Changing the Squarespace template isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about enhancing your brand’s presence and functionality across every device, serving your audience effectively. Many people choose Squarespace for its seamless design customization options and built-in style features.

Yet, even with these advantages, redesigning your site’s layout can be intimidating without the right guidance. Whether you’re looking to update your digital branding, improve mobile responsiveness, or utilize the vast template gallery, knowing how to adjust your website’s design is crucial.

In this guide, you’ll discover the step-by-step process to change your Squarespace template, ensuring a smooth transition that maintains your website’s content and boosts its performance.

By the end, you’ll understand how to navigate the Squarespace settings, apply new styles, and test mobile optimization effectively.

With attention to CSS styling and user experience, you’ll be equipped to transform your site while keeping your online branding consistent and effective.

How To Change The Squarespace Template: Quick Workflow

Changing your Squarespace template varies depending on the version you are using (7.0 or 7.1). Here’s a concise guide for both versions.

For Squarespace 7.0

  1. Access Template Settings:
    • Navigate to Design > Template in your Squarespace dashboard.
    • Click on Install New Template.
  2. Choose a New Template:
    • Browse through the available templates. You can preview each one by hovering over it and selecting Preview Template.
    • Once you find a suitable template, click Start with Template. This action allows you to experiment without affecting your current content.
  3. Adjust Template Settings:
    • Your new template will appear under your installed templates. You can make edits and adjustments while in preview mode.
    • Changes will not be live until you select Set as Live Template.
  4. Complete the Installation:
    • If satisfied with your adjustments, click on the option to set the new template live. If not, you can cancel the preview, and your site will revert to the previous template.

For Squarespace 7.1

In Squarespace 7.1, there is only one core template available, which limits direct template changes:

  • Restyling Your Current Template: You cannot switch templates but can modify your existing template to resemble another by adjusting site styles (colors, fonts) and layouts.
  • Rebuilding Your Site: If you want a completely different look, consider starting a new site with a 7.1 template and migrating your content from the old site.

Preparation Before Switching Templates

Documenting Existing Styles

Recording fonts, colors, and design settings is a crucial step before diving into the visual shift that comes with changing your Squarespace template.

It keeps your design elements grounded—every font choice, color scheme, and style decision essentially builds the identity of your website.

Whether you’re working on Squarespace 7.0 or 7.1, capturing these specifics ensures consistency across any new template you embrace. Style adjustments shouldn’t mean losing touch with what already feels authentic.

The importance of maintaining a consistent aesthetic can’t be overstated. When your audience visits your site, they expect familiarity—a branding that conveys trust and professionalism.

A sudden design overhaul may alienate them, disrupting their user experience. By staying true to certain core elements, you’re not just switching templates; you’re preserving an identity.

Backing Up The Current Website

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Saving content and data is less straightforward but no less important. Version 7.0 and 7.1 come with their own sets of challenges.

Losing valuable content during a transition can be a nightmare. What’s worse than starting from scratch when you didn’t intend to? Make sure you have everything stored securely before you even think about making structural changes. Use the content management system tools thoughtfully.

Creating a duplicate site for testing can be a lifesaver—Circle Members have it easy here, with the option to craft and tweak without impacting the live site. But for Non-Circle Members, finding a way to test while keeping your current site operational can feel tricky.

Creating that breathing space to experiment remains key. Without this safeguard, mistakes are less forgiving, and the stakes of a mishap are higher.

Methods for Switching Squarespace Templates in Version 7.0

Using Preview Mode

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Accessing Preview Mode is where the magic begins. Jump into your Squarespace Dashboard, navigate to the Website Builder, and locate the template you want to try on for size. A few clicks and you’re basking in the possibilities. No guesswork here; it’s all laid out, ready to explore.

Now, editing styles and content in the preview environment is where you solidify your creative vision.

Use the Style Editor to test new color palettes, layouts, and more without fear. Content blocks become your playground—arrange, realign, reimagine. You get to see changes intimately before they impact your live site.

Making the preview live is the grand finale. Once you’re satisfied with your Frontend Design experiments, set your preview active. It’s a leap into a new aesthetic world of possibilities without losing the foundation of what you’ve built. Hit that Make Live button when you’re ready to show off. Voilà!

Creating an Under Construction Page

Setting up a cover page keeps your Website Aesthetics intact while adjustments are underway. Head into your Navigation Menu, and select Add Page.

Choose Cover Page, and you’re golden. This serves as a polite “please excuse our dust” message to visitors.

Hiding header and footer for a clean display simplifies things further. You want visitors focused on the purpose—returning later.

Strip away non-critical elements like the header and footer through template settings. Just pure, clean web design customization.

Switching templates while maintaining user privacy calls for discretion. Keep details under wraps until ready. It ensures that no eyes see half-finished work. Professionalism stays intact, as you work without the public gaze.

Implementing a Sitewide Password

Setting a sitewide password through Site Availability settings offers a fortress of protection. Your User Dashboard holds this setting, letting you control who enters the construction zone. Keep things under lock and key until ready.

Designing a lock screen for a professional appearance could mean the difference between a curious click or a bounce. It’s your brand’s first line of defense. Tweak it to speak your language, embedding a snippet of what’s to come. Keep it visually appealing, on-brand, professional.

Switching Templates in Version 7.1

Exploring Template Options

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Navigating the template store is like stepping into a world teeming with possibilities. Jump into the Squarespace interface and explore the array of template options available.

Each one is a potential canvas, ready for your unique touch. These templates are categorized, making it easier to find what suits your vision and needs.

Previewing templates before installation is your next step. Click on a template to access a preview mode, where you can see how it interacts with different content types and features.

Think how each layout might fit your content management goals. This way, you ensure that the final choice aligns with your branding consistency.

Adjusting the New Template

Applying styles to match branding needs a careful eye. Once the new template is selected, use the design templates to adjust colors, fonts, and other visual elements to match your current style.

This ensures that despite the switch, your website’s aesthetic remains familiar to your users. Dive into the style editor and get your hands on these style adjustments until everything feels just right.

Rearranging content for compatibility with the new template is sometimes a realignment challenge. Content blocks might need shifting or resizing.

Consider the overall grid layout customization to maintain an effective user experience. You want your audience to navigate your site seamlessly, unaffected by any changes.

Completing and Finalizing the Template Install

Making the new template live is the climax of this transformation. Once satisfied with your adjustments, hit the button to set the new template live.

Your new design now reflects your creative efforts, ready to welcome visitors with an enhanced visual content layout.

Testing functionality and design post-installation is the final check-off. Go through each page. Test each link. Is the navigation menu smooth?

Are the multimedia elements displaying correctly? Ensure everything works perfectly, reflecting your professional web design standards. Only then consider your work complete.

Starting Fresh with a New Website

Advantages of a New Site

Retaining a fully operational current site during redesign provides stability. Your existing site serves as a reliable hub while you tinker away in the background.

No need for visitors to wonder what’s going on behind the scenes—business as usual. Meanwhile, you’re busy crafting a new digital identity.

Freedom to explore and test without affecting the live site is a luxury. Experiment with layouts, colors, and web template showcases without the fear of breaking something vital.

Dive deep into theme versatility, knowing that users won’t see your work-in-progress mishaps. It’s the ultimate sandbox, a space where creativity can breathe.

Key Considerations

Copying content vs. losing data (e.g., orders, analytics) is the crucial balance. Content migration demands precision. Lose track of orders or site analytics and suddenly there’s a leak of valuable information.

Make sure that every piece of media integration, every content block, finds its new home without disruption.

Domain transfer process (Squarespace vs. third-party domains) comes with its own quirks. Transferring a domain from Squarespace back to a third party—or vice versa—needs careful handling.

The process involves untangling current connections, ensuring smooth site availability post-transfer, and keeping a close eye on SEO optimization to dodge any potential pitfalls in visibility.

Addressing Common Issues When Switching Templates

Resolving Error Messages

Ensuring a home page is set correctly is step one. Skip this, and you’re greeted with an unwelcoming error screen that throws your users off course. The Squarespace dashboard beckons for attention. Set that homepage. Let the user experience flow uninterrupted.

Checking content migration settings comes next. Dive into those nitty-gritty details and make sure each content block lines up with your new web design template. Avoid those nasty surprises where multimedia or text vanishes into digital oblivion.

Dealing with Incompatible Content

Adapting demo content to fit existing pages is like mixing and matching puzzle pieces. Demo content often means great style but missing substance. Web template showcases might bring unwanted elements. Tailor these templates to reflect the branding consistency you’ve built.

Creating an index for consistent navigation structure is crucial. When things shift, so do page positions. Keep users oriented. An index page acts like a reliable map, ensuring every site visitor finds their way.

Restoring Site Functionality

Reverting to the previous template if needed. Sometimes the spark just doesn’t light with the new. Hit reset, backtrack to the template that played nice. It’s a safety net that’s always ready.

Keeping “old” pages organized and accessible avoids chaos. Stash them neatly. You want the web design customization efforts not lost in the shuffle. They’re still part of your site’s story, there when you, or your audience, need them.

Tips for Maximizing Squarespace Template Features

Experimenting with Templates

Benefits of trying multiple templates? Think of it as giving your site a new wardrobe. Fresh looks, fresh vibes.

Web design customization thrives on creativity and exploration. Testing different design templates helps you discover styles that elevate your brand identity and satisfy your audience’s expectations.

You might stumble upon a responsive theme that tells your story better than the last.

Leveraging Squarespace tools for customization brings those design dreams into reality. The style editorcontent blocks, and drag-and-drop design features are your playground.

Adjust typography settings, tweak navigation menus, or swap out images with ease. Each tool is a brushstroke, each tweak a splash of color, making your site uniquely yours.

Using Circle Membership Benefits

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Creating duplicate sites for seamless transitions is like having a safety net. Circle membership gives you the flexibility to clone your site, tweak away without fear, and perfect your site aesthetics before going live.

Keep your live site untouched while experiments unfold elsewhere.

Accessing exclusive resources and support unlocks new avenues for growth. As a Circle member, you tap into a wealth of knowledge.

Tutorials, community feedback, and insider tips can refine your skills, enhance your projects, and elevate your confidence. This reservoir of support becomes invaluable as you step deeper into the world of Squarespace design.

FAQ on How To Change The Squarespace Template

Can I change my Squarespace template without losing content?

Yes, you can change your template and your content will remain intact. Your pages, blog posts, and settings stick around, but specific style changes—like custom CSS—need reconfiguration.

This process allows you to redesign your website while maintaining your existing data.

How do I preview a new template on Squarespace?

Within the Squarespace interface, head to the Design section and navigate to Template.

From there, explore the template gallery and Preview any template without making permanent changes. This helps visualize how your existing content adapts to different designs.

Is switching templates reversible in Squarespace?

Switching isn’t completely reversible. While you can reapply a previous template and styles, some configurations like color schemes and fonts need manual reapplication.

It’s good to document your current settings before making changes, ensuring easy rollback if needed.

Can custom CSS be transferred when switching templates?

Custom CSS won’t automatically transfer. You’ll need to manually copy it over.

Dive into the Custom CSS section, save your existing code, and then paste it into the new template’s CSS editor. This ensures your custom styles persist after the switch.

How does switching affect SEO settings?

Your SEO settings stay intact, but it’s crucial to review configurations like meta tags and headers. Check the new template’s compatibility with your SEO strategies.

Pay attention to any layout changes that might impact site navigation, affecting search engine indexing.

What’s the best way to test a new template’s responsiveness?

After applying a new template, test its mobile responsiveness by resizing your browser and navigating through different devices.

Use online tools for a comprehensive test. Focus on user interface elements, ensuring they function seamlessly on all screens.

Are there limitations to template changes in Squarespace?

While Squarespace provides versatility, some templates offer unique features. Not all design elements are interchangeable.

Review feature specifics before making a change, especially if your site relies on certain layouts or blocks that may not transfer seamlessly.

Yes, templates often have customizable header and footer sections. Navigate to the Design settings where you can adjust content, navigation placement, and style elements.

Each template offers unique design choices, giving you more control over your site’s appearance.

Does switching templates impact site analytics?

Switching a template doesn’t typically impact your site’s analytics. However, monitor your analytics closely post-switch to ensure tracking codes remain intact and continue collecting data.

Some template changes might affect user interaction, so keep an eye on engagement metrics.

What happens to third-party integrations after changing templates?

Most integrations stay, but it’s essential to verify their functionality post-change. Check all third-party tools, ensuring they’re connecting correctly.

Some design elements might need slight adjustments if the new template affects how integrations are displayed or executed.

Conclusion

Mastering how to change the Squarespace template equips you with the ability to redefine your online space. Each step in this guide—previewing templates, managing design adjustments, and preserving critical custom CSS—unlocks new avenues for creativity. Remember, transitioning from one design to another isn’t solely about visual appeal; it involves re-evaluating elements that enhance user experience and mobile responsiveness. Ensure SEO settings and site analytics remain intact as you switch templates. Your homepagenavigation, and content management might evolve, but the core strength lies in a seamless design adaptation. With careful planning, your site maintains its identity while adopting new aesthetics.

Focus on key areas to maximize the impact of these changes:

  • Mobile Responsiveness
  • Custom CSS
  • Analytics Integrity

Ultimately, this journey strengthens your brand and remains true to your vision. By implementing strategic changes, analyze what works best while keeping an eye on how modifications could affect engagement metrics. Adapt, test, succeed.

Author

Bogdan Sandu is the principal designer and editor of this website. He specializes in web and graphic design, focusing on creating user-friendly websites, innovative UI kits, and unique fonts.Many of his resources are available on various design marketplaces. Over the years, he's worked with a range of clients and contributed to design publications like Designmodo, WebDesignerDepot, and Speckyboy among others.