How-to Guide

How to turn a Gemini Canvas into a real website (custom domain)

Gemini Canvas builds you a working website with a live preview right in the chat. The catch: the Share button only gives you a g.co link that opens inside Gemini's interface - and anyone who views it can copy your entire source. Here is how to get your Canvas onto a URL you actually own.

By GeminiLaunch Team·
6 min readNo coding neededWorks with HTML & React Canvases

Under 2 min

Time to live URL

None

GitHub required

On Pro

Your own domain

A g.co Gemini share link with a red X next to yourbrand.com with a green check

Quick answer

To turn a Gemini Canvas into a real website on your own domain: copy the code from your Gemini Canvas, paste it into GeminiLaunch, and click publish. You get a live public URL in under two minutes - no GitHub, no coding. Gemini's own Share button only creates a g.co snapshot link that opens inside the Gemini interface, cannot be updated, and lets anyone copy your source. Publishing on GeminiLaunch gives you a standalone page you can update anytime, plus your own custom domain on the Pro plan ($15/mo).

The problem

Why Gemini's share link isn't a real website

Gemini Canvas is genuinely good at building websites. Turn on the Canvas tool, describe what you want, and Gemini writes the code on the left with a live, interactive preview on the right. Iterate in plain English until it looks perfect.

Then you hit Share, and Gemini gives you a g.co/gemini/share link. It works - but look closer at what your visitor actually gets. The link opens your page inside Gemini's own web interface, framed by Google's product, with a button inviting anyone to copy your Canvas. It will not open in the Gemini mobile app at all.

There is a bigger catch: every share link is a frozen snapshot. Update your Canvas tomorrow, and the link you already sent still shows yesterday's version. The only fix is sharing a brand-new link - and hoping everyone clicks the right one.

Here is what you cannot do with a Gemini share link:

Get a standalone page - the Canvas always opens inside Gemini's interface

Connect your own custom domain - the URL always stays on g.co

Update the page after sharing - every link is a frozen snapshot

Stop viewers from copying your full source with one click

Open the link in the Gemini mobile app - it only works on the web

Gemini share link

Your page opens framed inside Gemini's interface on a g.co URL. The link is a snapshot you cannot update, and anyone can copy the whole Canvas as their own.

GeminiLaunch

A standalone page on your own URL. Update it anytime without changing the link, keep your source to yourself, and replace the subdomain with a custom domain on Pro.

Key insight

The code in your Canvas belongs to you. Gemini already did 90% of the work - the only thing missing is a URL you own. Copying the code out and publishing it yourself closes that last 10%.

Compare

Your three options, compared

There are three ways to take a Gemini Canvas further. Here is how they compare for building a real website.

OptionURL you getYour source codeCustom domainBest for
Gemini share linkA g.co/gemini/share linkAnyone can copy your full sourceNo custom domainQuick demos inside the Gemini interface
Save the HTML yourselfA file on your computerPrivate, but not liveNo URL until you host itKeeping a local copy or moving the code elsewhere
GeminiLaunchYour own live URLYour source stays yoursCustom domain on ProA real website you own and can update anytime

Step-by-step

Turn your Gemini Canvas into a real website in 4 steps

The whole process takes under two minutes once you have done it once. No GitHub, no terminal, no build step.

1

Get the code out of your Gemini Canvas

Open your Canvas in Gemini. Switch to the code view (the Code tab at the top of the Canvas panel) and copy everything. Or click Share and choose the copy contents option. If Gemini split your site into separate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, type in the chat: "Give me this entire page as a single HTML file with all CSS and JavaScript inline." Gemini outputs one complete block, ready to copy.

Tip: The single-file instruction matters. One HTML block means one copy, one paste, no missing styles or broken scripts.

2

Paste the code into GeminiLaunch

Go to GeminiLaunch and create a new project. Paste the code from your Canvas into the editor. GeminiLaunch auto-detects whether it is HTML or React - no framework selection, no configuration. It reads your code and handles the rest.

Tip: GeminiLaunch publishes your Canvas exactly as Gemini built it. It does not rebuild or reinterpret your design - the preview you saw in Canvas is the site that goes live.

3

Publish and get your live URL

Click publish. Within seconds you get a live public URL at yoursite.geminilaunch.com. Anyone can open it in any browser on any device - no Google account, no Gemini interface around your page, and nobody can copy your Canvas source from it. Share it with clients, customers, or anyone.

Tip: This is the difference from the g.co share link. Your page is a standalone website, not a Canvas viewed inside Gemini's interface.

4

Connect your own custom domain

When you are ready, upgrade to GeminiLaunch Pro ($15/mo) and connect your own domain. You add one DNS record at your registrar - GeminiLaunch shows you exactly what to copy - and your Gemini-built site goes live on yourbrand.com. No developer needed.

Tip: On Pro you can connect up to 5 custom domains. Most domains go live within 5 to 30 minutes of adding the DNS record.

Copying Gemini Canvas code into GeminiLaunch and publishing a live URL

Avoid these

Common mistakes when publishing a Gemini Canvas

Sharing the g.co link as your "website"

The share link opens your Canvas inside Gemini's interface, not as a standalone page. It also will not open in the Gemini mobile app, so phone visitors get bounced to the browser. For anything client-facing, publish the code on a real URL instead.

Copying only the HTML and losing the CSS

If Gemini generated separate files, copying just the HTML gives you an unstyled page. Ask Gemini for a single file with everything inline before you copy - one block, nothing missing.

Re-sharing a new link after every edit

Each Gemini share link is a snapshot. If you update the Canvas, the old link still shows the old version, so you end up re-sending new links forever. Publishing on GeminiLaunch fixes this: paste the updated code, republish, and your URL stays the same.

Not realizing your source code is public

Anyone who opens your shared Canvas can copy the entire thing and continue editing it as their own. If your page contains anything you would rather not hand over - copy, structure, pricing logic - keep it off the share link.

Related guide

Publish Gemini-generated HTML without coding

The full no-code walkthrough: prompt in Gemini, copy, paste, publish.

Read the guide

Related guide

Turn a Claude artifact into a real website

Same playbook for Claude users: skip claude.site and own your URL.

Read the guide

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about turning a Gemini Canvas into a real website.

How do I turn a Gemini Canvas into a real website?

Copy the code from your Gemini Canvas (use the Code tab or the share menu's copy option), paste it into GeminiLaunch, and click publish. You get a live public URL in under two minutes, and you can connect your own custom domain on the Pro plan ($15/mo). No GitHub, no coding, and no build step required.

Can Gemini Canvas publish a website directly?

Not as a standalone website. Gemini's Share button creates a g.co/gemini/share link that opens your Canvas inside the Gemini interface. There is no custom domain option, the link does not open in the Gemini mobile app, and anyone who views it can copy your full source code.

What is the problem with the g.co share link?

Three things: the link opens inside Gemini's interface rather than as your own page, every share is a frozen snapshot you cannot update, and viewers can copy your entire Canvas source and reuse it. It works for quick demos, but it is not a website you would put on a business card.

Can people copy my code from a shared Gemini Canvas?

Yes. Anyone who opens a public Canvas link can use the Copy Canvas option to duplicate your entire project, including all the code, and continue editing it as their own. Publishing the code as a real website on GeminiLaunch avoids this - visitors see your page, not your editable source project.

Can I update a Gemini Canvas after sharing the link?

Not on the same link. Each share is a snapshot, so edits to your Canvas do not appear on links you already sent. With GeminiLaunch, you paste the updated code and republish - your URL and custom domain stay the same, and everyone sees the new version.

Can I connect a custom domain to a Gemini Canvas?

Not through Gemini - shared Canvases stay on g.co links. To put your Gemini-built site on your own domain, copy the code into GeminiLaunch and connect your domain there. It takes one DNS record and works on the $15/mo Pro plan.

Is it free to publish a Gemini Canvas on GeminiLaunch?

Yes. The free plan lets you publish unlimited sites to a GeminiLaunch subdomain with no commercial restriction. Custom domains are on the Pro plan at $15 per month for up to 5 domains.

Does this work if my Canvas is React instead of HTML?

Yes. GeminiLaunch auto-detects HTML and React. Whether Gemini generated a static HTML page or a React component in Canvas, you paste the code and it publishes correctly without any configuration.

How do I get the code out of Gemini Canvas?

Open the Code tab at the top of the Canvas panel and copy everything, or use the copy option in the Share menu. If the project has separate files, ask Gemini for the whole page as one HTML file with all CSS and JavaScript inline - then it is a single copy-paste.

Do visitors need a Google account to see my published site?

On GeminiLaunch, no - anyone can open your URL in any browser on any device with no account and no sign-in. Gemini's own share links open inside the Gemini web interface and do not work in the Gemini mobile app.

What online tools turn a Gemini Canvas into a website?

The main options are GeminiLaunch, Repaint, and traditional hosts like Netlify or GitHub Pages. GeminiLaunch is the simplest for non-developers: paste the Canvas code and publish, with no download step, no GitHub, and your design kept exactly as Gemini made it. Traditional hosts require saving files and uploading them yourself.

Can I keep editing my site in Gemini after publishing?

Yes - and it is the recommended workflow. Iterate in Gemini Canvas where editing is easiest, then copy the updated code into your GeminiLaunch project and republish. Your live URL and custom domain never change.

Put your Gemini Canvas on a real URL

Skip the g.co snapshot link. Paste your Canvas code into GeminiLaunch, get a live website in seconds, and connect your own domain when you are ready. Start free - no credit card needed.