How to Publish a Website on Squarespace

This article will walk through the full process of launching a Squarespace website, covering account setup, domain connection, plan selection, pre-launch checks, and best practices to ensure a smooth and successful publication. I’ll also include a conclusion and SEO fields at the end.

Please hold on while I write the full article.

How to Publish a Website on Squarespace

Publishing a website on Squarespace is a straightforward process, but there are a few essential steps to take before you go live. Whether you're building a personal blog, a local business site, or a full ecommerce store, Squarespace offers all the tools needed to design and launch a polished, mobile-responsive website. However, hitting “Publish” involves more than just clicking a button. It requires choosing a plan, connecting a domain, checking your settings, and making sure everything looks and functions as expected. This guide will walk you through the full process so you can confidently publish your Squarespace website and share it with the world.

Build Your Site in Trial Mode

When you first sign up for Squarespace, you’ll be placed in trial mode. This gives you access to all the design tools and features for 14 days without needing to commit to a plan. During this time, you can choose a template, build your pages, add content, tweak your fonts and colours, and get a feel for how your site will look. The site will be accessible through a temporary Squarespace domain, but it will not be visible to the public. Use this time to make sure your navigation is clear, your images are optimised, and your text is free of errors.

Choose a Paid Plan

To publish your site and make it visible to the public, you need to upgrade to a paid Squarespace plan. There are several to choose from, including Personal, Business, and Commerce plans. For a simple portfolio or brochure-style site, the Personal plan is usually sufficient. If you want marketing tools, custom code, or ecommerce functionality, the Business or Commerce plans are more appropriate. You can view pricing in GBP, and Squarespace offers monthly or annual billing. Annual plans are typically more cost-effective and include a free domain for the first year.

Connect or Register a Domain

Once you’ve selected your plan, the next step is to connect a domain. You can either register a new domain directly through Squarespace or connect a domain you already own. If you’re registering a new domain, Squarespace will guide you through the process during checkout. For existing domains purchased through providers like GoDaddy, 123 Reg, or Google Domains, you’ll need to update your DNS settings so the domain points to your Squarespace site. The platform provides clear step-by-step instructions for most domain registrars. It can take up to 48 hours for domain changes to fully propagate, although it’s usually much quicker.

Review Your Site Settings Before Publishing

Before publishing your site, take time to review key settings. Head to the Settings menu to check your site title, description, SEO settings, social links, and favicon. Set up your navigation menus properly, check your page URLs for clarity, and ensure your homepage is set correctly. If your site includes a blog, review your post metadata and make sure categories and tags are in place. If you're using built-in analytics or connecting GA4, make sure tracking codes are added correctly. For ecommerce sites, double-check payment methods, shipping settings, and product pages.

Disable Site Password Protection

During the build phase, Squarespace protects your site with a default password so that only people with the link can view it. To remove this and make your site live, go to Settings > Site Availability and select “Public.” If you're working on your site in private and want to restrict access while you finalise details, you can leave password protection enabled. Once you're ready to publish, setting your site to public will make it accessible to anyone who visits your domain.

Connect Social Accounts and SEO Tools

To maximise your reach after publishing, connect your social media accounts under Settings > Social Links. This allows you to auto-publish blog posts and add sharing buttons. You should also set up integrations with SEO tools such as Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Squarespace allows you to add meta titles and descriptions for every page, which is essential for search visibility. If you're using Squarespace’s built-in analytics, you can also see traffic trends, popular content, and referrers once your site is live.

Test Your Site on Desktop and Mobile

Before going live, preview your site on both desktop and mobile views. Squarespace templates are responsive, but it’s still important to check that all elements look good and function properly on smaller screens. Make sure images scale correctly, navigation is accessible, and forms work as expected. Test all links, contact forms, and ecommerce features thoroughly. It’s also a good idea to ask someone else to review the site and provide feedback. A fresh pair of eyes can often catch things you’ve missed.

Hit Publish and Go Live

Once all checks are complete, your domain is connected, and your settings are in order, you’re ready to publish. If you've set the site availability to Public and connected your domain correctly, your site will go live automatically. There’s no special “publish” button in Squarespace—going live simply means removing password protection and pointing your domain to your finished site. You can continue to make updates and improvements at any time after launch, as changes go live instantly once saved.

Post-Publish Essentials

After publishing, continue monitoring your site’s performance. Use Squarespace Analytics or connect GA4 for more detailed data. If you’re running a business, consider enabling Squarespace Email Campaigns to reach visitors and customers with newsletters or updates. Keep your site fresh by regularly updating content, adding blog posts, and adjusting SEO settings as needed. Make a backup of your site content and review your contact form responses and ecommerce orders regularly.

Conclusion

Publishing your Squarespace website is an exciting milestone, but it's important to get the setup right. From choosing a plan and connecting a domain to reviewing settings and testing on mobile, every step plays a part in how your site performs after launch. Squarespace makes the process simple and intuitive, but a thorough pre-launch check ensures you go live with confidence. Once your site is public, you’ll have full control to update content, track performance, and grow your online presence. Whether you’re building for business or passion, launching your site is just the beginning of your digital journey.