Squarespace to WordPress Migration: What to Know Before You Switch

Squarespace is a solid platform. It handles hosting, design and updates in one place and for a lot of small businesses, that simplicity is exactly what they need. But some businesses reach a point where they need more flexible page templates, a deeper content structure, custom integrations or more control over hosting and development. That is when WordPress starts to make sense.

This guide covers what Squarespace can and cannot export, what needs to be rebuilt manually, how to protect your URLs and SEO during the switch and how to handle the domain and DNS cutover. If you want the full picture of choosing the right website platform, our web design pillar guide covers everything. This article focuses specifically on the Squarespace to WordPress path.

The Straight Answer: Squarespace Exports Content, Not the Complete Website

Squarespace can generate an XML file designed for WordPress imports. But it only exports supported content types. The website's visual design, template styling, custom CSS and many platform specific features do not transfer as a complete WordPress theme.

The migration normally involves:

1. Auditing the existing Squarespace site

2. Exporting supported content (layout pages, one blog, text and image blocks)

3. Creating a new WordPress site on staging

4. Importing the XML and reviewing every imported page

5. Rebuilding unsupported content (portfolios, stores, galleries, forms, custom features)

6. Recreating or redesigning the visual system in WordPress

7. Mapping old Squarespace URLs to new WordPress URLs

8. Creating 301 redirects for any changed URLs

9. Rebuilding forms, tracking and integrations

10. Moving the domain or updating DNS records

11. Monitoring SEO and enquiries after launch

You are not converting a Squarespace template into a WordPress theme. You are rebuilding the website in WordPress while using the export to assist with content migration.

Is It Worth Switching From Squarespace to WordPress?

This should be a business decision, not a platform preference. The key question: what specific business problem will WordPress solve that Squarespace cannot solve efficiently? If the answer is just "WordPress seems more professional", that is not a strong enough reason to migrate.

Switching may make sense when

• The content library is becoming larger or more complex than Squarespace handles well

• The business needs custom content types or more flexible page templates

• SEO landing pages, service pages or location pages need a structure Squarespace does not support easily

• The site needs advanced integrations or custom functionality

• The business wants control over hosting and development

• The existing Squarespace structure has become difficult to scale

• A major redesign is already planned (combining the platform switch reduces disruption)

Staying on Squarespace may make more sense when

• The site is small, simple and performing well

• The business values simple all in one management

• Updates are infrequent and the site mainly acts as a brochure or portfolio

• The existing templates meet the business's needs

• There is no meaningful functionality or content limitation

• The business does not want to manage hosting, plugins and updates

For a broader comparison, see our guide on WordPress vs Webflow vs Shopify vs Custom. And if you are weighing whether WordPress itself is the right call, our guide on whether WordPress makes sense for your business covers the trade offs.

Squarespace vs WordPress: What Changes After the Move?

Neither column is automatically better. Squarespace prioritises convenience. WordPress prioritises flexibility and ownership. If you are new to the concept, our plain English guide to what a CMS is explains the basics.

What Can You Export From Squarespace?

Squarespace allows an active, published site to export certain content into a WordPress format XML file. The supported export typically includes layout pages, one primary blog and its posts, text blocks, image blocks, some tags and categories and some comments.

What Does Not Export Properly?

Squarespace lists several items that do not export through its WordPress XML process. In practice, the WordPress team will need to manually rebuild:

• Navigation menus and dropdown structures

• Page templates, site wide headers and footers

• Galleries and portfolio layouts

• Forms, booking systems and member areas

• Product layouts and ecommerce workflows

• Video and audio sections

• Custom styling and CSS behaviour

• Popups and announcement bars

• Newsletter integrations and automations

• Additional blogs beyond the one exported

• Index pages, cover pages and calendar pages

The export gives you a head start on text content. Everything else, design, features, forms, integrations, needs to be planned and rebuilt.

Before You Export Anything, Audit the Squarespace Site

Record every live URL

Create a spreadsheet of every page: homepage, service pages, product pages, location pages, blog posts, portfolio pages, contact page, landing pages, policy pages and confirmation pages. Columns should include old URL, page title, page type organic traffic, ranking queries, backlinks, conversions, migration action, proposed WordPress URL and redirect decision.

Export your SEO and performance data

Pull data from Google Search Console, GA4 and any backlink tools. Identify top organic landing pages, pages generating enquiries, pages with backlinks and pages ranking for important terms. Use our meta title and description checker to review your existing metadata before deciding what to preserve and what to rewrite.

Save all content and media separately

Do not rely only on the XML export. Save page copy, blog content, images, videos, downloadable files, metadata, testimonials, product information, portfolio descriptions, form fields and legal content. Squarespace recommends copying or downloading text and images separately before deleting a site and its documentation notes that image migration can be incomplete depending on the WordPress import method.

Capture screenshots of the current website

Take desktop and mobile screenshots of the header, navigation, homepage, service pages, blog templates, portfolio layouts, contact forms, footer, ecommerce pages and popups. These become your reference after the Squarespace site is disconnected.

How to Migrate From Squarespace to WordPress

Step 1: Decide what to keep, improve, merge or remove

Keep pages that rank well, generate leads or have backlinks. Improve pages that need clearer copy, better CTAs or stronger mobile UX. Merge pages that overlap or compete. Remove pages with no traffic, no backlinks and no strategic purpose. Every removed page still needs a redirect decision.

Step 2: Set up the new WordPress environment

Build the WordPress site privately before touching the live Squarespace domain. Choose suitable hosting with an Australian server option, staging environment, SSL, automatic backups, caching and security. The staging site should be blocked from search engine indexing during development. For hosting options, see our Australian web hosting comparison.

Step 3: Plan the new sitemap and URL structure

Do not blindly reproduce every Squarespace page. Plan the WordPress structure around priority services, customer intent, SEO opportunities, conversion pathways and content growth. Keep existing URLs unchanged wherever they are sensible and already performing.

Step 4: Export the Squarespace content

In Squarespace, open the Import and Export Content panel, choose Export, select the WordPress option, select the primary blog if more than one exists and download the XML file. The site must be active and publicly accessible for the export to work.

Step 5: Import the XML into WordPress

WordPress provides a Squarespace importer that processes the XML file. It may import posts, pages, comments, tags and media, but some images may fail to transfer and may need to be uploaded manually. After importing, review every page for formatting, images, internal links, metadata and publish dates.

Step 6: Rebuild unsupported pages and features

Manually recreate portfolio templates, galleries, navigation, forms, store layouts, video sections, audio content, index style pages, announcement bars, custom CSS behaviour and integrations. Document the functionality, not just the appearance. A booking form may also send an email, create a calendar event, add a CRM contact and redirect to a confirmation page. All of those behaviours need to be rebuilt and tested.

Step 7: Recreate or redesign the visual system

Squarespace styling does not export as a WordPress theme. Your options are: recreate the existing design closely (best when the brand and layout still work), improve the design during migration (best when mobile UX or conversion paths are weak) or start with a complete redesign (best when the site structure is no longer fit for purpose).

If you are investing in a redesign alongside the migration, try our website cost estimator to understand what a project like this typically involves.

Step 8: Rebuild forms, tracking and integrations

Recreate contact forms, quote forms, booking forms, newsletter signups, confirmation pages, automated emails and CRM integrations. Test validation, mobile completion, notification delivery, spam protection, GA4 events and Google Ads conversions. Track successful submissions, not just button clicks. For help setting up analytics, see our guide to GA4 setup for small business.

What if the Squarespace Site Has an Online Store?

Squarespace Commerce products can be exported to CSV (up to 10,000 products). However, the export omits customer reviews, featured images, product image alt text, additional product information and variant images.

Product migration typically includes titles, descriptions, prices, SKUs, basic variants, inventory fields and categories. Additional work is needed for product images, variant images, customer reviews, subscriptions orders, customer accounts, discount codes, taxes, shipping rules and payment gateways.

Moving Squarespace Commerce to WooCommerce is a data and operations project, not just a page migration. Budget and plan accordingly.

How to Protect SEO When Moving From Squarespace to WordPress

This is where most migrations go wrong. For the full SEO preservation process, see our website migration SEO checklist.

Preserve URLs wherever possible

If an existing Squarespace URL is clear and performing well, keep it unchanged in WordPress. This avoids unnecessary redirects and reduces migration complexity.

Check Squarespace blog URL patterns

Squarespace blog URLs often use a structure like /blog/article name. WordPress can be configured to use a matching permalink pattern. WordPress.com's Squarespace migration guidance shows how to set up a /blog/%postname% structure to preserve existing blog URLs. This only matters if the current blog URLs have traffic or backlinks worth protecting.

Build a full redirect map

Every important old URL should have a planned destination. Use permanent server side redirects (301) for permanent URL changes. Google recommends mapping old URLs to relevant new destinations rather than redirecting everything to the homepage, which can be treated as a soft 404.

Preserve on page SEO elements

Review title tags, meta descriptions, H1s, subheadings, content depth, image alt text, internal links, canonical tags, structured data and indexability. Preserve what works and improve what is weak. Do not shorten valuable pages just to make the redesign feel cleaner.

Submit the new sitemap and monitor indexing

After launch, confirm the sitemap contains only live, indexable URLs. Submit it in Google Search Console, inspect priority pages and monitor for indexing errors. Make sure canonical tags reference the live domain and HTTPS, not the staging site.

Do You Need to Transfer the Domain Away From Squarespace?

Not necessarily. Moving the website and transferring the domain registration are separate tasks.

Option 1: Keep the domain registered with Squarespace. Update the DNS records to point to the new WordPress host. The domain stays managed at Squarespace while the site runs elsewhere.

Option 2: Transfer the domain to another registrar. Squarespace allows eligible domains to be unlocked and transferred using an authentication code. The transfer can take up to 15 days and Squarespace notes that transferring the domain does not move the website hosting or automatically cancel the Squarespace subscription.

The Safest Squarespace to WordPress Launch Process

1. Complete the WordPress build on staging. No unfinished live site development.

2. Crawl and QA every important page: content, links, images, forms, metadata.

3. Confirm all media is stored in WordPress, not still loading from Squarespace.

4. Prepare all redirect rules before cutover.

5. Test forms, phone links and conversion tracking on staging.

6. Back up the final WordPress build.

7. Record existing DNS and email settings.

8. Point the domain to the WordPress host. Preserve MX records for email.

9. Enable SSL and remove all staging restrictions (noindex, password protection).

10. Crawl the live site immediately.

11. Submit the XML sitemap in Search Console.

12. Monitor Search Console, GA4, forms and enquiries.

13. Keep Squarespace active until the migration is fully confirmed.

Use our website launch checklist to make sure nothing gets missed during cutover.

How Long Does a Squarespace to WordPress Migration Take?

Factors that extend the timeline include redesigning at the same time, multiple Squarespace blogs, portfolio content, ecommerce, large media libraries, content rewriting, URL changes and slow approvals. Budget for ongoing WordPress maintenance costs before committing to the switch.

What to Monitor After Switching to WordPress

First 24 hours

Homepage and core pages load. SSL works. Forms submit and arrive. Phone links are clickable. Analytics fires. Important redirects resolve. Email still works. No staging references remain.

First week

Search Console indexing. 404 errors reviewed. Redirect issues flagged. Organic landing pages appearing. Form submissions recorded. Mobile speed acceptable. No WordPress errors.

First month

Organic clicks and impressions compared to baseline. Priority ranking changes. Enquiry volume. Conversion rate. Page indexing progress. Core Web Vitals. Missing redirects caught. Lead quality consistent.

Some search fluctuation is normal during a migration. A severe or sustained drop should be investigated quickly.

Common Squarespace to WordPress Migration Mistakes

• Assuming the whole site exports. The XML covers supported content types only. Portfolios, stores, forms and styling all need separate handling.

• Expecting the Squarespace design to transfer. Templates and custom CSS do not export. The visual system must be recreated in WordPress.

• Forgetting that only one blog exports. If the Squarespace site has multiple blogs, only one can be included in the XML export.

• Deactivating Squarespace before checking images. If imported images are still loading from Squarespace URLs and the subscription is cancelled, those images break.

• Changing every URL unnecessarily. If a URL is clear, relevant and performing well, keep it. Fewer URL changes means fewer redirects and less SEO risk.

• Redirecting everything to the homepage. Mass homepage redirects can be treated as soft 404s by Google. Redirect each page to its most relevant equivalent.

• Losing metadata and headings. Title tags, H1s and meta descriptions should be reviewed and preserved as part of the content migration.

• Breaking business email during the DNS change. Email runs on MX records. If those are changed or deleted during the domain cutover, business email stops working.

• Leaving WordPress on noindex after launch. Staging protection must be removed at launch. This single mistake can make the entire site invisible to search engines.

• Ignoring ongoing WordPress maintenance. WordPress needs hosting, updates, backups, security and plugin management. Plan for the ongoing cost, not just the migration cost.

Squarespace to WordPress Migration Checklist

Before migration

• Clarify why the business is moving (what limitation does WordPress solve?)

• Inventory all Squarespace URLs in a spreadsheet

• Export Search Console and GA4 data

• Identify high value pages (traffic, backlinks, enquiries)

• Save all content, images and media separately from the XML export

• Document all features, forms and integrations

• Choose WordPress hosting

• Plan the new sitemap and URL structure

• Create the full URL redirect map

• Record domain and DNS access details

During migration

• Export the Squarespace XML

• Import supported content into WordPress

• Confirm all images are stored locally in WordPress

• Rebuild unsupported content (portfolios, galleries, forms, store)

• Recreate or redesign templates

• Migrate products separately via CSV if ecommerce

• Rebuild forms and test every submission path

• Preserve title tags, meta descriptions and headings

• Configure GA4 and conversion tracking

• Prepare all redirect rules

• Test everything on staging

Before launch

• Crawl the WordPress staging site for errors

• Confirm indexability settings are correct (no leftover noindex)

• Check canonical tags point to the live domain

• Test forms, phone links and email notifications

• Verify DNS records including email MX records

• Test all redirects

• Create a full backup

• Prepare rollback steps

After launch

• Crawl the live site

• Submit the XML sitemap in Search Console

• Inspect priority URLs

• Monitor 404 errors daily for the first week

• Check organic traffic and impressions

• Monitor enquiry volume and lead quality

• Test mobile speed

• Review WordPress updates and backups

• Keep Squarespace active until migration is fully confirmed

What We Recommend at Elev8d

Squarespace remains a strong option for businesses that need a polished brochure site, a portfolio, simple ecommerce, low maintenance or occasional content updates. WordPress becomes the better option when the business needs more flexible page templates, deeper content architecture, advanced integrations, custom functionality or scalable SEO content systems.

But WordPress introduces hosting, maintenance and plugin responsibilities that Squarespace handles within the platform. The migration is worthwhile when that extra control creates real business value, not just a more impressive sounding platform name.

If you have done both a Wix to WordPress migration comparison and this Squarespace guide and are still unsure which platform is right, our website platform comparison tool can help you compare the options side by side.

FAQs

Can I export my Squarespace website to WordPress?

Partially. Squarespace can export an XML file containing layout pages, one blog, text blocks and image blocks. The design, forms, portfolios, store and custom features do not export and need to be rebuilt.

Does the Squarespace design transfer to WordPress?

No. The visual design, template styling and custom CSS do not export. The design needs to be recreated or redesigned in WordPress using a theme, block system or custom code.

What Squarespace content does not export?

Additional blogs beyond the first, portfolio pages, store pages, index pages, calendar pages, audio and video blocks, style settings, custom CSS, forms, navigation menus and page specific headers and footers.

Will moving from Squarespace to WordPress hurt SEO?

It can if the migration is not planned. Preserving URLs, setting up redirects, maintaining on page SEO elements and monitoring indexing after launch are all essential. A well planned migration should protect existing rankings.

Can I keep the same domain?

Yes. A Squarespace to WordPress migration does not require changing the domain. You are changing where the domain points, not the domain itself.

How long does a Squarespace to WordPress migration take?

A simple brochure site might take 2 to 4 weeks. A service site with a blog might take 4 to 7 weeks. Portfolio or ecommerce sites can take 5 to 12+ weeks depending on complexity.

Can Squarespace products be imported into WooCommerce?

Squarespace products can be exported to CSV, which can be imported into WooCommerce. But product images, variant images, customer reviews orders and customer accounts need separate handling.

Is WordPress better than Squarespace for SEO?

WordPress offers more control over URL structure, page templates, schema and content types. But WordPress does not automatically rank better. Good SEO depends on content, structure, speed and backlinks, not just the platform. If SEO is a key driver for the migration, our SEO guide for Melbourne businesses explains how platform choice fits into the bigger picture.

When should I stay on Squarespace?

When the site is small, working well and the business does not need advanced integrations, custom development or a content heavy SEO strategy. If there is no genuine limitation to solve, migration adds cost and risk without clear benefit.

Next Steps: Pick Your Path

• Decided to migrate? Start with the audit checklist above. Document every URL, export performance data and save all content before touching the Squarespace site.

• Still deciding? Ask what specific limitation WordPress solves. If the answer is vague, the migration may not be necessary yet.

• Need help with the rebuild? Talk to Elev8d about whether the switch is worthwhile and how to protect your content, URLs and search visibility during the move. Our custom web design Melbourne team handles platform migrations with full SEO planning and post launch monitoring.

Sources and Further Reading

• Squarespace Support - Export Content - Squarespace documentation on exporting content to WordPress XML

• Squarespace Support - Transfer a Domain - Squarespace domain transfer process and requirements

• Google Search Central - Site Moves - Google's guidance on site moves and permanent redirects

• Australian Cyber Security Centre - Security basics for small businesses including WordPress hosting and access control

• OAIC - Australian Privacy Principles - Privacy requirements for businesses collecting personal information through website forms

General information only. Rules vary by situation, particularly around advertising claims, privacy, reviews and consumer law. If you are unsure about compliance, get professional advice.