The Ultimate Guide to Squarespace Templates
Where to start, how to choose a template, and other resources.
Introduction: What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a web publishing platform that gives people the tools they need to create and manage their own websites. Squarespace provides everything you need to design and launch a website and host it securely.
If you are looking to DIY a website, you can use Squarespace’s drag-and-drop features, fonts, color palette, and built-in image library to customize your site. Squarespace also provides its users with an easy-to-use blogging platform and a simple e-commerce system.
Users pay Squarespace a monthly or annual hosting fee.
What is a Squarespace Template?
A Squarespace template is essentially a “starter website” that contains styling, pages, and page layouts so all you need to do is add in your own branding, copywriting, and images. These templates are designed to help you visualize what your finished site will look like and how it will function.
Squarespace templates are designed to be responsive, which means that content will be resized and rearranged automatically depending on the size of your screen. Unlike some other website builders, you only have to build your site once for all screen sizes, instead of twice - once for desktop users and once for mobile users.
But templates work a little differently in the different versions of Squarespace.
Squarespace 7.0 vs 7.1
If you have been learning about Squarespace, you may have seen some content related to Squarespace 7.0 and other content related to the newest version, Squarespace 7.1. Although these versions sound similar in name, they are quite different.
Squarespace 7.0 was the primary platform from 2014 until early 2020. It was made up of “template families,” each with different layout and feature options. Some of the most popular template families in Squarespace 7.0 were Skye (for bloggers), Pacific (text overlays and a scrolling full-bleed index page), Bedford (great for nonprofits and small businesses), and Brine (for any brand or company). You can learn more about these template families here and see how the feature sets differed among template families. Squarespace 7.0 also included “developer mode” allowing developers access to change the base code for truly customized websites.
In January 2020, Squarespace rolled out 7.1 as the default builder with a renewed focus on design and usability. Site styles are much easier to use and apply, and site builds are typically faster in 7.1 than on Squarespace 7.0. In 7.1 there are no longer template families. Each starting template on Squarespace 7.1 offers the same layouts and features, so they are all essentially part of the same template family. And they are interchangeable - you can turn any Squarespace 7.1 template into any other, so you don’t have to worry as much about the starting point as you did in Squarespace 7.0.
If you aren’t sure which version of Squarespace your website is on, you can log into your website then click Help on the left sidebar. You’ll see the version of Squarespace and, if you are on 7.0, you’ll also see which template family you are using.
→ Pro tip: You can still start a website on the “old” Squarespace 7.0 platform. Not all of the templates and families are still available, but you can find the ones that are here.
Changing from one template in Squarespace 7.0 to another
If you aren’t ready to rebuild your site on the newest version of the platform, you can still make changes to your template in the old 7.0 version. You may want to do this if you are on one of the oldest template families like York that doesn’t handle SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as well as one of the newest template families like Brine.
You’ll install the new template on your existing site and work with it in preview mode until you are ready to make it live. Squarespace has a complete guide to changing templates in 7.0 here.
Changing from a Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 template
Unfortunately, there is no automatic migration path from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1. You would need to rebuild your website from scratch to move to the newest verison of the platform.
→ Pro tip: Fortunately, there are some workarounds to port over certain page types and blogs using a third-party plugin which can speed up your rebuild considerably.
Squarespace has said they plan to support version 7.0 indefinitely, but looking back at previous versions of Squarespace, those are no longer getting updates. They also start looking and feeling outdated after a year or two. If you are planning a redesign or major overhaul for your website, I’d recommend rebuilding your site in the newest version to have access to Squarespace’s most up-to-date features. If you are just making small changes and are happy with your website, you can likely stick with 7.0 a while longer.
Hosting is paid per specific website, rather than per Squarespace account. So if you do want to move over to the newest version, you’ll need to set up hosting for a new 7.1 site under your Squarespace account. You can do this when your free trial expires (typically 2 weeks) or you are ready to launch your site, whichever comes first. If you are rebuilding your site on 7.1, you may be eligible for a pro-rated refund on your 7.0 hosting when you cancel your old website. You can reach out to Squarespace support for more information. If you are considering a premium Squarespace template, many of those come with a 20% first-year hosting discount.
Basic vs. Premium Squarespace Templates
It’s important to choose the right starting template for your needs. Squarespace offers built-in templates that are free, but the vast majority of those templates aren’t strategically designed for a particular business type or audience. They are simply built to look nice. This is a major stumbling block for many website DIYers who start on Squarespace. If you do start with a free basic Squarespace template, I wrote about a few things to consider (and pitfalls to avoid) in my post on How to Choose a Squarespace Template.
It can be frustrating to understand how to create a site that fits your business and your audience from a basic free template. That’s where premium Squarespace templates come in. You can find Squarespace templates to buy from many Squarespace Experts and Authorized Trainers. These premium templates for purchase are custom-built for a particular industry or business type and are strategically designed for a great user experience and to drive conversions. All you have to do is swap out the text, images, and branding to make it your own.
Another reason to choose a premium template is that there are fewer people using a specific premium template than a basic Squarespace template. So if you stick with the basic template, you will likely see a lot of sites that look just like yours. If you purchase a premium template, your site is much more likely to stand out from the crowd.
I offer premium Squarespace templates for purchase in my shop and I also have a curated guide to premium Squarespace templates in a recent blog post listing other third-party Squarespace template shops that provide excellent value.
→ Pro tip: When choosing a premium template, it’s important to consider if the template is pre-installed for you or if you will be following videos to create it yourself. Also, some template shops deliver their templates immediately upon purchase, while others require you to wait up to 48 hours for installation. If you’d like to get started as quickly as possible, consider purchasing a pre-installed template with immediate delivery like I offer in my shop. ;)
→ Visit my premium Squarespace template shop.
→ Or start with a Basic Squarespace template here by clicking Get Started to select your template. Or choose the Blank Template option for a plain canvas.
How to Choose the Best Squarespace Template for Your Needs
For any basic or premium Squarespace template, you can view a full demo site to preview all the available pages. When considering which template to start with you’ll want to consider:
Look and feel. Does the template match the vibe of your brand? You’ll be able to change fonts and colors, but think about the overall feel. For example, is it modern and minimal or feminine and busy?
Pages. Does the template contain layouts for most of the pages you’ll need on your website?
Page layouts. Within each page, is it clear where you’ll put your text and images? For example, if there is a services page, will your services “fit'“ the layout of the page?
Strategy. Does the template contain a user flow? Are there purposeful calls to action (CTA) to guide the user on their journey through your website to the end goal you want (booking a call, signing up for your email list, etc.)? Or are they left hanging on each page?
Cost. Are you at a point in your business where you could consider investing in a paid strategic template? These are typically in the $150 - $600 range. If not, you can get started with one of the free basic templates and rebuild on a premium template later if you want to spruce things up later.
Time. Are you pressed for time? A premium, pre-installed template with immediate delivery can jumpstart your DIY website and pay for itself in time saved.
How to Customize Your Squarespace Template
Whether you start with a basic or premium Squarespace template, you can customize your website to fit your brand. Squarespace is specifically designed to be flexible and easy to use. Here are some examples of items you can change easily within Squarespace:
Fonts. Choose from among 600 Google fonts and 1,000 Adobe Fonts to make your site stand out.
Colors. Customize your website color palette. You can select a pre-made palette, upload an image to auto-generate a palette based on its colors, or manually change the colors to match your brand.
Logo. You can add your own branded logo instead of the text site title.
Pages. Add or delete pages, then drag and drop in the Pages menu to rearrange the pages in your navigation.
Page layouts. Within a page, add or remove sections. You can also duplicate sections within a page and move them up or down. Some sections are special types for galleries or lists, others allow you to add and move blocks. Create a new page quickly using Squarespace’s prebuilt page layouts.
Section styles. Give individual sections their own styling by choosing a specific section color theme.
To customize your template styles, go to the Pages menu, click on a page to edit, then click the paintbrush in the upper right to start changing fonts and colors. For other changes, simply click to edit any section or block on the page you’d like to change. For more detailed instructions on customizing your template, you can check out the Squarespace Knowledge Base.
Push the Boundaries
If you’d like to add some extra style or function to your website, you can! Squarespace allows you to add Custom CSS and JavaScript (depending on your hosting plan) to your website. But you don’t have to be a coder yourself… there are some great places to find code snippets you can just copy and paste into your website. Some of my favorite code snippets (free and paid) can be found at:
The Ghost Company. A huge library of free plugins and also a great collection of super plugins to level up your site.
Will Myers. Offers a great introduction to CSS course as well as free code snippets and paid plugins. I use his Split Layout plugin a lot!
SQSP Themes. My go-to plugins for leveling up my blog with their sidebar and related posts plugins.
Beatriz Caraballo. Her blog is chock full of free code snippets and she offers a membership as well.
Get Started
Squarespace offers a free 14-day trial for you to test out the platform with no risk. Play around with a free basic template during the trial to get the hang of how it all works, then consider purchasing a premium third-party template so you can launch your site fast. Not ready to subscribe when your trial expires? Contact Squarespace support and they will extend your trial for you!
