Can I use Muse with an existing website?

[Irishwalsh]

Can I use Muse with existing websites created with non-Adobe software? Or can I import a site I created with Dreamweaver into Muse?

Message was edited by: Corey@Adobe

[symbolized_bar_code · Accepted solution]

You will not be be able to import an existing site that was created outside of Muse, or the site created when you Export as HTML from Muse.

You must use the original .muse file in order to edit your site.

Message was edited by: Corey@Adobe

[Irishwalsh]

Thanks, That's disappointing, but expected.

[M Schubert]

Really would like to have this feature to import an existing website. Is this somewhat on the development roadmap?

[symbolized_bar_code]

I could be wrong, but from my understanding it isnt possible based on the way the software works. Unlike DW where we are actually working on an html page, in Muse we are working with .muse files and the html is only produced at the very end. So Muse would need to be able to convert the website from existting html into a .muse file for us to edit.

[tar4heel2]

So why doesn't it do that?  So, I just spent 2 hours trying to figure out how to import my existing website only to learn here (and nowhere else) that I can't do it.  Why is this issue not at least explained somewhere in the software?????  This make Muse completely useless to me.  Now, several hours completely wasted because Adobe cannot communicate a basic limitation of it's software.  An obvious question about existing web sites is not even addressed anywhere in the training videos or documentation.

[symbolized_bar_code]

To my understanding it is how the program has to be built. To give us the wysiwyg capabilities, Muse is not working with any html or css. It is all generated at the very end when we export as html or publish. In order to import a site, Muse would need to be working with html/ css right from the start, but then we would lose the wysiwyg.

[Titus]

It'll be ok tar4heel2 Adobe did communicate the capabilities of Muse. It is software that does not require the user to fool around with code and was essentially developed for the designer The import and export capabilities in Muse are very well documented - including video tutorials. For example, Muse's relationship with Photoshop and Edge Animate content (thank you Muse Team for the ability to implement Edge content, I use it to make dynamic dropdown menus).

The lack of this functionality does not make muse completely useless, it just isn't the right tool for you. You can easily recreate your site in Muse. You may need Dreamweaver or a similar application because Muse's code is proprietary.  Muse was created to develop "new" websites by the designers themselves vs addressing existing websites that may be riddled with all sorts of code that Muse may or may not be able to even play nicely with. I do apologize if you did not have the pleasure to view all the tutorials, or even join some of Muse Jam sessions with Dani before you invested 2 hours trying to figure out how to import your existing website.

Moreover, if you have all the design files for your site, an ability in the upcoming Illustrator CC and Photoshop CC applications may enable you to take your designs and convert them to CSS for use in applications like Dreamweaver wherein, you can hand code (or export your site's code?) in to that tool. I'm not certain, but there are more than enough tools that can help you out there, and Adobe provides somes of the best in market.

Regards,

Titus

[andyl65987994]

Well said just done the same and even asked the question in the program's Help section. Thank you Google for find this page. I don't mind it does not do, it I will just stop the trial and go back to Komposer, just shame they did not make this fact clear before I started.

[Jim_Simon]

Muse would need to be able to convert the website from existting html into a .muse file for us to edit.

That is exactly what is needed and wanted here.  I'd love to create tablet and phone versions of my web site with just a click or two, but I don't want to recreate my entire site from scratch.  If Muse could open an existing site designed elsewhere, that'd be awesome!

[welchphoto]

Does this hold for a site created in Adobe GoLive?

[fenjas29325284]

@ welchphoto

You cannot GoLive sites transfer to Muse.

Fenja

[Ryadia_]

There is nothing to stop someone creating what they can with Mu and loading the HTML output into Dreamweaver or even the free KompoZer and adding existing HTML to it or editing the Mu HTML files that way. I just created a quick front page to see if it was responsive and edited it in Expression to tidy up what I couldn't find instruction for with Mu.

[sebrame]

I'm spending a lot of time recently recreating existing sites with Muse, and though it would be very nice to have direct HTML import capability, it's actually fairly easy doing this with Muse. I simply save the complete existing site on my computer, which gives me all of the images used in the site, then I either make a screen shot of the existing site as an onion skin background, or I just eyeball the placement of content to match the current site.

[riverratcreative]

I TOTALLY agree. Once you are comfortable with Muse, it is extremely simple to rebuild an existing site using it's current assets. I also use screenshots to help with the overall layout. Unless you're dealing with a client who has to have the site recreated pixel-perfect, you'll most likely take the opportunity to make some improvements and simplification.

[Ryadia_]

I know this is going to create havoc amongst dedicated Muse users but none the less I believe it has to be said. No... You cannot edit an existing HTML or PHP website with Muse. Apart from that, Muse has some very serious drawbacks that almost guarantee it will die a quiet death.

Muse is not a responsive editor. This is a serious problem because you cannot use Muse to build a website and still comply with Google's 21st of April 2015 algorithm that will penalize any site that is not mobile friendly. Muse cannot create responsive websites. My understanding of Muse and my brief look at it before deciding it was not for me is that it's reason for existence has not kept pace with to switch to HTML5 and CSS3. Both critical standards needed to build today's websites.

Muse exists to build a website without knowledge of any code or scripts. You can do this buy purchasing a (many are free now) template and adding your text and pictures to it. Responsive HTML5 templates might cost much more but Muse site templates are now selling for as low as $3 each.

I honestly believe that unless Adobe have a new version of Muse ready to release in the next few days, it will not be able to create a high ranking website after May 2015.. That may be OK for people prepared to build a site only desktops and notebooks can use but for the 45% (and growing) number users searching on Google and Bing who use hand held devices, any Muse site will not be offered to them in search results by at least Google and probably closely followed by Bing later this month.

That doesn't mean Adobe are not working on software that will be easy to use and produce responsive websites, it just means Muse may be dead and buried before it gets a fair chance at the market it is aimed at, if it isn't able to create responsive sites any time soon.. Sadly most of these responsive alternatives from Adobe are still in beta and not entirely capable of doing what they are eventually intended to do. There are quite a few apps offering responsive bases to work from. Muse can't use any of them.

My recommendation might not be what you want hear 'IrishWalsh' but if you can take the time to come to grips with Dreamweaver... Even using it in live or design mode (almost WYSIWYG) You'll build a responsive site that is compatible with the future. Even edit an existing site and make it responsive too with a little - maybe a lot of trouble. The Internet is no longer easy to build for. Those who want it to be will be limited to promoting their sites to computer users. If current trends continue, that will be less users rather than more. Its unclear if Google will read detachable screen notebooks as tablets or not but statistics point to the future being hand held, not desk bound.

[sebrame]

" you cannot use Muse to build a website and still comply with Google's 21st of April 2015 algorithm that will penalize any site that is not mobile friendly."

Absolutely untrue. Google will continue to recognize 3 methods of mobile site design -

Responsive Web Design

Dynamic Serving

Separate URLs

Adobe Muse utilizes the 'Seperate URL's' method, and therefore is totally compliant.

Mobile SEO — Webmaster's Mobile Guide

[Ryadia_]

Yes... I'll grant you that creating 3 (or more) separate websites (your description is URLs) will make a muse site function on set screen sizes and therefore be  viewable on mobile devices that have those screen sizes. "Mobile friendly" might mean something different to you than to me. Have you by any chance examined how many screen sizes you would need to build separate URLs for to be 100% mobile friendly?

If you include the various phone screens, and tablets sizes in common use today, your proposal of building separate URLs for each screen size moves you into the nightmare region to be "totally mobile compliant".

Matt Cutts (from Google) hasn't yet said how tolerant the new algo will be. All he's said is that it will work by deciding on the fly if the website will fit the screen size of the device making the query. This means if you use a new Apple wrist watch device to access a website, any Muse site not having a square format version URL, will not be shown... I could go on but I'm done justifying what I have to say. No one said you have to believe any of it.

[sebrame]

That is not at all what you said. You very specifically stated that "you cannot use Muse to build a website and still comply with Google's 21st of April 2015 algorithm that will penalize any site that is not mobile friendly." I was merely pointing out that this was not true - at all. I also provided a link to Google's own statement of the fact that it is not true. You were either lacking in the knowledge of what "Mobile friendly might mean" to Google, or you had seen the recent announcement that Google had issued, and decided to rewrite it.

You cannot fully construct a mobile friendly 'responsive' site without writing code. You can definitely construct a full mobile friendly site using the "Separate URLs" technique that Google recognizes fully - and you can do it much quicker with Adobe Muse. If you feel that you MUST use responsive design, or your client has bought into it after being told that it is the only 'mobile friendly' design technique that Google will recognize - then by all means, use it. If you have to lie in order to preserve your status in the industry,

There are pros and cons to each technique, but the most obvious 'con' to the 'Separate URL's' technique is the fact that it eliminates work for people who code. Unfortunately, this has spawned a lot of what happened in your initial post - either uninformed misinformation, or outright lying.

[Ryadia_]

Calling other posters liars is not just offensive, but against the rules of this forum. I suggest you apologize for using that language or risk being reported for using offensive language.

[sebrame]

"The Internet is no longer easy to build for."

Comparatively, with Adobe Muse it most certainly is!

[josepht52478389]

booo. i want to be able to maintain websites with muse that were created by others. i love muse but please make it more robust. it could use all those godaddy apps into a giant widget list and add alittle more photo control. and dont forget the "Import HTML" feature. id pay $30 a month and start a business fixing websites

[Irisvanheusdenphotography]

I created a website with Muse but since editted stuff directly in HTML to get some code in there (like the tracking code)  that helps the site to rank higher in Google searches.

How would I enter that info from within Muse?

cheers Henk

[fenjas29325284]

Where do I paste my tracking code from google analytics?

Fenja

[joelmorin]

fenjas29325284‌ please see https://helpx.adobe.com/muse/how-to/use-google-analytics.html

Joel