Migrate from Squarespace to WordPress if you need more control, better plugin options, deeper SEO settings, or a site that can grow without hitting platform walls. WordPress powers about 43% of all websites, while Squarespace is closer to 2%, which shows how common WordPress is for larger content and business sites [source: W3Techs].
TLDR: Squarespace is simpler, but WordPress gives you more control over design, SEO, content, ecommerce, and long-term ownership. A typical 40-page Squarespace site can often be moved in a weekend, but expect another 5 to 10 hours for styling, redirects, and image cleanup. For example, a small service business moving 25 blog posts and 12 pages may export most text quickly, then spend half a day fixing layouts and contact forms. If your site brings in leads or sales, plan the migration carefully instead of clicking buttons and hoping for the best.
WordPress vs Squarespace: Which Is Better for Migration?
Squarespace is great when you want a polished site quickly. Hosting, templates, security, updates, and basic ecommerce live in one neat package. That is the whole appeal. You do not have to think much about servers, plugins, backups, or caching.
WordPress is better when your site has to do more. You can choose your host, install specialized plugins, edit theme files, build custom post types, set advanced SEO rules, and connect almost any marketing tool. The tradeoff is responsibility. You manage updates, backups, plugin conflicts, and performance.
The catch is that Squarespace does not hand over everything cleanly. Its export tool is limited. You can export many pages and blog posts, but product pages, event pages, audio blocks, style settings, custom CSS, and some media often need manual work. It drives me crazy that a “simple export” can still leave you checking images one by one.
What Actually Transfers from Squarespace?
Squarespace offers a built-in export feature that creates a WordPress-compatible XML file. That sounds perfect. It is not. It is useful, but not complete.
Usually transferable:
- Standard pages
- Blog posts from one blog page
- Basic text content
- Some image references
- Basic comments, depending on your setup
Often not transferred:
- Template design and layout settings
- Product pages and store data
- Event pages
- Album pages
- Forms and form submissions
- Custom CSS in some setups
- SEO descriptions in certain cases
- Spacer blocks, summary blocks, and complex page sections
This is why migration is not just “export and import.” It is a rebuild with a content head start.
Before You Start: Make a Migration Checklist
Start with a simple site audit. Do not skip this. You need to know what exists before you move it.
- List every page on your Squarespace site.
- Save all current URLs in a spreadsheet.
- Export your blog content through Squarespace.
- Download important images and files manually.
- Copy SEO titles and meta descriptions from key pages.
- Screenshot layouts you want to recreate.
- Record integrations such as email forms, analytics, pixels, and booking tools.
Expect to waste time on tiny things. A button style looks wrong. A gallery imports badly. A blog image vanishes. None of it is shocking, but it adds up.
Step by Step: How to Migrate Squarespace to WordPress
1. Set Up WordPress Hosting
Choose a reliable WordPress host before moving content. Shared hosting can work for small sites, but managed WordPress hosting saves time if you dislike technical chores. Install WordPress, add an SSL certificate, and create a temporary staging URL if your host supports it.
Do not point your domain to WordPress yet. Build first. Switch later.
2. Pick a WordPress Theme
Your Squarespace template will not move over. Choose a WordPress theme that matches your general style. Lightweight themes are often better than bloated multipurpose themes. You can use the block editor, a page builder, or a custom theme.
Avoid trying to copy every pixel. Recreate the brand, layout logic, and user flow. Exact clones often take too long and rarely improve results.
3. Export Content from Squarespace
In Squarespace, go to the import and export area, then export to WordPress. Squarespace will generate an XML file. Download it and keep a backup copy.
This file is your main content package. It is not your full website.
4. Import into WordPress
In WordPress, go to Tools > Import and install the WordPress importer. Upload the XML file. Assign the imported content to an admin user or create a new author.
When asked to import attachments, say yes. Still, check the media library after the import. Images may appear in posts but still point back to Squarespace. That can break later if the old site is closed.
5. Fix Images and Media
Open your most important pages and posts. Check every hero image, gallery, downloadable file, and embedded video. If an image still loads from a Squarespace URL, upload it to WordPress and replace it.
For blogs with many images, a media import plugin may help. Test it on a few posts first. Plugins can save hours, but they can also create duplicates or miss files.
6. Rebuild Pages, Menus, and Forms
Now rebuild the parts that did not transfer. Create your homepage, about page, service pages, contact page, and landing pages. Add menus, footers, calls to action, and form plugins.
If you used Squarespace forms, recreate them in WordPress with a form plugin. Then test every notification email. Seriously, test them. A pretty form that sends nothing is just decoration.
7. Preserve SEO with Redirects
This step matters. Your old Squarespace URLs may not match your new WordPress URLs. If people click an old search result and land on a 404 page, rankings and leads can suffer.
Create 301 redirects from old URLs to new URLs. Use a redirection plugin or server-level redirects. Match high-traffic pages first, then blog posts, then lower-priority pages.
Also check:
- Page titles
- Meta descriptions
- Heading structure
- Image alt text
- Internal links
- XML sitemap
- Robots settings
8. Connect Analytics and Test Everything
Add your analytics, search console verification, ad pixels, cookie tools, newsletter forms, and payment systems. Then test on desktop and mobile.
Click every main page. Submit forms. Test checkout if you sell products. Check page speed. Open the site in a private browser window. Broken sessions and cached admin views can trick you.
9. Point Your Domain to WordPress
When the WordPress site is ready, update your domain DNS settings. Keep your Squarespace account active for a short overlap period. A week is usually enough for small sites. Bigger sites may need longer.
After launch, check for 404 errors, broken images, and form issues daily for the first week.
When Should You Stay on Squarespace?
Do not migrate just because WordPress is popular. Squarespace may be the better choice if your site is small, rarely updated, and does not need custom features. A photographer with a brochure site, a few galleries, and no SEO growth plan may be fine staying put.
Squarespace also wins on simplicity. Updates are handled for you. Security is built in. Hosting is included. If you hate maintenance, that matters.
When Is WordPress the Smarter Move?
WordPress makes sense when your site is becoming a real marketing asset. If you publish often, need advanced SEO, run complex funnels, sell many products, or want full control over design and data, WordPress is usually the stronger fit.
It is also better for teams. Editors, marketers, developers, and store managers can each have the right level of access. You can build workflows that Squarespace was never meant to handle.
Final Migration Advice
A Squarespace to WordPress migration is very doable, but it is not fully automatic. Treat it as a structured project. Export what you can, rebuild what you must, and protect your URLs with redirects.
The best approach is simple: audit first, migrate content second, rebuild design third, test hard, then switch the domain. That order saves stress. It also keeps your visitors, rankings, and leads from falling through the cracks.
