How to Migrate from WordPress to Squarespace (DIY Method)
You’ve decided to leave WordPress. Maybe you’re tired of managing plugin conflicts, chasing security patches, or paying a developer every time something breaks. Squarespace offers a cleaner, all-in-one alternative, and the migration is more manageable than most guides make it sound.
This article covers exactly what you need:
- What to prepare before you start
- How to export your WordPress content
- How to import into Squarespace correctly
- How to protect your SEO during the switch
- What gets transferred automatically and what you’ll need to rebuild manually
- Common mistakes that cost rankings, and how to avoid them
Keep your WordPress site live throughout this process. Do not cancel hosting or take the site down until your Squarespace site is fully published and your domain has propagated.
What to Prepare Before You Migrate
Before touching either platform, spend an hour on preparation. This is the step most people skip, and it’s where most SEO damage happens.
Step 1: Audit and Map Your Current URLs
Open a spreadsheet and list every URL on your WordPress site: pages, blog posts, category archives, tag pages, and any custom post types. This spreadsheet becomes your redirect map. Every old WordPress URL will need a 301 redirect pointing to its new Squarespace equivalent. Without this map, you will create broken links and lose link equity built over years.
Pay special attention to your highest-traffic pages. Pull a 90-day report from Google Search Console, sort by clicks, and flag your top 20 URLs. These are non-negotiable to redirect correctly.
Step 2: Back Up Your WordPress Site
Export a full backup before doing anything else. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Tools > Export and select “All content.” Download the XML file and store it somewhere safe.
If you use a hosting-level backup tool such as UpdraftPlus or your host’s own backup system, run one of those as well. The XML export covers your content. The full backup protects your database, theme files, and plugin settings in case you need to roll back.
Step 3: Clean Up Before You Transfer
A migration is the best time to cut dead weight. Review your content inventory and remove pages that are thin, outdated, or receive zero traffic. Migrating low-quality content transfers the problem to a new platform; it doesn’t fix it.
Specifically, look for: duplicate posts, draft pages that were never published, broken media embeds, and any plugin-generated content that Squarespace cannot replicate.
What Can (and Cannot) Be Transferred
Understanding this upfront saves a lot of frustration.
| Content Type |
Can Transfer |
Notes |
| Blog posts |
Yes |
Via XML import |
| Static pages (text) |
Yes |
Via XML import |
| Images (inline) |
Partially |
Some may need manual re-upload |
| Categories and tags |
Yes |
Imported as tags in Squarespace |
| Comments |
No |
Squarespace uses a different comment system |
| WordPress theme / design |
No |
Must be recreated manually |
| Plugin functionality |
No |
Find Squarespace-native equivalents |
| Custom post types |
No |
Must be rebuilt as pages or blogs |
| Forms and form data |
No |
Recreate using Squarespace’s form block |
| WooCommerce products |
No |
Manual entry or CSV upload required |
| URL structure |
No |
Set up 301 redirects post-import |
The design gap is where most people underestimate the work involved. Your WordPress theme, including layout, colors, fonts, custom CSS, and sidebar widgets, does not transfer. You are starting fresh visually, which is actually the right approach. Most people switching to Squarespace are doing so precisely because they want a cleaner, easier-to-manage design.
How to Migrate from WordPress to Squarespace: 6 Steps
Step 1: Export Your WordPress Content
In your WordPress admin, navigate to Tools > Export. Select “All content” to include posts, pages, custom fields, terms, navigation menus, and custom comments. Click “Download Export File.”
The result is an XML file. This is the file Squarespace will import.
One important technical note: disable all WordPress plugins before exporting. Active plugins can inject their own data into the XML file, which interferes with Squarespace’s importer and causes the import to fail or produce garbled content. Deactivate plugins first, then run the export.
Step 2: Create Your Squarespace Account and Choose a Template
Go to Squarespace.com and start a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required. You can complete the entire migration during the trial period before committing.
When choosing a template, do not spend too long here. In Squarespace 7.1 (the current version), all templates have access to the same features and customization options. The template is a starting point, not a constraint. Choose one that roughly matches the layout type you want (portfolio, blog, business, service-based) and move on.
If you plan to hire a designer or purchase a premium template, that decision can come later. For now, pick a template that lets you focus on importing and verifying content.
Step 3: Import Your WordPress XML File into Squarespace
In your Squarespace dashboard, go to Settings > Website > Import and Export Content. Click “Import,” then select “WordPress.”
Upload the XML file you exported in Step 1. Squarespace will process the file and import your blog posts and pages. For most sites, this takes a few minutes.
What imports correctly: blog posts with their text content, featured images (where hosted directly on WordPress), categories, and tags.
What does not import correctly: page layouts, custom blocks, shortcode-generated content, and gallery pages. These will appear as raw text or be missing entirely. You will need to rebuild these pages manually inside Squarespace’s editor.
After the import completes, go through every imported page and post. Check that text is intact, images appear, and formatting is clean. Paste-over errors from HTML tags are common, particularly with headers and blockquotes.
Step 4: Rebuild Your Design and Static Pages
This is the most time-intensive part of the migration, but it is also the part where Squarespace genuinely shines. The drag-and-drop editor is significantly easier to use than WordPress’s block editor or Gutenberg for non-technical users.
Work through these in order:
- Home page: Recreate your hero section, value proposition, and primary CTA. Use Squarespace sections to build the layout without touching code.
- Navigation: Set up your main menu and footer links. Check that every page in the menu has been created or imported.
- Key landing pages: About, services, contact, and any page that drives conversions. These are too important to leave as placeholder text.
- Blog index: Confirm your imported posts appear correctly in the blog feed, with correct publish dates, categories, and featured images.
- Forms: Squarespace has a native form block. Recreate any contact forms, lead capture forms, or newsletter sign-up forms here. Connect them to your email marketing platform using Squarespace’s integrations (Mailchimp, Mailerlite, and others are supported natively).
Step 5: Set Up URL Redirects to Protect Your SEO
This is the single most important SEO action in the entire migration. Get this wrong and you will lose rankings.
WordPress and Squarespace use different URL structures. A blog post that lived at /2023/04/your-post-title/ on WordPress will have a different URL on Squarespace. Without a redirect, anyone clicking an old link from Google or another website reaches a 404 error. Google interprets mass 404s during a migration as a signal to downrank your content.
In Squarespace, go to Settings > Advanced > URL Mappings. Here you can write 301 redirect rules using this format: /old-wordpress-url/ > /new-squarespace-url/
Work through the spreadsheet you created in Step 1 and enter a redirect for every URL that has changed. Priority order: highest-traffic pages first, then blog posts, then any page with inbound links from other websites.
One limitation worth knowing: Squarespace does not support wildcard redirects (e.g., redirecting all /category/X/ pages in one rule). Each redirect must be entered individually. For large sites with hundreds of blog posts, this is genuinely tedious but non-negotiable for SEO preservation.
Step 6: Transfer Your Domain and Go Live
Keep your site in password-protected mode (Settings > Security) until you are ready to go live. This prevents Google from indexing an incomplete site during setup.
When your Squarespace site is fully built and verified, transfer your domain. If your domain is registered with WordPress.com, Namecheap, GoDaddy, or another registrar, you can either transfer the domain to Squarespace’s registrar or simply point your DNS records to Squarespace’s servers.
Squarespace provides clear instructions for both approaches in their help center. DNS changes typically propagate within 24 to 48 hours. During this window, some visitors may see the old site and some the new one, which is normal.
Once propagation is complete, remove the password protection and publish your Squarespace site publicly.
Post-Migration: What to Do in the First Week
The migration itself is just the beginning. These steps protect your traffic and surface any issues before they compound.
Verify redirects are working. Use a tool like httpstatus.io to test your top 20 URLs from the old site. Each should return a 301 status and land on the correct Squarespace page.
Submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console. In Squarespace, your sitemap is automatically generated at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. Submit it via Google Search Console under Index > Sitemaps. This accelerates re-crawling of your new URLs.
Check Google Search Console for crawl errors. Within 3 to 5 days of going live, review the Coverage report for any 404 errors. These indicate redirects you missed. Fix them immediately.
Audit your meta titles and descriptions. Squarespace lets you set SEO titles and descriptions for every page under Page Settings > SEO. Review the top 20 pages and confirm these are set correctly. The importer does not always carry over WordPress SEO plugin data (Yoast or RankMath fields).
Set up Google Analytics 4. In Squarespace, go to Settings > Analytics > Google Analytics and paste your GA4 Measurement ID. Verify traffic is being tracked before you consider the migration complete.
Common Mistakes That Cost SEO Rankings
Most post-migration ranking drops are not caused by the platform switch itself. They are caused by avoidable execution errors.
Skipping the URL redirect map. The most common and most damaging mistake. Every unredirected old URL becomes a dead link that bleeds link equity and sends users to a 404.
Taking WordPress offline before the Squarespace site is ready. Keep both sites running simultaneously until your new site is fully published and DNS has propagated.
Ignoring meta data. Squarespace’s importer does not pull in Yoast or RankMath SEO fields. Every page needs its meta title and description reviewed manually.
Not testing on mobile. Squarespace templates are responsive by default, but the mobile view of your specific content choices is worth checking. Long tables, embedded videos, and certain layout sections can display poorly on narrow screens.
Rushing the launch. Spend at least two full days reviewing the site before removing the password protection. A missed redirect on a high-traffic page discovered after launch costs more time to fix than preventing it would have.
WordPress to Squarespace Migration with LitExtension (Experts Help Method)
With our migration service, your Personal Assistant will keep you updated every step of the way. We make sure to fix any bumps in the road during and after the move before handing over your finished store.
We also have a video that shows exactly how our service works to move from WordPress to Squarespace:
Step 1: 1-1 Consultation
We start by understanding your specific needs and answering any questions you have about moving from WordPress to Squarespace.
- Expert Advice: We cover your concerns about data export, custom fields, and hosting issues.
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): We agree on the project details, and both parties sign the SLA to confirm requirements.
- Migration Speed Enhancement: If your WordPress store holds a massive amount of data, we offer a Multi-threaded Migration. This speeds up the process significantly while keeping your data safe and minimizing downtime. (Additional fees apply).
Step 2: Pre-Migration
Before the actual transfer, we prepare your new Squarespace environment to receive your data seamlessly.
- Target Store Setup: We configure your new Squarespace store and get the environment ready.
- Store Customization: We adjust your store and map the data exactly how it needs to look on Squarespace.
- Please Note: Because WordPress and Squarespace are very different platforms, you might pay extra fees if you need to migrate highly customized data, such as data generated by third-party WordPress plugins or deep database modifications.
Step 3: Demo Migration
We perform a small-scale test run to guarantee your WordPress data will map correctly to Squarespace’s format.
Our experts set up a demo migration for every data type to make sure all settings are correct. We thoroughly check this test data to catch and fix any errors before doing the real thing.
Step 4: Perform Full Migration
Once the test is approved, it is time to safely transfer your entire store over to your new platform.
- Full Migration Implementation: We run your complete WordPress to Squarespace migration. Our system spots any hidden issues, and our experts fix them immediately.
- Free Additional Options: All extra migration options you might need, like 301 redirects to protect your SEO rankings, are included for free.
Step 5: Migration Results Testing
After the transfer is complete, we thoroughly inspect your new Squarespace store to ensure absolute accuracy.
- Quality Check: We run multiple tests to guarantee every piece of data arrived safely and matches your exact requests.
- Confirm Project Outcomes: You review the final result on Squarespace and give us your approval.
Step 6: Post-Migration
We ensure your new store stays completely up to date even after the main transfer is finished.
- Recent Data Migrations & Smart Updates: Your WordPress store stays open and takes orders during the move. We help you move any new customers or orders over to Squarespace after the main migration is done.
- Tech Support: You get up to 60 days of free technical support after the full move.
- Migration Assurance: We offer a full refund within 30 days if there are major technical problems with your migrated data that we cannot resolve.
Step 7: Customer Support
Our dedicated team and your personal expert are here to assist you throughout the entire journey.
- 12-Hour Response Time: We promise to get back to you within 12 hours.
- Availability: Our team works 24/7 on business days and weekends (except national holidays).
- Personal Assistant (PA): Your PA is a dedicated expert who manages your WordPress to Squarespace Migration with Experts help to make sure you are happy with the results. You can reach them via support ticket, email, phone, online meetings, or private chat.
How It Works
