Your Consummate Guide to Irresolute Squarespace Templates

So, yous have a Squarespace website and now you realized something isn't working the way you want it to or need it to work. Your website's wait and feel is essential to engaging your audition, be they client or customer, and if your business has grown or changed over the past few years [and who's business hasn't?], your website may demand to suit to keep up.

Whether you are make new to Squarespace and site building or whether this is a site you've been running for years that needs a fresh look, changing your Squarespace Template tin can be catchy.

Offset, there's the small hiccup of what version you are currently working on. New users will probable be using version 7.i, while some older sites were likely built on version seven.0. Why does this affair, yous ask? Well, for those using version vii.0, information technology'southward important to know that your version has 21 template families. Inside each family there could be multiple variations of the parent template. For example, Brine solitary has 45 variations. In 7.0 you lot can switch templates as frequently as you like. But 7.0 has pretty static designs, significant there is less flexibility for what each folio can exercise or look like.

When you are using version 7.1 on the other hand, there is simply one template. The options or 'templates' you meet in the template store are in fact merely variations of the same 7.one core pattern. However, those variations will have polish modular features you tin edit and change in order to alter how your site looks and feels. Once yous have selected a template for your website you cannot change it in 7.1 - instead you can modify the dissimilar features in more of a "plug and play" method.

These are just wide strokes on the differences between versions, simply are important to know when yous are ready to redesign your site. Now, permit'due south jump into the actual piece of work of what the procedure of working on your template looks like.

A Note Before Y'all Alter Templates…
or Versions

If you are working on a 7.0 website and desire to become straight to the steps of irresolute templates, feel free to skip to the next section. But first I'd actually like to talk about how to know if yous need to make a move from 7.0 to vii.1.

Non sure what version you're on? That's easy to fix! Log into your Squarespace business relationship, so click on the website on your Account Dashboard that yous desire to know the version of. From there, click on Assistance at the bottom of the list that starts with Pages, Pattern, Commerce, etc. At the lesser of the Assist department, you volition come across what version you are on.

The first thing you lot desire to do is take inventory of the features you want in a new template, and which features yous currently apply just are okay with losing. The reason for doing this is to ensure that you lot are meeting the purpose and the intent of your website. Are you selling products? Sharing educational content? Using posts to build an online presence? One time yous know the purpose, you can narrow down what pages you will need to help create this intent - product pages, about folio, blog posts - what does your site need to practice what y'all intend to do? Knowing your purpose and what you lot'll need to meet that intention will help y'all know conspicuously what features you lot need.

If you are a 7.0 version user, this may be a time you detect there are limitations to what your version can offering yous. If y'all are a 7.one user, you may wonder what yous could exist doing to brand your website fit your needs and exist more than intentional. This is when it's fourth dimension to consider the three options: Steady, Revolution and Lego.

01 | Steady Option

Below, I'll give a deeper swoop for users who want to stay on version 7.0 and just renovate their site look or template, as opposed to migrating their unabridged website onto a new version. This is a detailed process and we will walk through it step by step - I'll telephone call it the Steady Option.

02 | Revolution Selection

If yous take an established website, but would love to go far a little more dorsum-stop friendly to manage, you may be highly interested in irresolute Squarespace versions. It's worth noting that when you move to 7.one. you will be using ane central editor with blocks rather than different page types. Near customers prefer having this centralized control over their site. This enables y'all to change more than than just the type of page you are using; instead, you tin edit each page to add or remove blocks and sections equally much as you want, whether it's for a blog mail, a production page, or your homepage.

While I strongly encourage my clients seeking to build a new site or update an old one to movement to seven.1, I also unremarkably am facilitating that motility for them. That's because it can exist extremely difficult to move from vii.0 to 7.i, depending on what and how much information you are moving. In add-on, there tin be a loss of data, such every bit customer analytics, depending on what yous are using to gain that information. Because it'due south not just irresolute templates, but really creating an entirely new website on a new version, there are pros and cons to this option - I'll call it the Revolution Option - you tin can contact me here so we can discuss a website inspect and how best to motility you lot into the new version of Squarespace.

03 | Lego Option

Now a few words for those who are on a seven.1 version site and desire to change their look: at that place isn't a template for you to modify, since 7.1 is ane template with unlimited options for calculation, removing, building and changing blocks and sections on each page. Therefore, I haven't written a step by step beneath for you on changing templates, but in a future post I will go over the customization needed for your blocks and sections to all-time suit your needs. Version 7.1 users who just demand some ideas for customizing their blocks are what I would phone call the Lego Option. Contact me directly or check out my latest venture Inspiration Sites to encounter some keen ideas of ways I've used 7.one to custom build sites for my clients.

What to Expect When You Change a Template in Squarespace (7.0)

Then, you lot are using 7.0 on Squarespace and are gear up to alter your template! What will change when y'all do that? What won't? What tin can you practice to make it easier on yourself?

There are some special page types that are simply bachelor in sure templates. If you switch to a template that doesn't back up your page type, those special pages will change or simply not piece of work. Hither are the current pages that might create an upshot:

  • Index page - The Alphabetize converts to a folder.

  • Info page - The info page won't brandish. If you're using an info page as the homepage, change your homepage to any other page type earlier switching templates. The info folio will display again if y'all switch dorsum to a template that supports it.

  • Project page - The project page converts to a gallery page.

Similarly, availability of the following features volition depend on which template you are using:

  • Sidebars

  • Banners

  • Background paradigm

  • Folio headers or footers

  • Footer navigation

  • Index page

While you are choosing a new template, you may be previewing them on your site. Previewing a template may crusade errors when logging in or connecting your domain. If you lot experience these issues, cancel the template preview. Some changes that you brand to a template preview affect your live site and transfer across templates. Other changes are only visible in the preview until you publish the new template.

It's important to know that if you are working in Developer Way, you tin't switch templates or receive updates to your site'due south template.

A Guide to Changing Squarespace 7.0 Templates

You've picked your new template and you are set to start working. But… how?

01 | Temporarily Hide Your Existing Site

Start, let's make up one's mind what to practise with your site while information technology's being reworked. In that location are four options, one) an Under Construction page, 2) Password Protect your website, 3) work in Preview Mode, or iv) start a brand new site.

Comprehend Page Example

You can select different templates for your cover page. Some accept different features than others, similar to different templates in Squarespace seven.0.

If using an Under Construction page or a Countersign for your site, y'all tin complete a redesign and adjust your existing content directly on your live site, which works well if yous anticipate that your changes won't take long. It's all-time to practice this during off-hours if possible, since no one likes going to a website that says information technology's non available.

To do this, create a comprehend page with your under construction message and make that the home page.

Countersign Folio Example

To set a countersign for your in-progress site:

Go to Settings then select Site Availability

Get to Design then select Lock Screen to blueprint a lock screen

A password for the site works all-time if you don't want whatsoever part of your site accessed while it'due south being worked on, except by those you want to view the new changes [like your partners or a website designer].

If you are interested in using Preview way to edit your site, or if you lot'd like to showtime a make new site so your current site remains available to customers, I'd dearest to speak direct with you or have you work with one of my partners at SSVA (Squarespace Virtual Assistants), since both of those processes can be tricky just worth the time and money if washed right.

Preview fashion works best when there are small changes to exist made. If you need to tweak full pages or if there are new features in your new template that won't piece of work in your old template you volition run into some roadblocks.

The best do hither is for you to create full duplicates of each folio you want to edit and then edit the not-linked copied pages until they are ready to be fabricated alive. And so y'all will need to systematically rename each copied page as the page it's meant to supervene upon and then information technology will be made a live version instead of a not-linked copy.

Because this can get slippery, I would love to take you chat with myself or one of my partners so you tin can either prep what this looks like, or and so we can see if at that place is a ameliorate pick for you lot. Become in affect at the end of this post, or here.

02 | Install a New Template in Squarespace

With your site prepare to exist inverse, hither are the steps for installing your newly chosen template:

In the Home Bill of fare, click Pattern, so select Template.

Select Install new template.

Hover over the template you want and select Showtime With.

The template will at present appear in your Template panel, below the live template.

I recommend choosing Fix as Live Template right away, and so that there aren't any design hiccups later on and too to work without a banner bulletin at the lesser. Yous will need to click Confirm on the alert that appears when y'all choose this pick.

03 | Move and Delete Unnecessary Pages

Information technology'due south possible that some pages from your site will take moved to the section labeled Non Linked during the template modify. You will want to motion these pages to the advisable areas.

I don't recommend deleting any pages until y'all have completed your site changes and are fix to publish. Instead, use this opportunity to movement possibly un-needed pages to your Not Linked department.

04 | Style Your New Template

Utilise site styles to edit the template's blueprint, including fonts, colors, backgrounds, and padding. Each template has its ain styling options, so some of the options volition be different from your previous template. Visitors won't see these changes, or changes to footers or sidebars, until you publish the template.

05: | Publish! 🎉

If you've already been working with your new template as a live template, Congrats! Yous are ready to remove your construction page or countersign page and go alive to your audience!

If you have been working in Preview Fashion, you volition need to select the Set Every bit Alive Template push from the bottom banner. Click Confirm on the warning that appears. Gloat going Alive! 🎉🎉

FAQs on Changing Templates

How Tin can I Reinstall My Existing Squarespace Template?

- In your Home bill of fare, select Design, and then select Template.

If the undesired template is set alive on your site, you must set a different template alive. Yous tin't uninstall a alive template.

- Hover over the undesired template, and click Uninstall.

- Click Confirm in the message that appears.

Can I install more than than one template in Squarespace?

You can install multiple templates within 7.0. Still, just one can exist live for visitors to see. You tin can install equally many templates in Squarespace 7.0 as yous like, and create pages for all of them, but the pattern on each will not match properly. I would recommend only utilizing the i template that'southward live and so choosing a 2nd in live preview mode to meet if you lot would similar it for your site.

Additional note: When you install a new template on 7.0, you'll see all the new pages from the demo of the template, also every bit your own pages. Keep in mind, if you edit your own pages in preview style, those changes volition announced on your live site. So information technology's all-time to duplicate your pages and and so make the edits there.

Why tin can't I change my Squarespace 7.1 template?

vii.1 was designed to eliminate the need to switch templates. Instead, you piece of work with a basic cadre template simply can customize each page, section and block to work best for your needs.

WAIT! I NEED MORE HELP WITH MY SQUARESPACE SITE!

Don't worry, I know this is a lot of information when you start read through it! If you're interested in talking with me more most a new website, switching from seven.0 to 7.1, or redesigning your 7.0 or vii.1 website, I'm here to help and make it an piece of cake transition for y'all!

For total website builds, redesigns, and SEO piece of work,
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Justin Mabee

Justin Mabee is a freelance Squarespace website designer, working in Squarespace for about 10 years. Justin Mabee specializes in Squarespace design and spider web strategy, but also works on search engine optimization, third-party services like Memberspace, and other no-lawmaking tools like Typeform to extend the limitations of the Squarespace platform.

https://justinmabee.com