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You can move supported Squarespace content into WordPress with Squarespace’s WordPress-format XML export, but it is not a complete site clone. Posts, selected pages, text, some images and galleries can transfer; design settings, custom CSS, many page types, store content and several blocks require rebuilding. Keep the Squarespace site published while you export, import and test the WordPress replacement, then change the domain only after URLs, media and key functions work.
What actually moves from Squarespace to WordPress?
Squarespace’s official export guide warns that “Not everything will export, as many features rely on our platform’s JavaScript and CSS.” The XML is a content transfer format, not a pixel-for-pixel backup. The source site must be active, published and publicly accessible; trial sites cannot use the export. See Squarespace’s Exporting your site guide.
| Content | XML export behavior |
|---|---|
| Layout pages | Supported |
| Blog posts and comments | One selected blog; up to 1,000 comments per post |
| Text and image blocks | Supported; some other blocks provide only minimally structured text |
| Gallery pages | Supported, including York project pages in Squarespace 7.0 |
| Design settings and custom CSS | Not exported |
| Album, cover, index, info, calendar, portfolio and store pages | Not exported |
| Page-specific headers, footers and sidebars | Not exported |
| Additional blog pages, dropdowns, audio, product and video blocks | Not exported |
| Drafts | Not exported |
| Some linked files, including PDFs | May appear in XML but still fail to import |
Plan the migration as content import followed by design and feature reconstruction. Do not deactivate Squarespace before the replacement is checked.
Choose the WordPress destination before exporting
The procedure differs between hosted WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress installed with a hosting provider.
| Decision point | WordPress.com | Self-hosted WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Import path | Use the documented Squarespace importer or guided importer | Use the WordPress Importer |
| Images | Importer attempts to copy images to WordPress.com; externally linked images can be missed | Imported posts may retain references to Squarespace files; manual download and upload may be necessary |
| Domain | Connect or transfer the domain after the new site is ready | DNS steps depend on your host and registrar |
| Commerce | Import a Squarespace product CSV through WooCommerce | Use the WooCommerce product importer or another documented workflow for your host |
These distinctions are documented in WordPress.com’s Squarespace import guide and the Squarespace export guide. Neither source guarantees that every image, plugin, theme or commerce configuration will transfer.
Stage 1: Inventory the Squarespace site
Make the inventory before changing DNS or beginning the export. It becomes your rebuild and acceptance checklist.
- Record every public URL, including blog posts, landing pages, policy pages, downloads and media that visitors need.
- Mark which content is a blog, gallery, portfolio, store, form, embed or custom layout.
- List images, PDFs, audio, video, newsletter forms, booking elements and third-party embeds that depend on Squarespace.
- Save copies of custom CSS, brand assets, navigation labels, metadata and analytics settings for manual recreation.
- Identify every page or block that the export table above excludes.
Keep the Squarespace site published and publicly reachable. WordPress.com’s importer may need to retrieve images while the source remains online.
Stage 2: Export the Squarespace XML
- Sign in to Squarespace and open Import & Export Content.
- Choose Export, then select the WordPress icon.
- If prompted, select the primary blog. Squarespace exports only one blog page.
- Download the generated XML file and keep an untouched backup.
The export includes supported layout pages, one blog’s posts and comments, text and image blocks, and supported galleries. It does not include the excluded page types, style settings, custom CSS, drafts or store/product blocks. A post’s export is limited to 1,000 comments.
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- Build the WordPress site on its temporary address or staging environment. Install the theme and essential plugins you intend to keep.
- Set the site language, user accounts and basic reading settings before importing.
- On WordPress.com, go to Tools → Import and choose the Squarespace importer; use the guided importer if the specific option is not listed.
- On self-hosted WordPress, install or open the standard WordPress Importer and upload the XML.
- Map imported authors to existing WordPress users or create new users when prompted.
- Run the import while the Squarespace site remains public. Do not point the production domain yet.
Import completion does not prove that media or formatting is correct. Review the imported posts and pages individually.
Will my images transfer?
Check the Media Library and representative pages immediately after import. WordPress.com attempts to import images, but its guide says images created from external links may be missed. With the self-hosted importer, Squarespace warns that posts can retain image URLs pointing to Squarespace; those images can fail when the Squarespace site is deactivated. Download missing files from Squarespace and upload them to WordPress, then replace broken references. Source: Squarespace export instructions and WordPress.com import instructions.
Stage 4: Rebuild design and unsupported features
Choose and configure a WordPress theme; the XML does not carry over Squarespace style settings or custom CSS. Recreate the header, footer, navigation, typography, spacing and responsive layouts rather than looking for a missing import option.
Recreate manually
- Album, cover, index, info, calendar, portfolio and store pages.
- Additional blogs, dropdown navigation and page-specific headers, footers and sidebars.
- Audio, product and video blocks, forms, booking tools and third-party embeds.
- Custom CSS effects, interactive sections and any Squarespace-specific JavaScript behavior.
- Downloads that imported as links but point to unavailable files.
Compare every high-value page with its Squarespace version at desktop and mobile widths. Confirm headings, image alt text, captions, internal links, forms, embeds and accessibility labels.
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Stage 5: Keep familiar URLs and test redirects
Set WordPress permalinks before launch. WordPress.com’s example preserves a Squarespace blog pattern such as /blog/[BLOG-POST-TITLE] with the WordPress pattern /blog/%postname%. Use the equivalent setting available in your WordPress installation.
- Export or manually record the old URL inventory from Stage 1.
- Set the permalink structure and verify several imported posts before publishing the new site.
- Create an old-to-new redirect map for every URL that changes.
- Test old URLs, redirected URLs, canonical links, navigation and XML sitemaps on the staging or temporary domain.
- After domain cutover, test redirects again from an external browser session.
Matching paths and adding redirects helps visitors and crawlers find moved content, but the cited migration guides do not promise preserved search rankings. A URL change is a technical risk to manage, not a guaranteed SEO outcome.
Stage 6: Migrate a Squarespace store separately
Store pages and product blocks are excluded from the Squarespace XML. WordPress.com documents a separate route: in Squarespace Inventory, export all products to CSV, then import that CSV with WooCommerce’s product importer. This is separate from the site-content XML import.
- Check product names, descriptions, prices, SKUs, images, variants, stock and categories.
- Rebuild customer-facing shop, cart, checkout, tax, shipping, payment and email settings in the chosen WooCommerce setup.
- Test a complete purchase flow, including confirmation and refund procedures, before changing the domain.
The official instructions describe the CSV and XML mechanics, not a guarantee that every commerce setting or customer record migrates.
Stage 7: Verify before switching the domain
- Open the home page, navigation, contact page, legal pages and every important landing page.
- Check imported posts, comments, author attribution, categories, tags, dates and featured images.
- Search the Media Library for missing or externally hosted images and repair them.
- Test forms, embeds, downloads, video, analytics, cookie controls and accessibility on mobile and desktop.
- Crawl or manually test the old-to-new URL map, including trailing-slash and case variations used by your old links.
- Confirm HTTPS, robots settings, sitemap generation and canonical URLs on the destination.
- For stores, test product pages, variants, inventory, checkout, payment and transactional email.
Leave Squarespace online during this review. WordPress.com advises connecting or transferring the domain only after the new content and design are satisfactory. For self-hosted WordPress, follow your selected host’s current DNS instructions; the required records vary by provider and registrar.
Stage 8: Cut over and retire Squarespace carefully
- Schedule the DNS or domain change for a period when you can monitor the site.
- Connect or transfer the domain on WordPress.com, or update DNS according to the self-hosted provider’s instructions.
- Confirm that the domain serves the WordPress site over HTTPS.
- Re-test priority pages, redirects, images, forms and checkout from a fresh browser and mobile connection.
- Keep the Squarespace subscription and source content available until you have completed the post-launch checks and no longer need its files.
Do not cancel Squarespace immediately after the XML download: self-hosted imports may still reference its image files, and the source is your comparison copy while you repair omissions.
Migration decision checklist
- Use WordPress.com when you want a documented guided importer and hosted domain workflow, while accepting that externally linked images can still be missed.
- Use self-hosted WordPress when you need host-level control and are prepared to manage DNS, themes, plugins and manual media replacement.
- Hire a migration specialist when unsupported layouts, multiple blogs, complex integrations or a large store make the reconstruction and redirect inventory too extensive for your team.
Whichever destination you choose, treat the XML as a starting point, not the finished site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move a Squarespace site without keeping Squarespace online during the import?
Keep the published Squarespace site online until importing and verification are complete. The importer may need public access to retrieve media, and self-hosted WordPress imports can retain links to Squarespace images.
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No migration guide cited here guarantees rankings. Preserve established paths where possible, create and test redirects for changed URLs, and verify canonical and sitemap settings after launch.
Can the Squarespace XML move my online store?
No. Store pages and product blocks are excluded from the XML. Export products to CSV from Squarespace Inventory and import them through WooCommerce, then rebuild and test the shopping experience.
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