Wix to Squarespace Migration

How to Switch from Wix to Squarespace

Moving from Wix to Squarespace gives you more design options and features, but the transition needs careful planning. Transferring your site data can be challenging, as it requires step-by-step migration and final checks. This guide shows you how to move from Wix to Squarespace with confidence.

When planning a move from Wix to Squarespace, the process may seem complex at first. However, once broken into clear steps, it becomes straightforward. The key stages of the migration from Wix to Squarespace include:

• Step 1: Build Your New Squarespace Site
• Step 2: Export Data from Wix
• Step 3: Import Data into Squarespace
• Step 4: Move Your Domain from Wix to Squarespace
• Step 5: Review and Cancel Wix Service

To ensure a smooth and accurate move from Wix to Squarespace, make sure you have the following prepared:

• Admin access to both your Wix and Squarespace accounts. If you don’t have a Squarespace site yet, create one before starting.
• A laptop or desktop computer with a reliable internet connection. Network interruptions during migration can cause data loss or errors.
• Updated, error-free versions of your Wix and Squarespace sites to minimize issues during data export and import.

Step 1: Build Your New Squarespace Site

When setting up a Squarespace site for the first time, one of the key differences from Wix is its more structured design system. While it takes some adjustment, this approach ensures your site looks clean and professional from the start:

• Sign Up and Choose a Template: Start by creating a Squarespace account and selecting a template. This defines your site’s overall look and feel. Whether you want brand consistency, a fresh style, or a clean and functional layout, Squarespace provides strong starting points.
• Customize and Structure Your Site: Let’s keep it simple, once your data is migrated, move on to customization. Rebuild your site hierarchy (Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact) in the Pages panel, then add what matters most, like galleries, blogs, forms, or e-commerce features. Spend a little time learning the block editor and Site Styles to make design adjustments faster and easier.
• Design and Responsiveness: Squarespace’s section-based editor is easy to work with after some practice. Always review your site in mobile preview, as this small step greatly improves the visitor experience.

Step 2: Export Data from Wix

This stage is often the most challenging. Wix doesn’t provide a simple export option, so you’ll need to handle content piece by piece:

• Blog Posts (via RSS Feed): Add /blog-feed.xml to your Wix site URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com/blog-feed.xml). Save the XML file—it includes text, titles, and dates, but not images or comments. For easier viewing, you can convert it using an RSS-to-CSV tool.
• Images and Media: Use Wix Media Manager to download your images individually. Organize them into folders on your computer to keep everything structured. Create folders for each product and blog detail to ensure images are stored properly before uploading to Squarespace.
• Page Text Content: Copy text manually from each page and save it in Google Docs (I recommend Google docs because it’s free and can be shared with teams). Alternatively, for a faster method, go to the Multilingual section in Wix, click “…” (More Actions) next to the language you want to export, then select Export Content to download a CSV file.
• Form Data (Contacts & Submissions): Export contacts as a CSV file from the Wix Dashboard. Form submissions can also be downloaded, but note that only the entries transfer—not the form layouts.

For detailed instructions, please check How to Export a Wix Website written by our Wix experts.

Step 3: Import Data into Squarespace

This is the stage where your new site begins to take shape. While it can feel like piecing together a puzzle, it’s also the most rewarding part of the migration:

• Import Text Content: Open each page in the Pages panel and paste your saved text into Text Blocks. Reapply headings, links, and emphasis using Squarespace’s formatting tools. Use to clean up formatting before pasting text into Squarespace.
• Upload Images and Media: Use Image or Gallery Blocks to place visuals where needed. Recreate galleries by uploading from the organized folders you prepared earlier. Pay attention to image naming to optimize SEO.
• Rebuild Blog Posts: On your Blog page, click Add Post and enter titles, content, and publish dates. Upload images separately, and when possible, match URLs and SEO settings to your old posts to make redirects more valid and easier.
• Recreate Forms: Add new Form Blocks and configure fields to mirror your original forms. Connect them to your preferred storage option, such as email, Google Sheets, or Squarespace’s built-in storage.

Step 4: Move Your Domain from Wix to Squarespace

This is the step that feels the most “official.” Once your domain points to your new site, it’s live for the world to see. The method you choose depends on where your domain is currently registered:

• Option A: Transfer Domain from Wix to Squarespace: Unlock your domain in Wix and request the authorization (EPP) code. In Squarespace, go to Settings > Domains > Use a domain I own and enter the code. The transfer can take anywhere from a few hours to 7 days.
• Option B: Connect a Domain via Third-Party Registrar: Keep your domain with your registrar but update DNS records to point to Squarespace. Changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate. Plan this update during quieter traffic hours to avoid downtime headaches.

Step 5: Review and Cancel Wix Service

By now, your Squarespace site should be fully functional. Before leaving Wix, take time to carefully review every page, form, and blog post to confirm nothing is missing or misplaced. If you might need old data later, download a final backup from Wix for safekeeping.

Once everything checks out, cancel your Wix premium subscription in the Billing & Payments section. Note that your old site may revert to a free Wix version with ads until the end of your billing cycle. If you’re certain you won’t use Wix again, you can also permanently close your account.

Migrating from Wix to Squarespace takes effort, especially with the manual data transfer, but the payoff is a more structured, flexible, and professional website.