What Google retired and when
In January 2024 Google announced it was winding down the free websites that businesses could generate from their Google Business Profile. Search Engine Roundtable, writing on 9 January 2024, quoted Google's notice and a spokesperson who said: "Due to low engagement, we are winding down websites made with Business Profiles." [1]
Google's notice, as quoted, said that starting 1 March 2024 "customers will be redirected to your Business Profiles when they visit these websites", and that the sites "will redirect customers until June 10, 2024, after which they will show as unavailable." Search Engine Journal quoted the same plan as "In March 2024, websites made with Google Business Profiles will be turned off" and warned that after 10 June visitors could land on an error page. [1][2]
Google also said that business.site and negocio.site addresses would be removed from the Website field of profiles, and recommended that owners "update your Google Business Profile to point to a new website." [1]
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9 January 2024 | Shutdown reported, with Google's notice and spokesperson quote | Search Engine Roundtable [1] |
| 1 March 2024 | Sites stop showing; visitors redirected to the Business Profile | Google notice quoted by [1]; [2] says "March 2024" |
| March 2024 | business.site and negocio.site links removed from the Website field | Google notice quoted by [1] |
| 10 June 2024 | Redirects end; old sites show as unavailable | Google notice quoted by [1][2] |
What the old link does now, and where it may still be hiding
Based on Google's stated plan, an old business.site address has shown as unavailable since 10 June 2024, so any place that still links to it sends customers to a dead end. The redirect period also only ever pointed to your Business Profile, not to a new site of your choosing, which is why Search Engine Roundtable criticised the change for owners who had already moved. [1]
Search for the old address everywhere it might be printed or saved, not just on Google. The usual places are listed below. Each one needs the new address once your replacement site is live.
- The Website field of your Business Profile (Google said it would remove business.site links, so the field may now be empty) [1]
- Social media bios and link-in-bio pages
- Email signatures, invoices and quote templates
- Printed cards, flyers, vehicle wraps and QR codes
- Directory listings and supplier or partner pages that link to you
Pick a replacement: one page is usually enough
If your old page listed services, hours, a map and contact details, a one-page builder can replace it without taking on a large site. Carrd and Framer both fit; the bigger decision is whether you want your own domain, because a domain you control survives the next time a platform changes its plans.
Carrd sells Pro plans by the year. Pro Lite costs $9 a year for 3 sites but uses "Premium URLs" rather than custom domains; Pro Standard costs $19 a year for 10 sites and is the first tier that supports a custom domain. Carrd's own documentation says custom domains require "Pro Standard or higher." [4][5]
Framer's pricing page lists a Free plan at $0 with a free Framer domain and 1 GB of bandwidth, and a Basic plan at $10 per month that includes a custom domain, 30 pages and 50 GB of bandwidth. Framer's FAQ on the same page says a paid plan is needed to connect a custom domain. [6]
| Option | Published price (checked 30 Oct 2026) | Custom domain | Fits | Skip if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrd Pro Standard | $19 per year (10 sites) | Yes | One-page sites with contact links, hours and a map embed | You need a blog or many pages with shared content |
| Carrd Pro Lite | $9 per year (3 sites) | No (Premium URLs only) | Testing a page before buying a domain | You want customers to remember your own web address |
| Framer Free | $0 | No (Framer domain) | Trying a design before paying | You need a custom domain or more than 1 GB bandwidth |
| Framer Basic | $10 per month | Yes | A polished small site that may grow to a few pages (30-page limit) | You only need one page and want the lowest yearly cost |
Worked example: a local plumber replacing a business.site page
Say the old page had a headline, five services, opening hours, a phone number and a link to directions. On Carrd that is one page on Pro Standard at $19 a year, plus whatever your registrar charges for the domain. On Framer Basic it is $10 a month, about $120 across 12 months at the displayed price, plus the domain if you do not use Framer's complimentary offer. Framer's domain help says its free domain offer requires a yearly plan. [4][6][7]
For a single page whose content rarely changes, Carrd's yearly price is the lower cost. Framer is worth the extra if you want more design control now or expect to add pages such as a gallery or service-area pages, staying under Basic's 30-page limit. [6]
Whichever you pick, keep the content close to what Google showed: name, phone, service area, hours and the same business name as on the profile, so customers recognise it.
Connect your domain and update the profile link
Carrd: publish to a custom domain, then add an A record for @ pointing to the IP address shown in your Carrd dashboard and a CNAME for www pointing back to the bare domain. Carrd says initialisation is automatic and can take up to an hour. [5]
Framer: add A records for @ pointing to 31.43.160.6 and 31.43.161.6 and a CNAME for www pointing to sites.framer.app, and make sure there are no other A or AAAA records for the domain. Framer says DNS changes can take up to 48 hours worldwide, though usually less. [7]
Google Business Profile: Google's help page says to open your profile, select Edit profile, make your change and select Save. For the Website field, enter the full URL including "http://" or "https://", make sure Googlebot is not blocked on your site, and use Search Console to check for any penalties. [3]
Migration checklist
Work through this in order so the profile never points at a page that is not ready.
| Step | Check | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Copy content | Services, hours, phone, service area and photos you own | Everything from the old page is in a document |
| 2. Build the page | Carrd or Framer, on its free or builder address first | The page loads on a phone and a laptop |
| 3. Connect the domain | A and CNAME records exactly as the builder shows them [5][7] | The domain loads over https:// with no browser warning |
| 4. Update the profile | Paste the full https:// URL in the Website field and save [3] | The profile shows the new link |
| 5. Replace old links | Social bios, email signatures, directories, printed QR codes | No remaining business.site links |
| 6. Recheck in a week | Profile link, contact buttons and phone links | Every path leads to the new site |
Questions before you decide
When did Google Business Profile websites stop working?
Google's notice, as quoted by Search Engine Roundtable, said visitors would be redirected to the Business Profile from 1 March 2024 and that the sites would show as unavailable after 10 June 2024.
Can I get my business.site website back?
Google described the change as winding down websites made with Business Profiles and recommended pointing the profile to a new website. There is no restore option in the sources reviewed, so rebuild the page on another builder.
What do I enter in the Website field of my Business Profile?
Google's help page says to enter the full URL, including http:// or https://, make sure Googlebot is not blocked on the site, and use Search Console to check for penalties.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google shutting down Google Business Profiles websites Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Search Engine Journal: Websites created with Google Business Profiles to shut down in March Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: Edit your Business Profile Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd Pro plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: Using a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer Help: How to connect a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.