How to Migrate From Squarespace to WordPress?

Why Migrate from Squarespace to WordPress?

While Squarespace provides a user-friendly interface and all-in-one pricing, its closed ecosystem often restricts growing websites. Migrating from Squarespace to WordPress unlocks the flexibility of an open-source content management system.

Below are the primary technical and operational reasons to switch:

• Unrestricted Customization. Squarespace restricts users to approximately 200 rigid templates. WordPress offers access to thousands of themes and plugins, granting complete control over site architecture, design, and functionality without platform-imposed limitations.
• Data Ownership and Security. Squarespace is a hosted platform, meaning your site is subject to their policy updates and pricing structures. WordPress is self-hosted, ensuring full ownership of your site files and database. You maintain complete independence regarding server choice and data management.
• Advanced SEO Capabilities. To rank competitively, granular control over SEO is required. WordPress allows for precise modification of URL structures, metadata, and schema markup. Plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math provide advanced optimization tools that superiorly position a Squarespace to WordPress migration for search engine visibility.
• Cost Efficiency. Squarespace utilizes fixed pricing tiers. WordPress operates on a flexible cost model. By paying only for necessary hosting and extensions, users can maintain a fully functional store for approximately $10–$15/mo.
• Global Community Support. Squarespace support is limited to internal staff. WordPress powers over 40% of the web, resulting in a massive global ecosystem. This provides immediate access to extensive documentation, community forums, and development resources.

How to Manually Move from Squarespace to WordPress

Migrating a website from Squarespace to WordPress is a process that requires meticulous planning and careful selection of methods. Below are the steps that LitExtension experts recommend users take when migrating Squarespace to WordPress manually (DIY steps):

Step 1: Install and Configure WordPress for Migration

Configure the target environment before importing. Default WordPress settings are rarely optimized for large-scale data migrations.

Upon installation, immediately configure your WordPress Permalinks to /blog/%postname%/ to mirror Squarespace URL structures and preserve existing SEO authority. Simultaneously, navigate to Reading settings and disable search engine indexing to prevent duplicate content penalties during the transition. Since Squarespace templates do not export, complete the setup by selecting a block theme or page builder that allows you to manually reconstruct your original design layout.

Step 2: Export from Squarespace and Import to WordPress

To migrate text content from Squarespace to WordPress, use the XML export tool:

1. Export from Squarespace:

• Navigate to Settings > Advanced > Import / Export.
• Click Export and select the WordPress icon.
• Select the primary blog (only one blog page can be exported per file) and download squarespace-export.xml.

2. Import to WordPress:

• Go to Tools > Import > WordPress in the WP Dashboard.
• Install/Run the importer and upload the XML file.
• Map incoming authors to existing WordPress users.
• Check “Download and import file attachments.”

3. Validate Data:

• Compare Post and Page counts against the source site.
• Check the Trash folder for valid items flagged as duplicates.
• Review content; complex layouts are usually stripped, though basic text formatting remains.

Step 3: Media Asset Recovery and Management

The standard importer often results in “hotlinking,” where images display on WordPress but remain hosted on Squarespace. To prevent data loss when the Squarespace account is closed, use the Auto Upload Images plugin to physically transfer files.

1. Install and Configure. Install Auto Upload Images (by Ali Irani). In Settings, configure the “Image Name Pattern” (e.g., %post_title%-%filename%). This converts generic Squarespace filenames into SEO-optimized local files.

2. Bulk Trigger. The plugin runs when a post is saved. To trigger this globally:

• • Navigate to Posts > All Posts and use Screen Options to view all items.
  • Select all posts, choose Edit from the Bulk Actions dropdown, and click Apply.
  • Click Update without changing any data. This forces the plugin to scan content and download images to the local server.

3. Verification & Featured Images. Check the Media Library to confirm image ingestion. Note that Featured Images are often excluded from the XML export. If the “Image” column in the Posts list is empty, these assets must be manually re-uploaded.

Step 4: E-Commerce Data Migration

Since Squarespace exports product data via CSV (not XML), the migration requires mapping the Squarespace schema to the WooCommerce database.

1. Prepare Environment Install. WooCommerce and run the setup wizard to configure currency and payment gateways. This establishes the necessary database tables for the import.

2. Export Data. Navigate to the Commerce menu in Squarespace to export Products, Orders, and Customers as separate CSV files.

3. Format Variable Products. Squarespace exports variants as standalone rows. WooCommerce requires a hierarchical Parent/Child structure. You must manually restructure the CSV in Excel to ensure every variation row is linked to a specific Parent SKU, or import them as “Simple” products and regroup them manually in the dashboard.

4. Import to WooCommerce:

• Navigate to Products > Import and upload the CSV.
• Field Mapping: Carefully map Squarespace columns to their WooCommerce equivalents.
• Images: Ensure the Image URL column is mapped to the “Images” field to trigger file downloading.
• Execution: Run the importer and review the error log for SKU conflicts or formatting failures.

Step 5: Permalinks and Redirection

To prevent the loss of organic search rankings, old Squarespace URLs must explicitly point to their new WordPress counterparts.

URL Structure Audit:

• Matches: Blogs (if Permalinks are set to /blog/%postname%/) and standard Pages typically match automatically.
• Conflicts: Products (/store/ vs /product/) and Categories (?category= vs /category/) require intervention.

Implementation via “Redirection” Plugin. Install the Redirection plugin to manage these changes effectively.

• Bulk Product Redirect. Instead of mapping products manually, use a Regular Expression to redirect the entire store path at once:
  • Source URL: /store/(.*)
  • Target URL: /product/$1
• Manual Redirects.

For specific pages where the slug has changed (e.g., /about-us to /about), manually enter the Source and Target URLs in the plugin dashboard.

Step 6: Post-Migration Optimization and Security

Squarespace manages these internally; on WordPress, you must configure them manually.

Security Hardening:

• Firewall: Install Wordfence or Solid Security to provide malware scanning and firewall protection.
• Backups: Install UpdraftPlus. Configure it to send backups to Google Drive or Dropbox immediately.

Performance Tuning:

• Caching: Install WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache. This converts PHP to static HTML for faster loading.
• Image Optimization: Install Smush or ShortPixel. Run a bulk optimization to compress the images downloaded during the migration.

Step 7: DNS Propagation

The final step is flipping the switch:

• Verify Staging: Ensure all pages load, images are local, and links work on the temporary URL.
• Update Site Address: In WordPress Settings > General, change the “WordPress Address” and “Site Address” from the temporary domain to the actual domain. The site will temporarily break/become inaccessible.
• Update DNS: Log in to the domain registrar. Update the Nameservers to point to the new hosting provider.
• Wait: Propagation takes 1–48 hours. During this time, some users will see the Squarespace site, others the WordPress site.
• SSL Generation: Once propagation is complete, the new host will automatically generate an SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt). Ensure the site loads over HTTPS.

Post-Launch Monitoring:

• Google Search Console: Submit the new XML sitemap (generated by RankMath or Yoast SEO). Use the “URL Inspection” tool to verify Google can crawl the new structure.
• Check Redirects: Click old links from Google search results to ensure they redirect seamlessly to the new content.

Conclusion

Migrating from Squarespace to WordPress is a complex undertaking that extends far beyond a straightforward data transfer. It requires restructuring your digital assets as you move from a rented platform to an owned infrastructure. The DIY approach demands careful execution, particularly in areas such as media asset extraction, e-commerce data mapping, and SEO redirection. However, it remains the most reliable path to full digital autonomy, especially if you are comfortable with administrative tasks.