Squarespace to WordPress: when it's worth it and how to move

By Axyra Nova Editorial · 7 September 2026 · 5 min read · Migrations

Squarespace is one of the easiest ways to put a polished site online. Templates look good, hosting is included and there is little to maintain. For many businesses it is exactly enough. Others reach a point where they need things Squarespace makes difficult: advanced booking, memberships, a larger shop, custom functionality, or full control over code and data.

This guide helps you decide whether a Squarespace to WordPress move is worth it, and walks through the move itself.

When staying on Squarespace makes sense

Before planning a migration, be honest about whether you need one. Stay if:

  • Your site is a portfolio or brochure that changes occasionally.
  • The built-in commerce and scheduling features cover your needs.
  • Nobody on the team wants to handle updates, backups or hosting.
  • Most of your frustrations are fixable with a little custom code. Our guide to Squarespace custom code fixes covers common ones.

When moving makes sense

Consider WordPress if:

  • You need features available as mature WordPress plugins, such as complex booking, learning platforms, memberships or multilingual sites.
  • You want control over performance, hosting location and technical SEO.
  • You plan to publish a lot of content and want more flexible blog structures.
  • Monthly platform fees and add-ons have grown beyond what hosting plus plugins would cost.

What moves across, and what does not

Moves with Squarespace's export

Squarespace can export some content in a format WordPress can import, typically blog posts and basic pages. Check Squarespace's help centre for the current export options and limitations, because they change over time.

Usually rebuilt by hand

  • Design and layout. Templates do not convert; you rebuild the look in a WordPress theme.
  • Galleries, product pages and some blocks may not export fully.
  • Forms, which need recreating with a form plugin.
  • Commerce data: products, customers and orders need separate exports and imports, often via CSV.
  • Images, which may need downloading and re-uploading if they do not come across.

The migration plan

1. Audit the current site

List every page and its URL, every form, every integration (newsletter, analytics, payments), and your top pages by traffic. Note page titles and meta descriptions.

2. Set up WordPress on staging

Choose hosting, install WordPress, and pick a theme. A block theme keeps things lean; see block themes explained. Block search engines from the staging site.

3. Import and rebuild content

Run the import for what Squarespace exports, then rebuild remaining pages. Recreate forms and connect them to the same destinations.

4. Match or redirect URLs

Squarespace URL patterns differ from WordPress defaults, especially for blog posts. Either set WordPress permalinks to match, or map old URLs to new ones and set up 301 redirects. Our 301 redirect guide explains how to build the map.

5. Recreate SEO settings

Copy titles and meta descriptions for important pages, set image alt text, and make sure the sitemap is generated. Google's SEO starter guide is a useful checklist.

6. Test everything

Forms, mobile layouts, page speed, checkout and bookings, and every redirect.

7. Switch the domain

Point your domain to the new host. If your domain was registered through Squarespace, you can keep it there and change DNS records, or transfer it. Then confirm HTTPS, submit the new sitemap in Search Console, and follow Google's guidance on moving a site with URL changes.

8. Keep Squarespace for a short overlap

Do not cancel the old plan the same day. Keep it for a couple of weeks while you confirm nothing is missing.

Common pitfalls

  • Forgetting image alt text that existed on the old site.
  • Losing blog post dates, which affects how content appears in search.
  • Changing every URL without redirects.
  • Underestimating commerce migration, especially customer accounts and order history.
  • Skipping speed work. A WordPress site with a heavy theme can be slower than the Squarespace site it replaced. Test with the Elementor speed guide in mind.

What it costs in time

A simple site with a few pages and a blog can move in a week. Sites with shops, bookings or many custom pages take longer, mostly in rebuilding and testing.

Getting help

Our sellers handle Squarespace, GoDaddy and Wix to WordPress migrations. If you want to learn WordPress first, the free Beginner WordPress User course covers the essentials.

A worked example

A photographer had run her portfolio and booking enquiries on Squarespace for years. She wanted a client-proofing gallery, a blog that ranked for local wedding photography searches, and online booking with deposits, which together required several separate subscriptions.

The move took about two weeks:

  • The blog exported and imported cleanly, with dates intact.
  • Galleries were rebuilt with a WordPress gallery plugin, using the original high-resolution images resized for the web.
  • Booking moved to a WordPress booking plugin with deposits.
  • Blog URLs changed from Squarespace's pattern to a simpler /blog/post-name structure, with a 301 redirect for every post.
  • Titles and descriptions for her top twenty pages were copied across.

She kept her Squarespace plan for two weeks after switching DNS, checking for any missing pages. Search Console showed a brief wobble in impressions, then a steady recovery as Google processed the redirects.

Decision checklist

Answer yes or no to each:

  • Do I need features that Squarespace cannot provide, even with custom code?
  • Will I publish content regularly enough to benefit from WordPress's flexibility?
  • Am I willing to handle, or pay for, updates, backups and security?
  • Have I listed every URL and know how I will redirect them?
  • Do I have a few weeks to rebuild and test properly?

If most answers are yes, the move is likely worth it. If most are no, invest in improving the Squarespace site instead.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose my SEO?

You do not have to. Keep URLs where possible, redirect the rest with 301s, keep your titles and content, and submit the new sitemap. Expect some movement for a few weeks.

Can I keep my domain?

Yes. Either keep it registered where it is and update DNS, or transfer it to another registrar.

Is WordPress more work to maintain?

Yes, somewhat. You or your host handle updates, backups and security. Managed WordPress hosting reduces that work considerably.

Can I move my Squarespace shop?

Yes, but it takes the most planning. Export products and customers, import them into WooCommerce, and test the full checkout before switching.