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A website template can look different after import because an import may transfer content without transferring the original design, while the destination platform applies its own layout and style rules. Even when the template itself is preserved, mobile layouts and browser font rendering can change what you see. The right fix depends on the source platform, destination platform, editor or version, and import method—not on a universal rule about templates.

What “import” may—and may not—bring across

Import can mean different things: moving page content between platforms, installing a template package, or switching the design applied to an existing site. Those operations do not necessarily transfer the same things. Text and images may arrive even when layout, typography, spacing, and other design choices do not.

For example, Squarespace’s instructions for moving from WordPress say that some website content can be imported, but the old site’s layout, design, and fonts cannot. In that migration, “imported” content is placed into the destination site’s design system rather than recreating the source site pixel for pixel. Squarespace also cautions that image captions can interfere with style settings. These limits apply to the documented WordPress-to-Squarespace move; they should not be assumed for every importer. Squarespace: Moving from WordPress to Squarespace

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Other platforms may not support importing an outside template at all. Wix says templates created outside Wix cannot be imported; a design from another platform must be recreated with Wix’s tools. That is different from importing content into a new design, and different again from switching between templates within one platform. Wix: About Templates

Why the destination can change the design

The destination template supplies its own structure

A template is not just a color palette applied on top of content. It can determine document structure and where elements appear. WordPress describes templates as part of a theme’s front-end structure and placement system; global settings and styles work alongside them. As a result, the same content can be arranged differently when rendered by a different template. WordPress Theme Handbook: Templates

Style defaults and template-specific features may differ

Within Squarespace version 7.0, style settings are associated with template families, and the available style adjustments depend on the template. Its guidance on switching templates says that defaults such as fonts, colors, padding, and other styling can change. Custom CSS, footers, sidebars, and some page headers can also be specific to a template. A switch can therefore leave the content in place while changing its visual treatment or removing a template-specific feature. Squarespace: Style changes FAQ and Squarespace: Switching templates in version 7.0 FAQ

Do not assume these version 7.0 details describe every Squarespace version or another site builder. Check documentation for the particular editor and operation you used before rebuilding styles that may simply be stored elsewhere.

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Responsive layouts rearrange elements

A template’s mobile view is not necessarily a scaled-down copy of its desktop view. Wix says templates are optimized for mobile and that element placement and layout may differ from desktop. A heading, image, menu, or column can move or stack differently at a narrower viewport while still following the template’s intended responsive behavior. Wix: About Templates

Fonts can render differently between browsers

Text width and line breaks depend partly on browser and device rendering. Wix notes that different rendering engines can make text wrap differently, which may change a text box’s height and push elements below it. Its troubleshooting guidance uses a 1% font-size rendering difference as an illustrative example of how a final word might wrap onto another line; it is an example, not a measured statistic or a universal threshold. Wix Editor: Troubleshooting Text

Diagnose the mismatch in a useful order

  1. Write down the exact route. Identify the source and destination platforms, editor or platform version if known, and whether you imported content, installed a template, migrated from another service, or switched templates. This matters because documented behavior differs: Squarespace describes content import limits for one migration, while Wix says external templates cannot be imported.
  2. Compare like with like. Open the same page in the same browser at the same viewport width. If you compare a desktop source preview with a narrow destination window, responsive changes can look like an import failure. Check mobile separately after establishing what differs at desktop size.
  3. Separate content from presentation. Check whether the text and media arrived, then inspect the destination’s typography, colors, spacing, header, footer, sidebars, and page structure. If the content is intact but its appearance differs, the destination may be applying its own defaults or may not have received the source design rules.
  4. Look for template-specific pieces. Review custom CSS and components such as headers, footers, and sidebars that may depend on the original template. If you changed templates, compare the available settings in the destination template rather than assuming the old template’s controls and styles still apply.
  5. Check line wrapping and font loading. Compare the same text across browsers and devices. Note where a line wraps, whether the intended font appears, and whether the text container has enough width. Adjust typography or container width in the destination editor, then inspect the elements below it because a changed line count can alter their position.
  6. Decide whether to restyle or recreate. If the importer brought content but not design, recreate the intended layout with the destination’s native blocks or elements and set styles there. If the platform does not accept outside templates, treat the source as a visual reference rather than a package that can be installed unchanged.

Capture comparable screenshots before changing anything

When a mismatch is hard to describe, save a screenshot of the source and destination at the same viewport and browser zoom. Record which page and viewport each image represents. Compare specific landmarks—header height, column widths, image placement, heading line breaks, and spacing—instead of relying on a general impression that the page “looks off.” A separate mobile capture helps distinguish intentional responsive rearrangement from a desktop styling problem.

For a manual check, open each page in the same browser, set the same window or viewport size, and capture both views. Keep the original capture before editing; after each focused change, capture the destination again at the same size. This makes it easier to tell whether a change fixed the cause or merely shifted the mismatch elsewhere.

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Common symptoms and what to check

What you see Likely explanation to investigate Next check
Text and images are present, but the page composition changed The import may have moved content without the old layout or design, as in the documented WordPress-to-Squarespace migration. Check the import’s scope and recreate the arrangement using the destination’s layout tools.
Fonts, colors, or spacing changed after a template switch The new template may use different defaults or template-family settings. Review the destination template’s style controls and identify any custom CSS or components tied to the old template.
The desktop version looks close, but mobile is rearranged The template may intentionally use different mobile placement. Compare at a consistent mobile viewport and adjust mobile layout using the platform’s editor if the result is not what you want.
A heading wraps differently and content below it shifts Font rendering, font availability, text width, or typography settings may have changed. Compare browser and device, verify the font, and adjust text width or type settings before repositioning later elements.
An outside template cannot be installed The platform may not accept templates made elsewhere; Wix documents this restriction for its templates. Rebuild the design with native elements rather than repeatedly retrying an unsupported import.

Reduce surprises in the next migration or template change

  • Inventory what must survive. Separate content from design requirements: pages, media, fonts, colors, spacing, navigation, headers, footers, and any custom CSS or template-specific feature.
  • Verify what the destination supports. Check whether it imports structure and styling, only selected content, or no external templates. Use the documentation for the exact source/destination combination and version where available.
  • Keep a visual reference. Capture representative desktop and mobile pages before migration. Include pages with long headings, image captions, sidebars, and distinctive layout elements.
  • Rebuild in layers. Confirm structure first, then typography and color, then spacing and responsive placement. This makes it clearer which layer is responsible when the result diverges.
  • Recheck across browsers and widths. A page that aligns in one browser at one width may still wrap differently elsewhere. Prioritize the devices and browsers your audience actually uses.

FAQ

Does “imported” mean the original template was copied?

Not necessarily. The word can describe moving selected content, installing a supported template, or changing a site’s active template. Confirm which operation your platform performed.

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Should I fix a mobile layout that differs from desktop?

Only if the mobile result is unsuitable. A rearranged mobile layout can be intentional; judge it at the intended mobile size and refine it in the editor if needed.

Can I expect a template from one platform to work unchanged on another?

No general guarantee follows from the sources here. Wix explicitly disallows importing templates created outside Wix; the documented Squarespace migration instead discusses importing some WordPress content without the old design.

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