Is it easy to move from Squarespace 7.0 to Squarespace 7.1?
This is the third iteration of my website since I launched my business full time in 2018 but it’s the first one on Squarespace 7.1 Before that I was using the super-versatile Brine template and for several years it served me really well. But, since Squarespace launched their brand new platform called Squarespace 7.1 in 2020 I have been designing almost all client websites on that and enjoying the design benefits it brings. So I had a case of not just FOMO but actual MO!
I didn’t make the move just for aesthetic reasons, though. I wanted to tweak my visual identity and strategic positioning anyway, so as I was reviewing every aspect of my website anyway, it made sense to start again on 7.1
So, was it an easy move to Squarespace 7.1?
Well, unfortunately there’s no magic migration button, which a lot of Squarespace users are a bit annoyed about. The thing is, 7.1 is built on an entirely different framework of code, as I understand it, so a simple switch isn’t possible. You actually have to start a fresh new site, as if you were a new Squarespace user. This means a new subscription and a new connection to your domain/or new domain, when the site is ready to go live.
Is there no way at all to move content easily from 7.0 to 7.1?
Thankfully, there is! There is a very handy Chrome extension from the really clever people at SquareWebsites which allows you to copy and paste content from 7.0 to 7.1. So, for example, I was able to use this to copy and paste over all existing web pages, including index pages from 7.0 and my blog (about 100 articles), in a very short space of time. Now I had to reorganise things a little bit from a layout perspective (which I was looking forward to doing anyway in 7.1) and I had to re-write all my SEO page titles and descriptions, but all the rest copied over very well.
Is there any reason not to move to Squarespace 7.1?
If you have a shop on Squarespace 7.0, unfortunately the Chrome extension I mentioned above does not export all aspects of your Commerce set-up. You can export your products to a csv file which can then be imported easily enough into the new site, but customer data will be lost. Also, orders can be exported for keeping as records but they cannot be imported to your 7.1 site.
What else will be lost when I move?
Customer accounts Customers with existing accounts will have to create new accounts when placing an order for the first time on the new 7.1 site.
Member accounts will be lost, and members will have to sign up again.
Mailing lists can be exported from 7.0 and imported into 7.1 if you are using the Squarespace Email Campaigns feature.
Squarespace Email Campaigns and Automations will be lost and will need to be recreated in 7.1
Squarespace Analytics will start collecting from scratch when you launch your new site. If you use Google Analytics, you can copy your tracking ID over from your old site and retain a historical view of your website analytics there.
Will my SEO drop if I move to Squarespace 7.1?
I have read that it does, but frankly I have had a ton of traffic since moving. I made sure to carefully replicate all my old site urls, including for my blog posts (this happened automatically when I migrated them over using the Chrome extension) and I still have my old domain lucydesigns.ie pointing to this site (even if my primary domain is now designsforgrowth.ie, you can have multiple domains pointing to the one site). So previous pages are still at the same address, so I don’t know whey they would lose SEO ranking. I also re-directed any urls that I no longer need to new ones, which is important.
You make it sound easy to move to Squarespace 7.1, surely it was time-consuming all the same?
It was, but not because of migrating copy and images. The time-consuming part, like for any website, was re-writing my content and actually designing the site. These are the tricky bits in getting a website right:
How do you position & sell you services?
How do you communicate your brand?
How do you communicate your value?
How are you different from your competitors?
How can you showcase the benefits & results you help your clients achieve?
All of the above is difficult and I don’t know if I have it all right yet. But I love this work and it doesn’t feel like work!
As part of trying to achieve the list above, I tweaked my visual identity with a revised colour palette and new typography. I have kept my lovely Lucy logo however, as it’s so perfectly symbolic of the guidance I provide clients on their digital journey. So I found the new site really exciting to create and the new functionalities in Squarespace 7.1 plus the new Fluid Engine editor gave me lots of flexibility and room for creativity.
One really time-consuming and tedious part was updating the thumbnail images for my blogs so that they matched my new brand colours etc. Also, I had to update my lead-magnets as they had the old branding on them too. That was boring!
So what about your old domain when you moved to 7.1?
Firstly, I was connecting a new .ie domain to the new site, so I followed the usual instructions for that (Settings/Domains/Connect a Domain I Own).
Then, when I was ready to point the old domain to the new site, I had to disconnect that domain on my old 7.0 site and then hop over to the new 7.1 site and go to Settings/Domain/Connect a Domain I Own and start the process again. This meant logging in to my domain host for my old domain and updating the CNAME and A records there, to point them to the new site. It was just one of the CNAME records that needed updating actually, the rest stayed the same.
If you registered your custom .com domain with Squarespace then this bit is simple — Squarespace provides your DNS hosting and you can move the domain right from the Squarespace domains panel in your new 7.1 site (Settings/domains)
Did you change your email address too if you were creating a new domain?
Yes, I subscribed to Google Workspace via Squarespace (Settings/Google Workspace) to avail of a free first year of email for my new email address lucy@designsforgrowth.ie I decided to do this instead of creating an email address in my domain hosting account and forwarding it to my personal Gmail, which is what I do for lucy@lucydesigns.ie as I have had lots of problems with bounced emails etc doing it this way. I am hoping that with Google Workspace email I won’t have these problems any more. So I am currently juggling two email addresses but over time I hope to just use lucy@designsforgrowth.ie
Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 Checklist
Export your sitemap using your Google Analytics account, to have an excel file of all your page urls. You will want to replicate these or redirect them on your new site
If you want to reuse a lot of your existing content, use the Squarewebsites Chrome extension to help you make the move
Note all your colours and font settings in your 7.0 Design Menu so you can add them to your 7.1 Site Styles menu (totally different set-up but much more flexible to use)
Start your trial site in your Squarespace dashboard by clicking on the black button that says ‘Create Website’
In 7.1 you are offered a selection of templates, but be aware that these are actually all the same template, just different suggested layouts. Unlike Squarespace 7.0 where each template had different functionalities, in 7.1 all sites are built on the one template. So at this point you are just looking at suggestions for layouts, but all sites do the same thing and have the same possibilities.
Other things to think about
Don’t forget to cancel your old site subscription and contact Squarespace to let them know you’ve made the move so they can refund you any remaining months left on your subscription.
Copy over any External API keys to the new site, such as your Google Analytics ID, Facebook Pixel etc
Copy over any site-wide Code Injection snippets (like a ‘back to top’ button or other custom code)
Activate any extensions or integrations you were using on the new site (and make a note to disconnect them from your previous site).
Configure the Cookie banner (I suggest using cookie-script.com) and your Cookie Policy
Make sure you have a Privacy Policy and T&Cs for your new site
Check every link on your new site, set up a 404 page in case of errors/bad links
