Creating subdomains

A subdomain is an extension of a domain name that forwards to a site. The most common subdomain is "www," as in www.yourdomain.com. However, you can also use a domain like blog.yourdomain.com, where the subdomain is "blog."

For Squarespace 5, you can't map a subdomain to a specific page within your site. All linked root domains and subdomains will resolve to the domain you have set as the primary domain for your account. 

Note: Updating subdomains requires accessing the DNS settings for your domain. Squarespace doesn't provide support for making custom changes to DNS settings for Squarespace 5. You should only attempt to create subdomains if you have experience with this type of advanced modification.

Before you begin

• You'll need a custom domain to set up a subdomain. The domain can either be a custom domain you registered with Squarespace, or one you purchased through a third-party provider. For third-party providers, ensure they offer Full DNS services. Examples include GoDaddy, Network Solutions, or Dotster.
• You don't need to connect your regular domain to your site to connect a subdomain. For example, you should connect blog.site.com by following this guide, but you don't need to connect site.com first.

Squarespace-managed domains

If you registered your custom domain through Squarespace:

1. Access your Advanced DNS settings.
2. Within your DNS settings, open the Name Servers/DNS tab.  
3. Click Modify DNS Zone.
4. Under CNAME, click Add Record.
5. Add the subdomain into the subdomain field. Under Hostname, add ext5-sq.squarespace.com.
6. Click Save DNS Zone.

Third-party domains

If you purchased your domain through a third party, log into your domain provider's site and find where you manage DNS settings. Depending on your provider, this may be called Zone File Settings, Manage Domains, Domain Manager, DNS Manager, or something similar. If you're not sure where to add records, contact the provider hosting your domain for help.

To create a subdomain, add a CNAME record using these values:

Replace XXXX with your preferred subdomain, such as "blog."

Once you've added the CNAME, link the subdomain to your site:

1. Log into your Squarespace 5 site.
2. Open the Website Management bar and click Custom Domain under Structure.
3. Click Link Domain.
4. Enter the full URL of your subdomain.
5. Click Add.

Enabling or hiding the www

For any root domain that you've set as primary, you can choose if the “www” subdomain displays without accessing DNS Settings:

1. Log into your site.
2. In the Website Management bar, click Custom Domain under Structure.
3. Hover over your domain and click Toggle WWW.

Note: The Toggle WWW option isn't available for subdomains you've added.