Google Sites is a website-building platform that provides tools for creating and managing simple websites with drag-and-drop functionality.

With Google Sites, users can design websites without coding, integrate Google Workspace apps, and collaborate in real time. This helps individuals, teams, and businesses easily create and share websites for internal projects, portfolios, or public-facing content.

Is Google Sites HIPAA compliant? Yes, based on our research, Google Sites can be HIPAA compliant.

 

What changed this year?

As of May 14, 2026, Google Sites remains listed as Included Functionality under the applicable HIPAA Business Associate Addendum, alongside Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Chat, Google Drive, Google Meet, and other core Workspace services. No changes to Google Sites' covered status were identified in this year's review.

 

Will Google Sites sign a business associate agreement (BAA)?

Yes, Google Sites will sign a business associate agreement, which can be reviewed and accepted here. Customers who have not signed a BAA with Google must not use PHI in Google Workspace or Cloud Identity services, and administrators must review and accept a BAA before using PHI in Google services. The BAA is accepted electronically through the Admin console by a super administrator.

 

What does the Google Sites BAA cover?

The Google BAA covers the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). Their HIPAA Implementation Guide states that all users can access covered Core Services for use with PHI under the BAA, as long as the healthcare organization configures those services to be HIPAA compliant. Google Sites is included in this list.

This BAA applies to the extent the customer is acting as a covered entity or business associate to create, receive, maintain, or transmit PHI via a covered service, and to the extent Google, as a result, is deemed under HIPAA to be acting as a business associate or subcontractor of the customer.

 

What does the Google Sites BAA exclude?

The BAA does not apply to any other Google product, service, or feature that is not a covered service, or to any PHI that a customer creates, receives, maintains, or transmits outside of the covered services, including offline or on-premise storage tools or third-party applications.

Administrators are advised to pay careful attention to the Customer Obligations clause in Google's Terms of Service Agreement, which prohibits the storage and transmission of PHI without a signed BAA and makes customers responsible for end-user compliance with the agreement. A failure to comply with the Terms of Service Agreement could result in suspension of the account and removal of content, regardless of compliance with the BAA, which would itself constitute a HIPAA violation if PHI became unavailable as a result.

Healthcare organizations building websites in Google Sites should avoid embedding forms, widgets, or third-party content that route PHI outside of Google's covered services, since those integrations are not automatically covered under the BAA.

 

Conclusion

Google Sites signs a BAA and is therefore HIPAA compliant.

Learn more: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide

 

FAQs

What is a business associate agreement?

A business associate agreement (BAA) is a legally binding contract establishing a relationship between a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its business associates. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure the proper protection of personal health information (PHI) as required by HIPAA regulations.

 

What is HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets national standards for protecting the privacy and security of certain health information, known as protected health information (PHI).

HIPAA is designed to protect the privacy and security of individuals' health information and to ensure that healthcare providers and insurers can securely exchange electronic health information. Violations of HIPAA can result in fines and penalties for covered entities.

 

Who does HIPAA apply to?

HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also applies to business associates of these covered entities. These are entities that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of the covered entity.