FabiSantiago

Echoing. Fluid engine is a nightmare. I've built five sites using the new interface, and have wasted hours troubleshooting problems with navigation, placement, and TONS of utterly maddening glitches. Images don't load into frames. Adjustments to styles revert at random. I frequently have to repeat steps - placement of frames, addition of images to frames, altering colors - because they revert at random. There are days when I walk away from a job because I am so upset at having to complete simple operations three or four times to get them to stick. The navigation icon randomly squishes and then reverts to proper dimensions. We have a running joke about it. We call it The Nubbin Nav. None of this is user error, and what I am describing barely scratches the surface of issues tormenting me since the switch. I'm shopping platforms and allocating the time I save to publicly clowning on this busted joke of a site builder. 

Garbage - absolute garbage.  I spend so much time getting it right, and then my site changes.  Things just disappear.  And when I send screenshots to customer support of before and after (it's happened multiple times, so I started screeningshotting right after I made the edit and then a few days later), they just send me links to how to use the editor.  Things are literally shifting and disappearing on my page, and somehow it's not their problem - it's mine.  Seriously considering leaving Squarespace. 
@ShaneGardner I asked customer service if I could revert and they said no.  Luckily, I only "upgraded" one page.  They did tell me I could recreate the page with the old editor, but when I went to do it, it defaulted to the fluid editor.  So I'm stuck with one of my most important pages being something I can't rely on... I have to check it regularly to see if the content has shifted around or deleted itself.  

I agree. The fluid editor is absolute trash.. Clearly not ready.
We just paid to have our websites re-done and now they look someone with no skill has designed them. 
Every website we run now looks horrible, none of the text fields align correctly, spacing is all out -  it makes our businesses image take a huge dive.  
Nothing worse then going on a prospective client's page and their website looks slightly out.
One of our operational values  is 'an eye for detail' ... great..
Has anyone found a way to revert any 'upgraded' sections back to the old editor? 

It's horrible and now my site is completely screwed and I've spent hours trying to fix and chatting with associates trying to make me feel like i'm the problem. It's bad enough they don't have live customer service phone numbers which I bit the bullet on. I've been using squarespace for years and have multiple sites with them. If this isn't fixed, I will definitely be switching platforms before my renewal. I understand what they were trying to do but they obviously did not run enough test because there are sooo many bugs.

Yup. A shocking change and it was out before I had the slightest idea it was coming or how to use it. It's the kind of idea that I was amazed SS didn't have when I started to build my website. Now they've got it, I don't want it!

I agree it's terrible. Why do I have to make separate designs for desktop and mobile? Mobile version is terrible, never looks as intended. I don't want to move boxes all day like a warehouse employee. I bought Squarespace for my website because ut was simple, looked great. Now it's more clunky than Wordpress that I hate with passion. 

As can be seen in the attached thread, fluid engine is not being received well by myself and many others. I am starting this thread as a sort of coping mechanism for users. I am considering changing platforms after using SS since version 5. This fluid engine update, with no reversion options, is unforgivable. The engine is not ready for public use at best and at worst should be abolished. It goes against the original philosophy of SS - keep things simple and idiot-proof. Well, they have successfully alienated that mission and all of us as well. https://forum.squarespace.com/topic/221449-new-fluid-engine-section-block-update/
 

100%. I have 5 websites on SS, been using since version 5 and this is the worst SS has ever treated their customer base. I never even got an email letting me know about fluid engine, let alone asking for my input about new features. Nope! Just roll it out on everyone with no way to revert to the classic editor. I would like to permanently block it from touching my sites. The headaches this has caused me and many others is simply unforgivable. We now have so much more to worry about, and working with this fluid editor is just plain awful. The mobile editor is a joke. I guess now that SS is a publicly traded company they don’t care as much about us. It’s a shame. They arent even on these forums and call it “community”. Its really a board to help us cope with their bad decisions at this point. I have emailed my complaint to them but can guarantee I’ll get a canned response like “we’ll forward your feedback to the right people”…sure, because you’ve proven my feedback is so so important to you. 
 
and to add insult to injury they just raised their prices across the board. Unreal. I am angry. 

I tried again yesterday to come to terms with FE, spending several hours trying to (re) create classic and basic SS styles using FE + an open mind, and ended up on the verge of leaving Squarespace -EVERYTHING to do with image blocks is gone; image styles (poster, overlap, etc.) animations, the option to add a caption, just trying to get text and buttons to align properly ... and then do the whole thing again anywhere I want that layout. (And then edit for mobile)

And the mobile rendering? 🤯  Yes, it's nice to eliminate or change a section on mobile view without CSS, but to have to check and edit/redesign the entire site as you go because with FE mobile now renders based on timeline (when you added the sections/blocks!) 
It's all over the place ... 
Who are the people FE was tested on that determined it was faster and more intuitive?? For sure not the general DIY population who are the backbone of SS, and not designers ...

There are advanced designers who are loving the flexibility and can use advanced CSS, HTML and Java to make it work for them, but many of us do not fall into that category. I dare say, the majority of SS users do not.

Maybe Im the only one, but I actually really like the option of spacer blocks. I use them to set up my own even grid, and serve many purposes ...they are a fundamental tool. 
As are image block options ...please give us the OPTION to use FE

This forced "migration" to FE is going to be disastrous for many long time loyal SS customers. 
Are you reading these threads?? 
PLEASE make FE a CHOICE! And keep classic not just for a few months, but forever. Just as you have with 7.0 and 7.1 -proving that it's possible.
 
 

Hello, I find Fluid Engine very confusing, so I'd like to disable it for now. Although I don't see how to do it? 
Circle Members can disable that from Circle Labs page, but how to do it for a regular user? 

What about non-circle members?
I'm scared of accidentally clicking on that upgrade button. Srsly, I tried FE on a test website and it's a half-baked attempt at a website builder. It looks like Wix, lmao, and it's glitchy as hell.

What about non-circle members?
I'm scared of accidentally clicking on that upgrade button. Srsly, I tried FE on a test website and it's a half-baked attempt at a website builder. It looks like Wix, lmao, and it's glitchy as hell.

What about non-circle members?
I'm scared of accidentally clicking on that upgrade button. Srsly, I tried FE on a test website and it's a half-baked attempt at a website builder. It looks like Wix, lmao, and it's glitchy as hell.

What about non-circle members?
I'm scared of accidentally clicking on that upgrade button. Srsly, I tried FE on a test website and it's a half-baked attempt at a website builder. It looks like Wix, lmao, and it's glitchy as hell.

I've been working and using SQSP as a designer since 2008 when it was version 5. I am in agreement with everyone here that this version is not ready for prime time. I thought I would immediately convert a project I was working on for a new client, into fluid engine page layouts. OMG! This is so not fun to work with and has literally made me noxious trying to figure out how to work with it. It's mind blowing that SQSP released this and even more that there's a whole army of people trying to make it seem like everything is totally cool and awesome! Not cool and definitely lightyears from awesome. 

I'm cursing too!! This new site design is not working for me either. I upgraded one section on the home page and now all the spacing is off. Looks terrible on mobile and all I was doing was updating a product picture. I've been trying to align buttons and text to match the rest of the page and look good on other platforms but for hours now it has been fruitless. I want the classic version back as well. It was much easier to use and looked clean and crisp. I have no idea how to fix things and I certainly don't want to continue to use the new version. If anyone has ideas on how to fix or go back to the older version I would love it.

Exactly!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯.  Summed it up perfectly. SS main attractiveness is that it was simple for just about anyone. It was perfect for a lot of people. This new change has caused me not to even want to open square space anymore and ask for a refund. Committed users like me for years, don’t have time to deal w this crazy type of change. We are busy running out business and this wasn’t fair. Help. SOS please. Thank you’ 

Not wrong 🤯

I'm mostly just posting this so SS receives as much feedback as possible about how much this update sucks. I have never worked with something so buggy and temperamental before. Every time I make a change, I come back and it looks different. And trying to get the mobile site to look halfway decent takes way too much effort. 
I've created some pages using FE that I wouldn't have been able to make using the old editor, but now I'm afraid if I switch back to the classic it'll be even more of a headache. Has anyone done this successfully? 

I have noticed that too— overlords best send an official ambulance to address this STAT!! Tbh it's all just even more evidence that a tablet breakpoint will be CRUCIAL to making this new engine a legit success instead of just a fleeting novelty... preferably implemented in a way that uses the desktop layout by default tho (just with a new "add breakpoint" button between the mobile/desktop toggles) to allow optional customization, so as to not fully triple design time on simpler pages lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ siiiiigh.
The age of standard screen sizes has been over for an embarrassingly long time. So far FE is dazzlingly cool, but imho it simply isn't remotely sustainable (or even stable) enough to become the new client standard yet. 

Site URL: https://insidethesquare.co/fluid
Fluid Engine was officially announced today and I am over the moon excited about it! It has been SO HARD to not talk about this - so happy it's the 21st!! 😅

For anyone not familiar with FE yet, I made a quick overview video about what's new & different, what is still the same, and even recorded a quick screenshare to show off some exciting editing basics. It's all live on my YouTube channel ( https://youtube.com/insidethesquare ) and my site ( https://insidethesquare.co/fluid )

I am totally going to redesign my site with FE next month! Anyone else jumping on the band wagon with me??

I wish I had the answer for how NOT to work in Fluid Engine ever again as well. I have run multiple squarespace sites for years in complete avoidance of wordpress and others because with squarespace I could always count on looking good in any view - desktop, mobile etc. Worked on a page last night that took twice as long as it should have and looked absolutely horrific on mobile because I didn't realize that I have to SETUP BOTH now...I feel like I'm in a wordpress nightmare not the place I've grown to love through the years.
Please let me turn this off and use the classic editor for ALL sites even the new ones because I can't stand it. Also the little upgrade button on every single section has to go away...please....

Hate hate hate this. Squarespace user for probably 15 years now. The very reason I use this is because sections are easy. I just finished exhaustively learning and now this serious grade five FE arrives to make everything impossible. Constantly having to switch back to classic is seriously annoying. 
I've been using SquareKicker, which is super simple to adjust layouts easily. Why SS didn't simply buy them out and integrate and bam, we're done: same easy SS layouts and simple tweaking for mobile. 
Honestly I have come to detest SS. Hundred million company and can't provide simply module building upgrades in any real way. Why, for example, did SquareKicker kick SS's ass with a small 5 person team? How did that ever happen? Why do I have to pay them the same amount as SS every month to add little tweaks necessary to a site in 2022? 
The misstep in FE just makes me growl. It's so annoying, and buggy, and ugh....I just can't. 

Oh my gosh, Fluid Engine is worse than I feared. I ended up biting the bullet and putting a few hours into learning it yesterday, and find out it's incredibly buggy when it comes to how it displays a page on a smart phone.
Example: it's very common for me to put an element (e.g. a social link) at the bottom of a section, only for it to appear (on a phone) at the top of the section. (Does this also appear in the "mobile view" preview? Yes. Can I edit in the "mobile view" preview? No, confusingly.)
Another example: there's a long, empty space in one of the sections (about 1 screen tall) that appears in mobile view. Can I get it out? Nope.
I trust that SS will fix these problems. In the meantime, it'd be nice if I could make a good-looking website using the old SS.
Squarespace employees who might be reading this: you're putting your product at risk. You're gambling with your company.

THIS 👆 please please make Fluid Engine optional!! A toggle on/off …there are many features which have the *potential* to be great, but for so many reasons we are begging to give us the option to continue to work on 7.1 as it is.