You can register one domain name through Squarespace if you’re on a Yearly or Bi-yearly Squarespace 5 plan. Although you can no longer create new Squarespace 5 sites, any existing sites on these plans are eligible for a domain, in addition to third-party domains you've connected to your site.
Unlike Squarespace 7, you can't purchase more domains directly through Squarespace 5. If you're on a monthly plan, or if you're on a yearly plan but need another domain, register it with a third-party provider and connect it to your site.
This guide shows you how to register a Squarespace domain for Squarespace 5 sites.
Limitations
- Domain names that are already taken can't be registered.
- Premium domains can't be registered with Squarespace. Also known as after-market, pre-registered, or secondary-market domains, premium domains are domains that were previously registered and put back on the market for resale.
- Squarespace domains can have between 3 and 63 characters. Keep in mind that shorter domain names are easier to remember.
- You can't register a custom domain with Squarespace if the domain name has the word "Squarespace" in it.
- Domains can't be registered separately from a Squarespace account.
- Domains with special characters (such as ü, é, or ñ) may not display properly on all browsers. If a browser can’t display the character, it will reformat the domain with extra characters and dashes. For example, the domain “übercool.de,” redirects to "xn--bercool-m2a.de” in unsupported browsers.
Full DNS Control and Whois Privacy
- All Squarespace domains come with full DNS control. You can map your domain wherever you want or transfer it to a different provider.
- We provide free Whois privacy to protect your personal information. With most registrars, domain privacy is a paid service. With Squarespace, domain privacy is included.
Step 1 - Update your Member Information
Adding your first and last name to your Member Information prevents lagging issues when you confirm registration for your domain (in Step 3).
To update your Member Information:
- Log into your Squarespace 5 site.
- Open the Website Management bar and click Member Accounts under Members & Access.
- Click your login name.
- Scroll down to Member Information. Add your first and last name, and any other contact information you want to include.
- Click Save Changes.
Step 2 - Open Custom Domains
In your Website Management bar, click Custom Domain in the Structure section. Then click Register Free Domain.
Enter the domain name you want to register in the URL field. Then click Check Availability to see if it's available.
Use the drop-down menu on the right to choose different domain extensions.
Step 3 - Complete registration
Once you've found an available domain, click Register This Domain. Click Confirm Registration to complete the registration process.
Step 4 - Congratulations
Congratulations! You just registered a Squarespace domain.
The domain should now be in your Custom Domain area, along with a notification confirming that your domain is in the process of resolving. Most domains resolve within an hour, although it may take up to 72 hours to process.
An icon displays while your domain is in process of resolving. Once your domain has fully resolved, the icon automatically disappears.
To check the status of your domain, hover over the domain and click Visit.
Once your domain resolves, your site will direct to your custom domain and display the domain URL in the browser bar.
To choose whether the display format for your domain shows the www subdomain, hover over your domain and click Toggle WWW.
Squarespace doesn't host email, but you can have an email associated with your domain with Google Workspace. To learn more, visit Setting up Google Workspace.
Next steps and important information
- You can rename any domain within five days of registering it. Domain names can't be changed after this five-day grace period.
- If you’re leaving Squarespace, you can transfer your domain to another provider after 60 days.
- The www and non-www versions of your domain are automatically linked. When you type your domain name into your browser without the "www," you'll be taken to your site, but the "www" will appear in the address bar.
- To move domains between Squarespace sites, contact us.
Moving to Squarespace 7
If you registered your domain on Squarespace 5 and want to use it on Squarespace 7, open a ticket and our Customer Care team will move your domain to your new site.
Note: On Squarespace 7, you can purchase additional domains through Squarespace for $20 to $70 per year. To learn more, visit Registering Squarespace domains on the Squarespace 7 help site.
FAQ
For a list of common questions on Squarespace domains, visit Squarespace domains FAQ.