How To Transfer WordPress Site to Squarespace

Why Consider Switching from WordPress to Squarespace?

Moving from WordPress to Squarespace is the right choice if you want a website that’s simple to build, easy to manage, and ready to launch quickly, etc. Here are some of the Squarespace strengths you can expect:

User-Friendly

If you decide to migrate to Squarespace, one of the first things you’ll notice is how user-friendly it is compared to WordPress. Although WordPress supports third-party builders like Elementor or Divi, these tools are often heavy on resources and come with extra costs for advanced features. Squarespace, on the other hand, includes a built-in drag-and-drop editor at no additional charge. Adding pages, images, videos, and text is effortless, no coding required. Even beginners can launch a polished, professional website quickly and with confidence.

All-in-one Pricing

When you migrate to Squarespace, you move away from the unpredictable costs of WordPress hosting, plugins, and premium themes. Squarespace plan includes hosting, SSL, templates, and support in a single subscription, giving you clarity and control over your budget.

Built-in eCommerce Fatures

For businesses ready to sell online, switching to Squarespace makes e-commerce simple. Squarespace integrates tools for listing products, managing inventory, processing payments, tracking orders, and more without the need to install third-party plugins that can weigh down your site and cost you a lot of money for additional features.

If you want to run a streamlined online store after you migrate to Squarespace, you’ll find it equipped to handle both physical and digital products with ease, making it a strong alternative to WordPress and WooCommerce.

Modern, Professional Templates

One of the biggest design perks when you migrate to Squarespace is access to its modern, mobile-optimized templates.

With a wide range of customizable templates, businesses that migrate to Squarespace can quickly create a site that reflects their identity, without hiring a designer or buying premium WordPress themes.

Automatic Updates & Security

If you’ve ever worried about WordPress updates or plugin vulnerabilities, migrating to Squarespace removes that stress. Squarespace automatically handles updates, security patches, and SSL certificates in the background.

Once you migrate to Squarespace, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing your website is protected, backed up, and always running on the latest version without needing to lift a finger.

Great Customizability

Even though it’s beginner-friendly, businesses that migrate to Squarespace can still enjoy a high level of customizability. You can tweak layouts, integrate apps, and even add custom CSS for advanced design control. This balance between ease of use and flexibility makes migrating to Squarespace appealing to a wide range of users, from beginners to more experienced website owners who still want creative freedom without technical maintenance.

Compared to WordPress, getting started with Squarespace is much easier, especially if you don’t have technical experience. The platform not only simplifies editing but also takes care of hosting, site speed, and performance optimization for you. Overall, Squarespace is an excellent choice for users who want a low-maintenance, beginner-friendly website solution.

Summary, choose Squarespace if you:

• Want a website that’s quick to set up and easy to manage without technical skills.
• Prefer an all-in-one platform with hosting, security, and design tools included.
• Need professional, mobile-ready templates that look great out of the box.
• Plan to sell products or services online with built-in ecommerce features.
• Value predictable, transparent pricing with no hidden costs.
• Don’t want to worry about updates, backups, or plugin conflicts.
• Are ready to migrate to Squarespace for a simpler, more reliable website solution.

How to Move from WordPress to Squarespace: Step-by-Step

To ensure a safe, accurate, and data-integrity-free migration from WordPress to Squarespace, prepare the following:

• Admin access to both your WordPress and Squarespace sites. If you don’t have a Squarespace site yet, set it up before starting the migration.
• A Laptop/PC with a browser and a stable internet connection.
• Up-to-date, error-free versions of WordPress (WordPress 3.2 or later) and Squarespace to avoid issues during data extraction and import.

Once everything is ready, follow these 5 main steps to switch from WordPress to Squarespace:

• Step 1: Export WordPress Data
• Step 2: Import WordPress Data into Squarespace
• Step 3: Import Products Data into Squarespace
• Step 4: Set Up Your Domain & Set Up 301 Redirects
• Step 5: Polish, Launch & Cancel Old Site

Let’s go through the details step by step:

Step 1: Export WordPress Data

Take time to clean up old data on your WordPress site before migrating. Check for duplicate pages, outdated blog posts, unused categories, or content that no longer supports your business goals. Delete anything irrelevant and reorganize what remains. The cleaner your data, the smoother the migration will be. Keep auditing until your site is streamlined, relevant, and well-structured.

Export WordPress Content (XML)

To export WordPress data to an xml file:

• Log into your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to Tools → Export.
• Choose “All content” to export posts, pages, custom post types, comments, categories, tags, and media.
• Alternatively, filter by specific content types if you only want to migrate certain elements.
• Click Download Export File to generate a .xml file to your Laptop/PC.

This XML file contains your site’s core content and is required for importing into Squarespace. Tips for verification:

• Open the .xml file in a text editor to confirm it isn’t empty and that content entries (titles, posts, etc.) appear in the file.
• Check the file size, if it’s unusually small, some content may not have been included.
• Keep a backup copy in case you need to re-import.

Export WooCommerce Products (CSV)

If your site includes an online store, your eCommerce data must be exported separately. to export WooCommerce data to an CSV file:

• Log into your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to Products → All Products.
• Click Export.
• Select the product fields you want to include (e.g., SKUs, titles, descriptions, prices, stock status, and images).
• Download the export as a .csv file.

This CSV file provides the structured catalog data needed to correctly import your products into Squarespace. Tips for verification:

• Open the .csv in Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet tool to confirm that product rows and fields are correctly formatted.
• Ensure critical fields like SKU, product name, price, and stock are filled in for every product.
• Watch out for special characters (quotes, commas) that could break formatting.
• Save an untouched backup of the CSV before making edits.

With your export files ready, you can now move on to Step 2: Import WordPress Data into Squarespace.

Step 2: Import WordPress Data into Squarespace

After exporting your WordPress data, the next step is to migrate your content into Squarespace:

• Start by creating a free Squarespace trial account, then choose a template that aligns with your brand identity or business goals. Don’t worry too much about perfection at this stage, templates can be customized later. (Optional, skip if you have already prepared your Squarespace site before)

How to Import WordPress XML into Squarespace

To import your WordPress data via XML file into Squarespace:

• Step 1: In your Squarespace dashboard, go to Settings → Advanced → Import & Export Content Panel.
• Step 2: Click Import.
• Step 3: Select WordPress, then choose the Advanced import option.
• Step 4: Upload your WordPress .xml file by click Add a File, or drag your .xml file into the XML Export Upload box
• Step 5: Click Begin Import.

A “Success” message will appear after the import completes.

⚠️ Note: The import process can take several minutes, depending on the size of your WordPress site. Avoid closing your browser or refreshing the page until the import is fully complete. Once finished, your migrated content will appear under the Not Linked section of your Squarespace site, including pages, posts, and media.

What to Expect After Importing

Squarespace won’t fully replicate WordPress plugins, custom features, or page builder designs. Some manual cleanup and optimization will be necessary to ensure your site looks professional and functions smoothly:

• Reformat layouts and adjust page structures to fit Squarespace’s styling system.
• Re-enter SEO metadata (titles, descriptions, canonical tags) since this data not transfer.
• Check media content, replace, or re-link any missing images, files, or attachments.
• Audit internal links to confirm all navigation and cross-links work properly.
• Optimize headings and formatting so content matches the typography and hierarchy of your chosen Squarespace template.
• Test on mobile to confirm that formatting, images, and layouts adapt correctly.

With your WordPress content imported, the next step is to bring over your store data in Step 3: Import Products Data into Squarespace.

Step 3: Import Products Data into Squarespace

Once your main site content is migrated via XML, the next step is to bring your WooCommerce product catalog into Squarespace Commerce. This ensures your online store remains functional, organized, and visually consistent with your new site design.

How to Import WooCommerce Products into Squarespace

• (Optional, skip if you have prepared a csv file) Log into your WooCommerce dashboard → Go to Products → All Products, then click Export to generate a .csv file.
• Enable Squarespace Commerce if it isn’t already active.
• Navigate to Commerce → Inventory → Import.
• Click Download CSV Template to get the exact formatting Squarespace requires.
• Open your WooCommerce CSV and carefully map product data into the Squarespace format, including: Product Name, Price, Description, SKU, Image URLs, Stock, and Availability.

⚠️ Important: Use direct image URLs (hosted links) so Squarespace can fetch and display your product images properly during import. If images are missing, you may need to upload them manually.

After Importing the CSV

Once your products are imported, take time to review your data and optimize WooCommerce product page:

• Check listings to confirm all products display correctly.
• Verify images, pricing, and inventory match your WooCommerce data.
• Polish descriptions for formatting and SEO: Add headings, keywords, and clear product details.
• Add SEO metadata (titles, meta descriptions, alt text for images) to improve search visibility.
• Organize products into categories and tags for better filtering and navigation.
• Test the checkout process to confirm your store is fully functional.

Quick Troubleshooting

• CSV won’t upload? Check for formatting issues, compare your file to the Squarespace CSV template.
• Products missing? Make sure all required fields (Name, Price, SKU) are filled in.
• Images not showing? Confirm the image URLs are public and direct.
• Data looks broken? Open your CSV in Excel/Google Sheets to ensure rows and columns are aligned.

With your products successfully imported, the next step is Step 4: Set Up Your Domain & Configure 301 Redirects.

Step 4: Set Up Your Domain & Set Up 301 Redirects

Once your content and products have been successfully migrated, the next critical step is to connect or transfer your domain and implement 301 redirects to protect your existing SEO rankings and ensure a smooth transition for visitors.

Option 1: Transfer Your Domain to Squarespace

If your domain is currently registered with a third-party provider, you can transfer it directly into Squarespace for centralized management of your domain, DNS, and billing.

To transfer a domain:

• In your current domain registrar, unlock the domain and request the authorization (EPP) code.
• In Squarespace, go to Settings → Domains → Use a Domain I Own → Transfer to Squarespace.
• Enter your domain name, input the authorization code, and follow the prompts to complete the transfer.

⚠️ Note: Not all domains are eligible for transfer due to certain extensions (.co.uk, .au, etc.) or registrar restrictions. Transfers can also take up to 15 days depending on your provider. If your domain isn’t eligible or you prefer faster setup, connecting it manually is a reliable alternative.

Option 2: Connect a Third-Party Domain

If you’d rather keep your domain with your existing registrar, you can simply connect it to Squarespace. This option is faster (usually within 24–48 hours) and avoids moving billing or ownership. To connect a domain:

• Log into your domain registrar account and access DNS settings.
• Update the domain records:
  • Point your domain to Squarespace’s nameservers, or
  • Update A and CNAME records as provided in Squarespace’s instructions.
• In Squarespace, go to Settings → Domains → Connect Domain, then follow the guided setup.

Set Up 301 Redirects to Preserve SEO

To prevent broken links and protect your SEO performance:

• Identify URL changes between WordPress and Squarespace (e.g., WordPress: /blog/post-title vs. Squarespace: /post-title).
• In Squarespace, go to Settings → Advanced → URL Mappings.
• Add redirects using the format: /old-url → /new-url 301
• Save and test each redirect to confirm it points users and search engines to the correct page.

✅ Best Practice: Keep your WordPress site live until the Squarespace site is fully launched and indexed. This avoids downtime, lets you test redirects thoroughly, and ensures a smoother transition for visitors.

Quick Troubleshooting

• Domain not connecting? Check if DNS changes have fully propagated (can take up to 48 hours).
• Transfer stuck? Confirm the domain is unlocked and the authorization code is correct.
• SSL not working? Enable “Secure” in Squarespace domain settings and allow time for certificate activation.
• Redirects failing? Double-check URL formatting and ensure you’ve used the correct 301 syntax.

With your domain connected and redirects in place, you’re ready for Step 5: Polish, Launch & Cancel Old Site.

Step 5: Polish, Launch & Cancel Old Site

Now that your content, products, and domain are in place, it’s time to finalize your Squarespace website, launch it publicly, and wrap up your old WordPress setup. This step ensures your new site looks professional, functions smoothly, and avoids SEO or hosting conflicts.

Perform a Final Site Audit Before Launch

Before going live, carefully review your site from both a design and technical perspective:

• Design & Layout: Adjust spacing, fonts, and styles so everything aligns with your brand identity.
• Navigation: Check that all menus, buttons, and internal links work properly for a seamless user journey.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Test on multiple devices (phone, tablet, desktop) to confirm consistent formatting.
• SEO & Metadata: Transfer important data from WordPress plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, including: SEO titles and meta descriptions, Canonical URLs, Alt text for images, Open Graph and social sharing settings
• Content Accuracy: Proofread pages, check for broken links, and confirm all images display correctly.

Upgrade Squarespace Plan and Remove Site Restrictions

To launch your site publicly:

• Select a Squarespace plan that covers your needs (eCommerce, analytics, advanced marketing tools, etc.).
  • (Optional) Not sure which plan to choose? Read our Squarespace plan reviews and recommendations.
• Remove site privacy or password protection: Go to Settings → Site Availability and switch from Private to Public.
• Test checkout (if applicable): Run a test transaction to confirm your store is ready for customers.

Cancel Your Old WordPress Hosting

Once your Squarespace site is live and your 301 redirects are working properly:

• Cancel your WordPress hosting plan to prevent duplicate sites, unnecessary costs, and SEO conflicts.
• Keep a final backup of your WordPress files, database, and export files. This gives you a safety net in case you need access to old data later.

A successful migration from WordPress to Squarespace involves more than just moving data. By following these five steps—export, import, migrate products, move your domain, then polish & launch—you can achieve a clean, professional transition. However, handling large datasets, formatting CSVs, and managing redirects can be challenging. If you’d rather save time and reduce risk, consider working with LitExtension’s migration experts to handle the process securely and accurately.