What is Squarespace?

Building a website takes time and dedication. But getting the important decisions right at the start of your journey can save you hours down the road.

One of the biggest choices you face is selecting the right platform. It’s the foundation of everything you’ll do online. There are plenty of website builders out there, but Squarespace remains one of the most popular—Squarespace currently powers more than 6 million websites worldwide.

But what is Squarespace? What does Squarespace do? And how can it help you bring your ideas to life?

What can you build with Squarespace?

Squarespace’s flexibility is one of its biggest strengths. You can use it to build almost any kind of website. Here are some examples of the most common types of websites built on Squarespace:

• Personal or resume websites

• Business websites

• Blogs and content websites

• Educational and online course websites

• Portfolio websites

• Ecommerce websites

• Event websites

• Food and restaurant websites

• Service provider websites

Squarespace also has tools for taking and managing payments, selling products and subscriptions, organizing experiences and events, and marketing, so you can add to your site over time and help it get discovered.

Key features and benefits of Squarespace

Squarespace is a user-friendly, all-in-one platform designed to make building a professional website as simple and convenient as possible. Whether you’re a beginner launching your first blog or a large company building a full-scale ecommerce operation, Squarespace has the functionality to match your needs.

Here’s a quick look at some of the key features Squarespace offers.

1. User-friendly, fully customizable design

Designing and building a website with Squarespace is straightforward enough for beginners but flexible enough for seasoned web designers.

Users can start from predesigned templates for different websites and goals. Or they can use Blueprint AI, Squarespace’s AI-powered website builder, to generate a website based on a description of their goals and a few guided design choices.

Once you've selected a template, you can make it your own with a drag-and-drop editor. The website editor has an extensive set of fonts, color palettes, page layouts, and effects to help you create something unique.

2. All-in-one platform

It takes a lot to build and run a successful website: hosting, a domain name, a website builder, a content management system (CMS), and SEO tools. Depending on your goals, you might also need email marketing, appointment scheduling, or online payment processing.

Squarespace offers all these features. Website hosting, building tools, a CMS, email marketing, payments, and SEO tools are all built into website subscriptions. With the other tools under the Squarespace umbrella, like Acuity Scheduling, you can add the functionality you need. 

Squarespace also offers 24/7 customer support, a community forum, Help Center, and this educational blog to help you get the most out of your account.

The benefit of an all-in-one platform is that you don’t need to juggle multiple services, worry about software conflicts, or deal with unexpected setup costs. With hosting, security, and updates all handled for you, it’s a reliable, low-maintenance option that saves you time and headaches so you can focus on building your brand.

3. UX-friendly, mobile-optimized design

More than half of website traffic comes from mobile devices, so your site needs to function well and look professional on any screen size. Every Squarespace website has built-in mobile optimization to ensure a smooth user experience. Whether a visitor is browsing on a phone, tablet, or laptop, your site will automatically adjust its layout and design to fit their screen. 

Beyond mobile-friendliness, Squarespace emphasizes clean layouts and clear navigation. When visitors can easily find what they’re looking for, they have a better overall experience, increasing the chances they’ll come back or become a customer.

4. Built-in SEO tools to boost visibility

Search engines are a great source of traffic for your website. The strategies involved in climbing the rankings are referred to as search engine optimization (SEO).

Squarespace comes with several built-in SEO tools to help search engines “read” and understand your site, to make it discoverable by your intended audience. 

In addition to integrations with search engine tools to track performance, you can also use AI SEO tools to scan your site for important missing SEO content. Once identified, you can generate SEO-friendly page titles and descriptions or image alt text. 

5. Simple, scalable content management

One of Squarespace core features is its CMS, which makes adding and organizing content simple. The CMS has predesigned page layouts and sections for common needs, like blogs, video libraries, service offerings, and portfolio pages. You can add as many pages as you want and organize them in an intuitive way with your header navigation menu.

You can also place a paywall to protect specific areas of your site. This way, you can create premium content or member-only sections that visitors must pay or provide an email address to access, giving you a new way to earn money from your work and build a community.

6. Ecommerce tools for all business models

On Squarespace, you can sell unlimited products and in multiple product categories at once: physical products, online courses, digital downloads, event tickets, and more. You can manage the whole sales process from your account, handling everything from product listings and inventory to secure payments and checkout.

For service providers, there are built-in tools for creating custom client proposals, creating and sending invoices, and keeping in touch with potential clients.

If you run a restaurant or salon, you can add Acuity Scheduling or third-party tools to take reservations and bookings. Customers can choose from available time slots, confirm their appointment, and make payment online.

You can also use third-party extensions that support business models like dropshipping and print on demand. That means you can sell custom-designed t-shirts and other merchandise, or your favorite dropshipping products by connecting to the platforms you already use.

7. Analytics for smarter strategy

Squarespace provides a built-in analytics dashboard where you can monitor your website’s performance. From traffic trends to sales data, you can see a clear overview of what’s working and where there’s room to improve. You can also connect your site to Google Analytics for even deeper insights.

With this level of visibility, it’s easier to refine your content, optimize your marketing efforts, and make better-informed decisions to help your site and business grow.

8. Extensions library and custom code

If you want to go beyond Squarespace’s core features, you can tap into Squarespace Extensions to integrate a variety of third-party tools. These extensions help you add extra functionality to your site or connect with tools you already use every day.

Some of the capabilities you can add include:

• Large-scale ecommerce fulfillment tools

• Social commerce on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

• Website translation and localization

• Live chat support

• Accounting and financial management

For users with coding experience or those working with a professional web designer, developers can inject custom code to introduce bespoke features or fine-tune design elements. This gives you the power to create a truly unique, tailored website experience.

Pricing and plans

Squarespace offers a variety of plans to suit all needs and budgets. Each plan includes all the essential features, including a custom domain, website editor, and invoicing and payment processing. Plans on higher tiers offer extra ecommerce tools and lower transaction fees.

You can also expand your site’s capabilities by purchasing optional add-ons tailored to specific needs. For example, every subscription comes with a few free email marketing campaigns. But you can add Squarespace Email Campaigns if email marketing is a regular need for your brand or business.

Prices vary by location, currency, and whether you're on a monthly or annual plan. For the most up-to-date details, visit the Squarespace pricing page.