Tag: squarespace
Martin Scorsese goes full alien invasion in his Squarespace Super Bowl commercial
Squarespace wants to help you build a website much quicker than before
16 of the best Squarespace templates for bloggers and beyond
Editor’s note: Squarespace recently announced Squarespace Refresh, its annual release of new features and updates (including video monetization and custom merch tools). We’ll be updating this content with additional information in the weeks to come.
If you’ve listened to any podcast ever, you already know the spiel: Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that makes it easy to create a professional-looking online presence. Numbers-wise, it’s the second most popular web builder out there (after Wix) and the third most popular hosting service (after Wix and Shopify), supporting more than 2.8 million live websites across the internet at the time of publication.
One of the primary reasons why Squarespace has seen this success — well, aside from all of those Ira Glass-narrated ad slots — is that you don’t need any web design or coding experience to get a beautiful site up and running on its platform. With intuitive drag-and-drop building elements and a vast selection of ultra-modern templates, it’s easily one of the most beginner-friendly tools of its kind.
Truthfully, the hardest part about designing a Squarespace site is often just choosing one of those templates — there are 234 of them across Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1, the two iterations of the platform that are currently supported. How do you decide which one to use for your oil painting portfolio, your Taiwanese-American food blog, or the online store for your cool-girl jeans? (Those are all different kinds of websites that have been made with Squarespace, FYI.)
Let’s get into it — but first, a quick primer.
Why should I use Squarespace?
After fast and easy site design, the best thing about Squarespace is its all-in-one approach: Your plan includes 24/7 customer support, website metrics, SEO features, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, and video storage, all for as low as $14 a month. (That gets even cheaper if you go with a long-term plan, by the way.) Squarespace also throws in fully managed cloud hosting at no extra cost, plus a year’s worth of a new custom domain if you sign up for an annual membership. No need to set anything else up with another provider or platform.
What is a Squarespace template, exactly?
A Squarespace template (or theme) is a pre-designed, ready-to-use demo website that you can customize with different colors, pages, fonts, and drag-and-drop element blocks like text, images, galleries, buttons, and forms. Squarespace describes them as “a starting point to help inspire your site’s design,” noting that “[you] can keep the structure of your original design intact by replacing the demo content with your own, or you can completely change the design of your site and start from scratch.”
Each template has been built exclusively for Squarespace, which means you won’t find them on WordPress, Wix, or other site-building platforms.
Are Squarespace templates mobile-friendly?
All Squarespace templates are mobile-optimized from the jump, which is awesome for two reasons: Mobile-friendly sites look great on all devices and get higher priority from Google when it comes to indexing and SEO rankings.
Templates from Squarespace version 7.0 have separate mobile styles that activate on smaller devices, while their version 7.1 counterparts adapt to mobile view automatically. (More on those in a sec.) Check out Squarespace’s tips for keeping your site mobile-friendly as you continue to build it out.
Which version of Squarespace is better: 7.0 or 7.1?
Launched in 2014, Squarespace version 7.0 categorizes its 91 templates into certain template “families,” which are groups of similarly coded templates alike in their basic structure and functionality. Each one has its own rules and customization options, which means you sometimes need to swap templates and start over (and risk losing content) if you’re after a specific feature. For example, infinite scroll is exclusive to the Farro and Skye template families.
Squarespace scrapped those hard-and-fast classifications with the release of version 7.1 in early 2020. All 143 of its newer templates now belong to the same family with the same features and underlying structure, which makes it easier to change site styles in seconds.
That being said, neither version of Squarespace is conclusively “better” than the other. Version 7.1 is probably the ideal choice for people who are new to the platform since it aggressively streamlines the design process, especially since the July 2022 rollout of Fluid Engine. (That’s Squarespace’s next-gen content editor for 7.1 sites, which utilizes a grid system and additional block placement options for improved layout flexibility — particularly on mobile.)
However, users who have built a Squarespace site before may still have good reason to stick with version 7.0 — its templates have some advanced features that haven’t been added to the new ones yet. (See: parallax scrolling, one especially popular feature of the beloved Brine template family that’s missing from version 7.1; people were pretty salty about that one.)
One caveat: While it’s possible to switch between versions 7.0 and 7.1, doing so will usually require a full rebuild and mess with your site’s search ranking. On the bright side, Squarespace offers a free 14-day trial so you can noodle around with both before you commit.
Is Squarespace better than WordPress?
This one’s pretty situational. WordPress is best for people on either end of the customization spectrum: You can use the free version to create a super basic blog, or go balls-to-the-wall on a totally unique, from-scratch website with premium themes and tens of thousands of plugins. Keep in mind that the latter requires managing your own hosting, security, and updates; you may also need to hire a developer if your coding skills aren’t up to par.
Squarespace’s templates are less flexible than a custom-built WordPress site and lean hard on visuals, but they already have some great built-in features and look pretty snazzy right out of the gate — plus, all of the technical drudgery is handled by the platform itself.
Squarespace also supports the official integrations of certain services, including Apple News (to cross-publish your content), Paypal (to accept payments), and OpenTable (to let guests make reservations), along with a couple dozen third-party extensions. While not as prolific as WordPress plugins, they should be able to meet most of your and your users’ needs, no problem.
How do you find the right Squarespace template for you?
To get started, head over to the Templates tab on Squarespace’s website and filter its library by Type and Topic to narrow down your pool of candidates. You can hit “Preview” on any theme that catches your eye to see what it would look like in the wild.
Squarespace recommends choosing a template based on your favorite colors and layouts rather than the demo content you see there: “You can change the style and layout of your site at any time, but you may find it easier to start with a design that’s already close to how you want your site to appear,” reads a page on its Help Center. “For example, the Dario demo site is designed for a wedding, but you could adapt it to accept RSVPs for a different type of event, or to gather pre-orders for a new product launch.”
If you’re having trouble settling on one, know this: It’s basically impossible to make an ugly Squarespace site, and with enough time and experimentation, you can tweak almost any template to fit your exact vision and needs. But just in case you need a nudge in a certain direction, keep reading: Below, we’ve rounded up 16 of the best Squarespace templates for all sorts of sites.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we’ve sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.
The best Squarespace templates for blogs about food, travel, fashion, and more
Editor’s note: Squarespace recently announced Squarespace Refresh, its annual release of new features and updates (including video monetization and custom merch tools). We’ll be updating this content with additional information in the weeks to come.
If your blog is your bread and butter, you’d better be sure it’s baked into a decent website. Being able to categorize posts, lay them out in an easy-to-navigate way, and break up walls of text with eye-catching imagery are all musts to keep readers engaged. (And if your site isn’t optimized for search engines, you probably won’t even have readers in the first place.)
Squarespace is the go-to website builder for many a blogger thanks to its hundreds of ready-made templates, which feature drag-and-drop page design tools that make it fast and easy to create a beautiful, functional site without a crumb of coding knowledge. Better yet, all of those templates are mobile-optimized for SEO purposes so you can reach readers wherever they are.
As we’ve written before, the hardest part about getting a Squarespace site up and running is really just settling on a template; from website metrics to SSL security, ecommerce tools, and video storage, the platform itself takes care of the technical details so you can focus on your passion project. Below, you’ll find Mashable’s guide to choosing the right Squarespace template for your blog (plus a selection of our current favorites in 2022).
What is a Squarespace template?
A Squarespace template/theme is a pre-made demo website that’s meant to serve as a “starting point to help inspire your site’s design,” according to the platform’s support center. You’re free to keep it mostly as-is or customize it from top to bottom with different content blocks (like text and galleries) and personalized branding elements (like fonts and colors). Either way, the fact that there are 234 of them to choose from means there’s an extremely slim chance your finished site will wind up looking like anyone else’s.
Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1 are the two iterations of the platform that are currently in use, and each one treats templates a little differently:
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Version 7.0 organizes its 91 options into “families“; every family contains multiple templates with the same underlying structure, rules, and unique style elements (like the Brine family‘s parallax scrolling effect, for example). Many Squarespace veterans prefer this version because some of its advanced design capabilities still aren’t available in version 7.1, but newer users may find it inflexible.
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Released in early 2020, Version 7.1 scrapped the family categorization and gave all 143 of its templates the same basic formatting and features. They’re a little more cookie-cutter than version 7.0’s templates, but it’s way easier to switch between them and you don’t run the risk of losing any content when doing so. Version 7.1 sites also have the option of being built with Fluid Engine, Squarespace’s next-gen content editor, which comes with an intuitive grid system and more flexible mobile layout options.
It’s technically possible to move between both versions of Squarespace, but keep in mind that doing so will require a full rebuild and may affect your site’s search ranking. (Pro tip: Take advantage of Squarespace’s free 14-day trial if you’re not sure which one is right for you.)
What kind of blogging tools does Squarespace offer?
Squarespace lets you play around with a slew of settings in the back end of your blog no matter which version of the site you’re running. That includes:
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Adding images, videos, and audio to posts (including podcasts)
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Enabling and disabling comments on posts
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Managing post bylines and author profiles
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Editing and customizing post URLs
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Adding SEO titles and descriptions for posts
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Adding alternate images for social sharing
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Organizing posts with categories and tags
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Adding post excerpts to the blog’s landing page (which displays them as a list or a grid, depending on your template)
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Setting featured posts and images
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Scheduling posts
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Automatically sharing posts to social media
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Enable AMP formatting for faster loading on mobile
Check out Squarespace’s blogging guide for tips and best practices on how to utilize these settings effectively.
How do you choose a Squarespace template for blogging?
Squarespace’s Templates tab lets you sort its library by type, including Online Store, Portfolio, Memberships, Scheduling, One Page, and yes, Blog. (You can narrow down your options even further by sorting by topics like Food, Travel, and Fashion.) But just because a template isn’t officially categorized as a Blog doesn’t mean it won’t work as a blog with a little customization; you can technically add a Blog Page to any template with just a few clicks in the back end.
If you’re having trouble choosing between templates, Squarespace recommends dialing in on the “specific colors and layouts that appeal to you” rather than focusing on the demo content. That being said, “you may find it easier to start with a design that’s already close to how you want your site to appear,” it adds. Here’s an example:
Credit: Squarespace / Mashable composite
You can see that the Mérida template (on the left) has a magazine-style layout that lends itself well to blogging right off the shelf, whereas Maca (on the right) will need its ecommerce elements shuffled around or removed to bring its blog page front and center. You can get a great-looking site out of both of them, to be sure, but one will require way more tinkering than the other for this specific purpose.
Is Squarespace better than WordPress for blogs?
The “Squarespace versus WordPress” debate will come up a lot when you start looking into website builders. There’s no clear-cut winner when it comes to blogs, but answering the following questions will help make your decision easier:
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Do you want a free website? Pick WordPress.
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Do you want a super basic website that you can set up within minutes? Pick WordPress.
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Do you want an all-in-one package with lots of built-in features and tech support? Pick Squarespace.
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Is your blog heavy on visuals? Pick Squarespace.
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Are you selling something? Pick Squarespace.
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Are you planning on switching up your blog’s design from time to time? Pick Squarespace (specifically version 7.1).
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Are you an expert programmer (or someone who’s willing to hire one) who wants to build a completely custom blog with powerful plugins and premium themes? Pick WordPress.
If you’ve decided to give Squarespace a shot — good choice — keep scrolling to explore nine templates that can work really well for different types of blogs right out the gate.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we’ve sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.
7 of the best Squarespace templates for writers, authors, and journalists
Editor’s note: Squarespace recently announced Squarespace Refresh, its annual release of new features and updates (including video monetization and custom merch tools). We’ll be updating this content with additional information in the weeks to come.
In this gig economy day and internet age, no writer is just a writer anymore. A writer is also an idea collector, a pitcher, a negotiator, an SEO specialist, a proofreader, a self-promoter, and a professional invoice sender. They might even be a full-on brand at this point, depending on whether they buy into the Twitter discourse. They’re definitely a seasoned caffeine snob.
That being said, you’d probably struggle to find a handful of writers who think of themselves as especially adept developers. English, journalism, and creative writing coursework isn’t exactly rife with opportunities to learn how to build websites, and self-led bootcamps are intimidating if you don’t have a lick of coding or HTML experience. This can feel like a huge hurdle when it comes time to needing a personal website, whether you’re trying to showcase a portfolio, attract new clients, sell a book, or just simply blog.
Enter: Squarespace, a popular website building platform that presents itself as an all-in-one solution for designing and managing a website (with plans starting as low as $14 a month). Going live is as easy as choosing one of its modern, mobile-optimized templates and customizing it with your branding; technical chores like website metrics, SSL security, video storage, and updates are all handled by the platform itself. Plus, it maintains a full-featured app that lets you edit your site on the go, including updating pages, adding new images, writing blog posts, reviewing site analytics, and managing the inventory of an online store.
With a couple hundred templates available as of 2022, it can be tough to decide which will best suit your needs as a freelancer, author, journalist, copywriter, and/or poet. Keep scrolling for a comprehensive guide and a list of our current favorites.
What is a Squarespace template?
A Squarespace template (or theme) is a pre-built demo website that’s meant to serve as a “starting point to help inspire your site’s design,” to quote its support site. Each one can be used entirely as-is or fleshed out with different colors, font packs, layout pages, and content blocks.
Templates work differently depending on whether you’re running Squarespace version 7.0 or 7.1, the two iterations of the platform it currently supports. Version 7.0 (launched in 2014) contains 91 templates it categorizes into “families” that share the same underlying structure and style settings. Some features are exclusive to certain families, which makes it harder to swap between templates without doing at least a partial rebuild.
Meanwhile, version 7.1 (launched in early 2020) has 143 templates it’s merged into a single family. They all share the same features and formatting options, which makes it way easier to change templates on the fly.
Some experienced Squarespace designers still use version 7.0 because a handful of its advanced functionalities haven’t yet migrated over, but we’d recommend starting with version 7.1 if you’re new to the platform: It’s much more flexible. (Especially with the recent launch of Fluid Engine, Squarespace’s next-gen, grid-based content editor.)
No matter which one you decide to use, keep in mind that moving between versions often requires a complete rebuild and carries the risk of affecting your site’s search ranking. Fortunately, Squarespace offers a free 14-day trial so you have the chance to play around with both versions before officially building your site.
Is Squarespace good for writers?
Squarespace has a ton of useful features that writer types can take advantage of, including pre-made Portfolio and Blog layout pages, mobile editing, newsletter blocks, social media integration, email campaign integration, tag and category support, multiple author support, Google Analytics support, the ability to schedule posts, and a built-in commenting system that includes content moderation and abuse filters (plus Disqus integration). It also recently added a tool called Members Areas, which lets you gate and monetize content on your site.
In short, Squarespace is very good for writers — again, even if you have no prior coding experience.
How do you choose the right Squarespace template?
Squarespace’s Templates library gives you the option of sorting them by type (Online Store, Portfolio, Memberships, Blog, Scheduling, and One Page) and topic (e.g., Media & Podcasts, Professional Services, and Personal & CV). You can click on any template’s “Preview” button to check out its demo content, which will give you an idea of how it looks in the wild.
Squarespace recommends focusing mainly on the “specific colors and layouts that appeal to you” rather than the content you see there, but adds that “you may find it easier to start with a design that’s already close to how you want your site to appear.” We’ll use the Suhama and Devoe templates as an example:
Both are one-page Personal & CV templates, but Suhama (left) is already pre-built as a portfolio site for a writer with sections for clips and work experience; meanwhile, Devoe’s demo content features little more than a full-bleed banner image and contact info. That’s not to say that Devoe wouldn’t or couldn’t be good for a writer, too, but it’ll take a lot more tinkering to get it to that point.
Overwhelmed by all of your options? Below, you’ll find a list of seven templates we think would make great sites for writers with minimal effort.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we’ve sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.
Squarespace Launches Mentorship Programme in Partnership with The Stack World
Squarespace, the leading all-in-one website builder and eCommerce platform, continues their partnership with members’ platform, The Stack World. Together they…
The post Squarespace Launches Mentorship Programme in Partnership with The Stack World appeared first on TechRound.
15 of the best Squarespace templates for artists, painters, and creative types
Establishing an online portfolio website is an important part of getting your name out there as an artist. That’s why it’s so important to pick one of the best website builders like Squarespace to show off your creations.
Whether you’re looking to attract potential clients or you simply want to have a place to showcase your work, finding the right Squarespace template is a key part of the process.
To help you narrow things down amongst a seemingly endless source of options, we’ve picked out the very best Squarespace templates for artists. All you need is a Squarespace account to be able to access the many themes to add to your website, without the need for extensive web design knowledge.
Not sure where to start or never used Squarespace before? We’re also on hand to help you out with some key questions you’re likely to have before you begin the process. From there, read below to see what we consider to be the perfect Squarespace template for every scenario.
Is Squarespace the best website builder for artists?
If you’ve been considering the advantages between Squarespace and Wordpress, we can answer this pretty simply. Squarespace offers far better design flexibility as well superior options compared to the average Wordpress theme.
Mobile friendly and packed with ecommerce tools, Squarespace has plenty of great website templates alongside an online store facility and extensive customization options. You can even define the focal point of your images so Squarespace gives you the perfect crop for thumbnails or resized images.
Better targeted towards creative entrepreneurs than the average website builder, Squarespace is a reliable option providing you know which template to use for your needs.
Is Squarespace good for artists?
Yes! The combination of beautiful templates and no-web-experience-needed entry point has for years made Squarespace a popular choice for artists who desperately need a website but do not know much about coding or design.
A majority of the templates on the site are built primarily with images in mind and make it incredibly easy to show off your painting or drawings thanks to the perfect Squarespace template for every occasion. An artist needs to be able to flex their creative muscles online, after all. But if you happen to be a sculptor, a musician, or another kind of artist not mentioned on this list, fear not as there is almost certainly already a template for you as well. Even if you’re looking for the best Squarespace templates for writers, authors, and journalists, there are extensive options out there.
What kind of website should an artist have?
An artist needs a different kind of Squarespace template than the typical best Squarespace templates for bloggers. Picking out a portfolio template is crucial as these tend to allow you to display a large image as easily as smaller details too.
Pretty much any template in theory can be used to showcase your work, but some can be easier to customize than others. Since Squarespace updated to version 7.1 in recent times and introduced its new website builder, Fluid Engine, things have gotten easier. Previously, version 7.0 categorized templates into their own template family. Groups of similarly designed templates were placed together which meant each group had its own basic structure.
Now that 7.1 is here, all 143 of Squarespace’s new templates have the same features and underlying structure so it’s easier for anyone to change their site’s style in seconds, even if they’re not a visual artist in this way.
Is Squarespace or Wix better for artists?
Comparing Wix vs. Squarespace is a good idea if you’re new to the best website builder world, but we can cut to the chase — Squarespace is the best option for image-heavy websites.
Premium Squarespace templates mean you can find the perfect template every time here, without having to feel too knowledgeable about coding or anything outside of your remit as an artist.
Which website features are most important for artists?
While that will depend on what type of work you do and how you want it to look, a few core functions are necessary for anyone looking to draw attention to a creative portfolio. Knowing how many images you’ll want to display, as well as how you want them displayed, will allow you to make a few basic decisions about overall layout. After that, the possibilities are endless so take time to think about what it is you’ll need. While some artists just want to display a portfolio, others will want their site to have a blog, a podcast, a social media presence, or an online store where they can sell their work. It can be a good idea to check out Squarespace website examples to be inspired.
Are Squarespace templates free?
Yes, all Squarespace templates are free. There’s no need to solely seek out free Squarespace templates as they’re all included under your subscription to the service, which starts at $14 per month. That means you can just easily pick a premium Squarespace template as you can anything else from the Squarespace website.
The best Squarespace template comes down to your taste and needs with different artist websites having different requirements. The best Squarespace templates for bloggers can vary a lot compared to the best Squarespace templates for hosting video.
Now you know what to expect, keep reading while we pick out the best Squarespace templates for artists and creative types.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we’ve sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out.
15 of the best Squarespace templates for bloggers and beyond
If you’ve listened to any podcast ever, you already know the spiel: Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that makes it easy to create a professional-looking online presence. Numbers-wise, it’s the second most popular web builder out there (after Wix) and the third most popular hosting service (after Wix and Shopify), supporting more than 2.8 million live websites across the internet at the time of publication.
One of the primary reasons why Squarespace has seen this success — well, aside from all of those Ira Glass-narrated ad slots — is that you don’t need any web design or coding experience to get a beautiful site up and running on its platform. With intuitive drag-and-drop building elements and a vast selection of ultra-modern templates, it’s easily one of the most beginner-friendly tools of its kind.
Truthfully, the hardest part about designing a Squarespace site is often just choosing one of those templates — there are 234 of them across Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1, the two iterations of the platform that are currently supported. How do you decide which one to use for your oil painting portfolio, your Taiwanese-American food blog, or the online store for your cool-girl jeans? (Those are all different kinds of websites that have been made with Squarespace, FYI.)
Let’s get into it — but first, a quick primer.
Why should I use Squarespace?
After fast and easy site design, the best thing about Squarespace is its all-in-one approach: Your plan includes 24/7 customer support, website metrics, SEO features, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, and video storage, all for as low as $14 a month. (That gets even cheaper if you go with a long-term plan, by the way.) Squarespace also throws in fully managed cloud hosting at no extra cost, plus a year’s worth of a new custom domain if you sign up for an annual membership. No need to set anything else up with another provider or platform.
What is a Squarespace template, exactly?
A Squarespace template (or theme) is a pre-designed, ready-to-use demo website that you can customize with different colors, pages, fonts, and drag-and-drop element blocks like text, images, galleries, buttons, and forms. Squarespace describes them as “a starting point to help inspire your site’s design,” noting that “[you] can keep the structure of your original design intact by replacing the demo content with your own, or you can completely change the design of your site and start from scratch.”
Each template has been built exclusively for Squarespace, which means you won’t find them on WordPress, Wix, or other site-building platforms.
Are Squarespace templates mobile-friendly?
All Squarespace templates are mobile-optimized from the jump, which is awesome for two reasons: Mobile-friendly sites look great on all devices and get higher priority from Google when it comes to indexing and SEO rankings.
Templates from Squarespace version 7.0 have separate mobile styles that activate on smaller devices, while their version 7.1 counterparts adapt to mobile view automatically. (More on those in a sec.) Check out Squarespace’s tips for keeping your site mobile-friendly as you continue to build it out.
Which version of Squarespace is better: 7.0 or 7.1?
Launched in 2014, Squarespace version 7.0 categorizes its 91 templates into certain template “families,” which are groups of similarly coded templates alike in their basic structure and functionality. Each one has its own rules and customization options, which means you sometimes need to swap templates and start over (and risk losing content) if you’re after a specific feature. For example, infinite scroll is exclusive to the Farro and Skye template families.
Squarespace scrapped those hard-and-fast classifications with the release of version 7.1 in early 2020. All 143 of its newer templates now belong to the same family with the same features and underlying structure, which makes it easier to change site styles in seconds.
That being said, neither version of Squarespace is conclusively “better” than the other. Version 7.1 is probably the ideal choice for people who are new to the platform since it aggressively streamlines the design process, especially since the July 2022 rollout of Fluid Engine. (That’s Squarespace’s next-gen content editor for 7.1 sites, which utilizes a grid system and additional block placement options for improved layout flexibility — particularly on mobile.)
However, users who have built a Squarespace site before may still have good reason to stick with version 7.0 — its templates have some advanced features that haven’t been added to the new ones yet. (See: parallax scrolling, one especially popular feature of the beloved Brine template family that’s missing from version 7.1; people were pretty salty about that one.)
One caveat: While it’s possible to switch between versions 7.0 and 7.1, doing so will usually require a full rebuild and mess with your site’s search ranking. On the bright side, Squarespace offers a free 14-day trial so you can noodle around with both before you commit.
Is Squarespace better than WordPress?
This one’s pretty situational. WordPress is best for people on either end of the customization spectrum: You can use the free version to create a super basic blog, or go balls-to-the-wall on a totally unique, from-scratch website with premium themes and tens of thousands of plugins. Keep in mind that the latter requires managing your own hosting, security, and updates; you may also need to hire a developer if your coding skills aren’t up to par.
Squarespace’s templates are less flexible than a custom-built WordPress site and lean hard on visuals, but they already have some great built-in features and look pretty snazzy right out of the gate — plus, all of the technical drudgery is handled by the platform itself.
Squarespace also supports the official integrations of certain services, including Apple News (to cross-publish your content), Paypal (to accept payments), and OpenTable (to let guests make reservations), along with a couple dozen third-party extensions. While not as prolific as WordPress plugins, they should be able to meet most of your and your users’ needs, no problem.
How do you find the right Squarespace template for you?
To get started, head over to the Templates tab on Squarespace’s website and filter its library by Type and Topic to narrow down your pool of candidates. You can hit “Preview” on any theme that catches your eye to see what it would look like in the wild.
Squarespace recommends choosing a template based on your favorite colors and layouts rather than the demo content you see there: “You can change the style and layout of your site at any time, but you may find it easier to start with a design that’s already close to how you want your site to appear,” reads a page on its Help Center. “For example, the Dario demo site is designed for a wedding, but you could adapt it to accept RSVPs for a different type of event, or to gather pre-orders for a new product launch.”
If you’re having trouble settling on one, know this: It’s basically impossible to make an ugly Squarespace site, and with enough time and experimentation, you can tweak almost any template to fit your exact vision and needs. But just in case you need a nudge in a certain direction, keep reading: Below, we’ve rounded up 15 of the best Squarespace templates for all sorts of sites.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we’ve sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.
6 of the best Squarespace templates for video
Looking to take your filmmaking, video-editing, or streaming talents beyond YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, or Twitch? A personal website filled with your best work can attract potential clients, grow an audience, and help flesh out your brand. It can even serve as an alternate source of income — think virtual classes or behind-the-scenes exclusives that are ripe for the monetizing.
As far as website builders go, Squarespace is a popular pick for creatives because it takes a streamlined approach to site management and design. With pricing starting as low as $14 a month, all of its plans include 24/7 customer support, unlimited bandwidth, performance metrics, SEO features, ecommerce tools, and SSL security. It also maintains a huge library of stylish, mobile-optimized templates that are easily customized using drag-and-drop page elements; you don’t need any coding experience to create a visually stunning site that runs smoothly.
Oh, and did we mention that all of those templates support video?
Truthfully (and depending on how decisive you are), this could be a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, you’ve got so many templates to choose from — 234, to be exact. On the other hand, you’ve got so many templates to choose from that it can be hard to settle on a select few, especially if you’re still not sure exactly how you want your site to look.
Below, you’ll find Mashable’s guide to choosing the right Squarespace template for video and a roundup of our current favorites.
What is a Squarespace template?
A Squarespace template or theme is a pre-built demo website that’ll serve as “a starting point to help inspire your site’s design,” according to its support center. You can leave that website mostly as-is and simply repackage the demo content with your own branding, or give it a top-to-bottom makeover with different colors, font packs, layouts, and content blocks — it all depends on how unique you want your site to be (and how much time and effort you feel like spending on it).
Templates work differently depending on the version of Squarespace you’re running. You’ve got two options as of June 2022:
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Squarespace version 7.0 contains 91 templates it sorts into different “families” that share the same fixed structure and formatting options. Some experienced Squarespace designers prefer using this version because a handful of its advanced functionalities still aren’t available in the newer one (the Brine template family’s parallax scrolling effect, for example), but the inability to mix and match features from different families can make it feel inflexible.
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Squarespace version 7.1 merged all 143 of its templates into one family, so all of them share the same features and style elements. The demo designs wind up looking a little more homogenous, but the trade-off is that you can easily switch between templates without risking content loss. Version 7.1 templates can also be built out using Fluid Engine (new as of July 2022), Squarespace’s next-gen, grid-based content editor; it offers more flexibility for block placements and layout options compared to the platform’s Classic Editor.
Some fine print: It’s technically possible to move from version 7.0 to version 7.1, but that usually involves a manual rebuild and a hit to your site’s search ranking. If you’re not sure which version you should use, go ahead and boot up Squarespace’s free 14-day trial — that’ll let you explore both before locking in a paid plan.
How do you add video to a Squarespace site?
You can add videos to your site in three different ways, which also depend on the version of Squarespace you’re running.
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Embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Animoto, or Wistia using a URL or embed code. This works with video blocks, embed blocks, gallery blocks, gallery pages, cover pages, lock screen backgrounds, and some banners and product pages (depending on the template family) in version 7.0, and with videos pages, video blocks, embed blocks, section backgrounds, lock screen backgrounds, and some gallery blocks (depending on the site area) in version 7.1. You can even include livestreams from YouTube and Vimeo, but note that they may not work after the stream is over depending on your settings.
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Upload .mp4, .m4v, or .mov files. Version 7.1 also lets you add clips directly to any videos page or section background (up to 5GB or 500MB, respectively). These play on the platform’s custom video player and feature editable titles, descriptions, URLs, thumbnails, and metadata. Note that all Squarespace plans come standard with just 30 minutes of high-resolution video storage, but you can upgrade by activating its Member Areas feature for an extra fee. (More on that in a sec.)
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Swap static images for animated .gif files. Sound-free GIFs that play and loop automatically can go anywhere on your site where images are supported, including image blocks, banners, and gallery blocks. Both versions of Squarespace give you this option.
This one comes with an important caveat as well, which is that Squarespace doesn’t include any video metrics in its analytics tab. Plays of embedded videos may add to your total view count, but you’ll have to contact your host (e.g., YouTube) for more intel.
What other video tools does Squarespace offer?
Squarespace has launched a few cool new video-related tools within the past couple years, one being the aforementioned Member Areas feature. Add it to your plan for as low as $9 a month to unlock more video storage and the ability to gate certain content on your site, including virtual workshops, tutorials, packages, and newsletters. It makes a good in-house alternative (or supplement) to Patreon or YouTube channel memberships, as you can charge users a one-time fee or a recurring subscription for access.
The other new addition to its suite is Squarespace Video Studio, a mobile app that makes it easy to create premium videos you can share directly to your site and/or on social media. Featuring professionally designed video templates you can autofill with your site’s brand styles and product images, its AI voiceover tool and built-in teleprompter (with script length suggestions!) make it easy to whip up clips on the fly. It’s free to download with any Squarespace plan or trial, with full access unlocked for Business and Commerce subscribers.
How do you pick the right Squarespace template?
Squarespace’s templates tab lets you filter its library by Type and Topic, which should help you condense your pool of candidates quite a bit. Hit the “View Demo Site” button after clicking on any template to see what a live version could look like — very few include video, unfortunately, but keep in mind that they’re fairly easy to add almost anywhere on a site. Squarespace notes that “you may find it easier to start with a design that’s already close to how you want your site to appear,” so focus mainly on colors and layouts that catch your eye.
Need some better direction? Keep scrolling to check out six Squarespace templates that work especially well for video right off the bat.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we’ve sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.