basic web development tool.  GWD is disappointing.

[Svein-Tore Narvestad]

Hi folks

There is no problem to open an existing html file in GWD. Just add the following in the head section:

<meta name="generator" content="Google Web Designer 1.6.3.1004">

Svein-Tore

[cmipro...@gmail.com]

Opening a non GWD in GWD is one thing. Being able to edit using the WYSIWYG GWD is something else. Things like the timeline would not pick up the code properly.