How to Move Your Website from Squarespace to WordPress

If you’ve outgrown Squarespace and need more control, flexibility, or SEO power, WordPress is a smart move. But if you’re worried about migrating your content without breaking your site—or your sanity—don’t worry. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to move your website from Squarespace to WordPress step by step. No fluff, just practical help from someone who’s helped dozens of clients do exactly this.

Why Move from Squarespace to WordPress?

Squarespace is great for beginners, but its closed ecosystem can limit customization. WordPress, especially the self-hosted version (WordPress.org), gives you total control over design, features, performance, and SEO.

Here’s what you get with WordPress:

• Thousands of themes and plugins

• Better SEO tools

• Custom post types and advanced layouts

• More freedom over hosting and performance

Now, let’s dive into the process of making the move.

Step 1: Set Up WordPress Hosting

Before anything else, you need a solid hosting provider. Look for one that offers:

• One-click WordPress install

• Free SSL

• Automatic backups

• Excellent support

If you’re expecting high traffic or want extra speed, go for a managed WordPress host or container-based platforms like Rocon for better performance control.

Once you’ve chosen a host, install WordPress and you’re ready to start migrating.

Step 2: Export Content from Squarespace

Squarespace allows content export, but only in .XML format—and not everything comes over (like custom CSS, product pages, or galleries).

To export:

1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Import/Export

2. Click Export, then choose WordPress

3. Download the .XML file

Note: You may have to manually rebuild some of the more complex pages in WordPress.

Step 3: Import to WordPress

Now that you’ve got your export file:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard

2. Go to Tools → Import

3. Choose WordPress, then upload the .XML file

4. Assign posts to an existing user or create a new one

This will bring over blog posts, basic pages, and images (in most cases). You may need to reformat or re-style your content afterward.

Step 4: Choose a WordPress Theme

Pick a theme that matches or improves your old Squarespace design. Don’t rush this—your theme sets the tone for your new site.

Choose one that is:

• Responsive

• Fast-loading

• SEO-optimized

• Compatible with major plugins like WooCommerce, Yoast, and Elementor

You can find free themes in the WordPress.org theme directory, or go for a premium one from a trusted vendor.

Step 5: Rebuild Custom Pages and Features

Now it’s time to rebuild any content that didn’t migrate properly. This might include:

• Contact forms (use plugins like WPForms or Gravity Forms)

• Custom galleries (try FooGallery or Modula)

• Product pages (rebuild them using WooCommerce if you're planning to sell)

Don’t forget to recreate your site’s menus and navigation too.

Step 6: Set Up SEO Redirects

This is crucial. Squarespace URLs and WordPress URLs may not match. To avoid broken links and lost SEO rankings:

• Install a plugin like Redirection to set up 301 redirects

• Use Google Search Console to monitor crawl errors

• Set your permalink structure in Settings → Permalinks to match your old structure as closely as possible

Step 7: Transfer Your Domain

If you registered your domain through Squarespace:

1. Go to Settings → Domains in Squarespace

2. Unlock the domain

3. Get the authorization code

4. Transfer the domain to your new host or registrar

Once transferred, update your DNS settings to point to your WordPress hosting server.

Step 8: Final Checklist Before Going Live

• Test every page for formatting and broken links

• Optimize images and enable caching

• Install a security plugin like Wordfence

• Submit your new sitemap to Google

Once everything’s set, hit publish—and welcome to the freedom of WordPress.

Final Thoughts

Migrating from Squarespace to WordPress may take some time, but it’s worth it. You’ll have full control over your site, better scalability, and endless customization possibilities.

Whether you do it manually or use a migration service, just make sure you have backups in place and take it one step at a time. WordPress gives you the room to grow your website the way you want—without the walls.

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