Squarespace 7.1 is the newest version of Squarespace, designed to be more streamlined and intuitive, and with more options for adding and styling content. It's not currently possible to migrate directly to Squarespace 7.1, but if you don't mind moving your content manually, you can move to version 7.1 by starting a new trial.
This guide reviews the content you can manually move to Squarespace 7.1 and walks you through setting up a new site. If you get stuck at any point, contact our Customer Support team for help.
Tip: For hands-on help migrating your site, hire a Squarespace Expert. Click Get Matched to answer a few questions about what you need, and ensure you select Site Migration as your project type.
Should I move to Squarespace 7.1 or 7.0?
We released Squarespace version 7.1 in early 2020. While we still support version 7.0, version 7.1 has an improved editing experience and more flexibility. For example, you can add page sections and banner images to any page, enable site-wide animations, use auto-layouts to arrange sets of content, create section-specific styles, and use Fluid Engine, our latest content editing experience.
It's not currently possible to migrate directly to Squarespace 7.1, so if you need to import a large amount of content from your Squarespace 5 site, such as many blog posts, you may want to move to Squarespace 7.0 instead. While not as new as version 7.1, version 7.0 is still newer than Squarespace 5 and includes an option for importing Squarespace 5 content.
If you're able to move your content manually, however, we do recommend you choose version 7.1.
1 - Start a version 7.1 trial
We offer a 14-day free trial so you can try Squarespace 7.1 before moving your site. To create a trial, visit our template store and click Preview on any design to visit its demo site. All templates in version 7.1 have the same features, so you can choose any one you like.
When you find a template you like, click Start With…, then follow the prompts to create a new account or log into an existing account.
- To start a Squarespace 7.1 trial you'll create a new account, rather than logging in with your Squarespace 5 credentials. You can use the same email address for both accounts.
- If you already have a Squarespace 7.0 or 7.1 account, use the same email address and password you used previously. This adds your new trial site to a menu you can use to switch between sites.
By default, your new site is private, and not visible to search engines or visitors. You'll make it public when your site is ready and you select a billing plan, at the end of this guide.
Note: By signing up for a free trial, you agree to our Terms of Service.
Get to know version 7.1
Squarespace 7.1 has a different interface than Squarespace 5. When you log into your site, your website appears on the right, and a panel with the Home menu appears on the left. Your website will have some pre-populated demo content, which you'll replace with your own content later on.
Tip: If you don't see the left panel after logging in, click the expand arrow in the top-right corner of your site.
Your Home menu looks something like this:
The left panel is where you make all the changes to your site's structure and style. When you click an option in the Home menu, it opens in the left panel. To get back to the Home menu, double-click the navigation arrow above any panel.
2 - Add your content and customize your site
Copy and paste content from your Squarespace 5 site, or add new content.
Design your header
- To add a site title or logo, click Edit in the top-left corner of your site preview, then click Edit site header.
- Create a navigation menu from pages on your site, and use folders to create drop-down menus.
- Visit Building a site header to learn how to change your header's design.
Add content to pages
Add text and images to any page:
- To add text, click any existing text area, or add a new text block.
- To add images, use an image block, gallery section, or gallery block (for blog posts).
To add new pages, click the + icon in the main navigation of the Pages menu. You can also click any demo page to edit it and replace the demo content with your own. When you add a new page, you can choose from the following options:
- Layout - Use sections and blocks to create custom layouts of text, images, audio, forms, and more
- Blog - Create a blog and populate it with posts
- Events - Add a calendar or list of events
- Portfolio - Link to sub-pages from a stylized landing page
- Store - Sell products from your site
- Folder - Create drop-down menus in your navigation
- Link - Link to external content or filtered content from your site
Tip: If you're downloading content from File Storage Squarespace 5, you can bulk-download files with a third-party software or browser extensions like DownloadThemAll (Firefox) or Chrono Download Manager (Chrome). Keep in mind, third-party services fall outside of the scope of Squarespace support.
Set your site's fonts and colors
On Squarespace 7.1, the equivalent of Style Mode is the Design panel. You can make most major style changes to your site by changing fonts and colors:
- Site-wide fonts - In the Home menu, click Design, then click Fonts. Click a font pack to apply it to your site. To learn more, visit Changing fonts.
- Site-wide colors - In the Home menu, click Design, then click Colors. Click Edit next to Color Palette, then choose a new palette. To learn more, visit Changing colors.
To make specific sections or pages stand out from the rest of the site, style individual page sections by clicking the pencil icon to open section styles. Section styles override any site-wide styles.
Change your built-in domain (optional)
Your Squarespace 5 and Squarespace 7.1 sites each have a built-in domain, a URL that includes an account name (site ID) and ends in .squarespace.com, like this: accountname.squarespace.com.
The account name in the built-in domain is a unique identifier, and you can't use it on more than one site. To use your Squarespace 5 account name for the built-in domain on your Squarespace 7.1 site, first change your Squarespace 5 account name. For convenience, we recommend adding -old to the end, as shown in the screenshot below.
After saving changes on your Squarespace 5 site, you can change the built-in domain on your Squarespace 7.1 site.
Note: Changing your account name changes how you log into your Squarespace 5 site. In the example screenshot below, you'd now use youraccountname-old to log in.
3 - Set up URL formats and redirects
To transition to your new site seamlessly, it's important to set up your site's URLs. This prevents your visitors from encountering dead links and "page not found" error messages.
Note: If you have a custom domain, the URLs won't work until you've moved the domain to your new site.
- To learn how to update your URL slugs (the part of the URL after your root domain), visit URL slugs. This guide teaches you how to set your default blog post URL format, so that all your new blog posts can have the same format that they had on your Squarespace 5 site.
- To forward visitors away from pages that don't exist to pages that do exist, set up 301 redirects.
- Create a custom 404 error page for visitors who might find a dead link.
301 redirects and SEO
Redirects are a key way to keep your site search engine optimized through the transition to a new content management system. Although moving a site to a new platform might cause a temporary dip in search ranking, setting up redirects is the best way to reduce the effect of the migration. To learn more, visit Maintaining your SEO ranking after moving to Squarespace.
4 - Make your site public
When you're ready to upgrade your new site to active billing, click Upgrade Now in the banner at the bottom of the screen. We recommend reviewing the different plan options before upgrading to ensure you choose a plan that has the features and number of contributors you'll need. To learn more, visit Upgrading to paid service and Choosing the right Squarespace plan.
Note: If you registered a free custom domain on your Squarespace 5 site, you'll need to upgrade to an annual plan for the domain to remain free.
5 - Move your custom domain
If your Squarespace 5 site has a custom domain, you can move it to your new Squarespace 7.1 site. How you move the domain depends whether you registered it with a third party, like GoDaddy, or if you registered a free domain through Squarespace.
Move a third-party domain
If you have a domain from another provider connected to your Squarespace 5 site:
- Log into your Squarespace 5 site and click Website Management, then click Custom Domain.
- Hover over your domain name and click Unlink. For more help, visit Disconnecting a domain.
- After the domain is unlinked, follow our steps to connect it to your new site.
Move a Squarespace domain
If you registered a custom domain through us on Squarespace 5, first ensure you have an email set in your Squarespace 5 administrator account:
- Log into your Squarespace 5 site.
- In the Website Management bar, click Member Accounts, then click your name.
- In the Member Information section, ensure the email shown in the Email field is correct.
- Click Save Changes.
Next, contact us and we'll move the domain to your new Squarespace 7.1 site. Include the following information:
- Subject: Move domain from 5 to 7.1
- The custom domain (Example: www.yoursite.com)
- The Squarespace URL for your original Squarespace 5 site (Example: yoursite.squarespace.com)
- The Squarespace URL for your new Squarespace 7.1 site (Example: yourothersite.squarespace.com)
- The full name and last four digits on the credit card(s) used to pay for each site
After contacting us, you might receive a domain verification request email. Follow the steps in that email to verify the domain.
6 - Cancel Squarespace 5 billing
Note: If you have sub-accounts, reach out to our Customer Support team for help with this step.
Once you're ready to exclusively use your Squarespace 7.1 site, you can cancel your Squarespace 5 site to avoid paying for two sites simultaneously.
To cancel, follow the steps in Canceling and deleting a site. If you have an annual or bi-annual plan, also follow the steps for removing your account to receive a prorated refund for unused time.
Next steps
Congratulations, your Squarespace 7.1 site is now live! We hope you're starting to feel comfortable with the new interface, and we encourage you to explore our Help site to learn about all the new features you have available.
While you're editing your site, you can also press the / or ? key to search for a panel, setting, or help guide. Visit our shortcuts guide for more tips.
Here's a cheat sheet of terms to help you learn the new interface:
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Squarespace 5 feature |
Squarespace 7.1 equivalent |
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Account Center |
Billing & Account panel |
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Architecture |
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Blog Importer |
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Content Mode |
Click Edit on any page |
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File Storage |
Different areas depending on the file |
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Insert Script |
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Journal |
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Member Accounts |
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Picture Galleries |
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Preview Mode |
Click the expand arrow |
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Social Profiles |
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Statistics |
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Structure Mode |
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Style Mode |
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URL Shortcuts |
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Website Management Bar |
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Widgets |