How to Migrate from Squarespace to WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you looking to migrate from Squarespace to WordPress? Whether you’re seeking more customization options, better SEO tools, or the freedom to work with thousands of themes and plugins, WordPress offers the flexibility and control that Squarespace may lack. In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the exact steps to successfully transfer your content and design from Squarespace to WordPress.

Why Move from Squarespace to WordPress?

While Squarespace is an excellent platform for beginners, it has limitations—especially when your website grows or you want more design freedom. WordPress, on the other hand, is an open-source content management system (CMS) that powers more than 40% of websites globally. It allows full control over your website, offers a vast ecosystem of plugins and themes, and is widely favored for SEO optimization.

So, if you’re ready for scalability, customization, and long-term growth, switching to WordPress is the right move.

Step 1: Choose a Hosting Provider and Install WordPress

Before migrating anything, you’ll need to set up your WordPress environment. Start by selecting a reliable WordPress hosting provider. Most of the modern hosts offer one-click WordPress installation, making the process super simple.

Once installed, your new WordPress dashboard is where your content will be imported, designed, and managed.

Step 2: Export Content from Squarespace

Squarespace allows you to export content in an XML format, although it comes with limitations. Here’s how:

• Log in to your Squarespace account and go to Settings > Advanced > Import/Export.
• Click on Export, then choose WordPress when prompted.
• Squarespace will generate an XML file containing blog posts, pages, and images (but not everything, more on that below).
• Download and save the file to your computer.

Note: Not all content will be exported. Product pages, audio/video blocks, image galleries, and custom CSS won’t be included. You’ll need to migrate these manually.

Step 3: Import Content into WordPress

Now it’s time to move your exported content into WordPress:

• In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Tools > Import.
• Click Install Now under the WordPress option, then Run Importer.
• Upload the XML file you downloaded from Squarespace.
• Assign authors to imported posts or create new ones.
• Make sure to check “Download and import file attachments” for images.

After the import completes, visit your posts and pages in WordPress to ensure everything looks correct.

Step 4: Manually Migrate Missing Content

Unfortunately, Squarespace doesn’t export everything. You’ll need to manually copy the following:

• Product pages and eCommerce content – If you’re using Squarespace for eCommerce, recreate your product listings using WooCommerce in WordPress.
• Images and galleries – Squarespace galleries won’t export correctly, so re-upload them manually.
• Custom styles and CSS – Transfer custom styles by manually editing the WordPress theme or using a child theme.
• Video/audio embeds – These may need to be re-embedded in your WordPress pages or posts.

Step 5: Choose and Customize a WordPress Theme

Designing your WordPress site starts with choosing a theme. WordPress offers thousands of free and premium themes that you can install with a single click.

If you’re looking for a custom design, consider using a WordPress Theme Creator to build your theme from scratch—no coding required.

Alternatively, if you’re just getting started, explore a collection of beautifully designed Free WordPress Themes to find one that matches your style and brand.

Step 6: Set Up WordPress Plugins

One of the biggest advantages of WordPress over Squarespace is its massive plugin ecosystem. These are some essential plugins to install:

• DefiniteSEO for search engine optimization
• Jetpack for security and performance
• WooCommerce if you’re running an online store
• Contact Form 7 for form creation

With the right set of plugins, you can extend the functionality of your site far beyond what was possible with Squarespace.

Step 7: Fix URLs and Set Up Redirects

After migration, it’s important to ensure that your old URLs still work or redirect properly to avoid SEO losses. You can use a plugin like Redirection Manager to map Squarespace URLs to their WordPress equivalents.

Also, check your site for broken links using tools like Broken Link Checker, and update them as needed.

Step 8: Optimize for SEO and Launch Your Site

Now that your content and design are in place, it’s time to optimize and launch:

• Set your permalinks to a clean URL structure (Settings > Permalinks).
• Submit your site to Google Search Console.
• Create and submit a sitemap.xml using your SEO plugin.
• Test your website speed using Google PageSpeed Insights and optimize where necessary.

Once everything looks good, it’s time to make your WordPress site live.

Final Thoughts

Migrating from Squarespace to WordPress can be an excellent decision if you’re looking for more flexibility and control over your website. While the process might seem overwhelming at first, breaking it down into clear steps makes it manageable and effective. It’s important to plan carefully, ensuring you back up your data, handle any missing content, and test your site thoroughly once the migration is complete. By choosing the right hosting, WordPress theme, and plugins, you can ensure a smooth transition and a high-performing WordPress site that suits your needs and grows with your business.