Getting started with Squarespace FAQ

Building a website for yourself or your business is an exciting undertaking. You get to craft your messaging and decide how you want to express it. That said, you may not be entirely sure of how you’d like to do that. Squarespace has multiple tools to help you wrangle your ideas together and create a website that expresses your message in a beautiful way. 

Let’s talk about some of the common questions we get from folks who are just getting started with Squarespace. 

 

1. Which template should I pick? 

If you’ve visited our templates page, you’re likely aware that we have quite a few templates to choose from. Plenty of templates means plenty of options, but what if you’re not sure what would work best?

First and foremost, you won’t be limited by whichever template you select. Squarespace 7.1 templates were designed with site flexibility and evolution in mind as they have the same underlying functionality and styling options. For example, you have the same blog page layout options on every template. 

All of that said, we understand that selecting the right template for you can make your website designing experience quicker. 

Intake form 

When you first visit the templates page, you’ll be shown an intake form consisting of two questions: 

1. What’s your site about? (ex: Photography, Marketing, Portfolio, Wedding, etc.) 
2. What do you want to do with your site? (ex: Get appointments, Sell products, Send invoices, etc.) 

You’ll then be asked how you’d like to start building your site: with Squarespace Blueprint AI (more about this below) or by selecting a premade template from a curated list. You can skip the intake form, but we encourage you to use it, especially if you’d like some initial guidance. 

Use filters

At the top of the template page, you’ll see different filters you can apply to limit the number of templates you see. You can narrow down by the type of site you’re creating and by the topic of your site. When these filters are applied, you’ll be shown the most relevant options. 

 

2. Where can I get some initial inspiration? 

When you first start building your site, you may not know exactly how you’d like it to look. Or maybe you have no idea how you’d like it to look, and that’s totally okay! We have two resources right on the Squarespace homepage that can be a big help if you’re looking to be inspired. 

Website Examples

A link to real Website Examples is located in the footer of the homepage. This is a collection of the most beautiful, functional, and inspirational websites made by Squarespace users. You can browse through exceptional portfolios, online stores, blogs, restaurants, and local business sites to get an idea of how others are using Squarespace. 

Industry-specific landing pages 

Scroll all the way down to the footer of the Squarespace homepage and look under the Customers column. There, you’ll see different links to informative landing pages that are specific to different industries, such as: fitness, beauty, restaurants, and artists. 

Each landing page was designed to not only help you select the right template, but also to recommend other products that may be useful to you.

 

3. What is Squarespace Blueprint AI and why would I want to use it? 

There are two paths you can take when building a site on Squarespace. You can start with one of our premade designer templates or you can build your own template with Squarespace Blueprint AI. 

When using Squarespace Blueprint AI, you’ll be prompted to build a homepage and add any preformatted pages to your template that you’d like.

You’ll then have the option to use Squarespace AI to generate a first draft of text on your homepage. We’ll talk more about AI tools below, but you’ll be asked to describe your site and then choose a writing style (neutral, playful, professional, etc.) you want for the text. 

You may want to use Squarespace Blueprint AI if you’re not sure where to start and/or want guided assistance. It’s a great tool to use if you’re just getting started with Squarespace as it quickly generates a site that meets your specifications, but that is far from generic. 

You can also edit everything you designed within Squarespace Blueprint AI once your site is generated to really make it your own. 

 

4. How can I improve AI text output? 

Whether your site is for personal use or for your business, you likely want it to have content that is a unique and real reflection of you or your brand.  AI tools are becoming more sophisticated and omnipresent by the day, but some folks approach them with a fair amount of hesitation because they’re unsure if AI generated text can capture the heart of their message. 

It’s important that you consider AI generated text to be a first draft of content. You’ll want to review it to ensure it’s accurate and appropriate for your site, and edit it to add your own voice. 

That said, Brand Identity is a helpful tool to take advantage of before adding AI generated text to your site. When using the Brand Identity tool, you’ll write a description of your site and choose a writing style. This helps our AI tools generate text that’s more closely aligned with your messaging. 

As a tip, when describing your site or business, be sure to include specific details, like  your values or where you’re located.

Let’s use an example for Lolasana, a fictional yoga studio. A description like, “Lolasana is a yoga studio located in NYC that aims to make yoga accessible to all. We believe in the mental health benefits of practicing yoga and meditation” is better than “Lolasana is a yoga studio in NYC”. 

You can access Brand Identity to make changes at any time within the Brand panel. As your messaging evolves, your AI output can evolve with you. 

As a note, when you use Squarespace AI, you agree to the Content Generation Terms. 

 

5. What’s the right color palette and font pack for my site? 

The color palette you choose for your site can create character. Think about what you’re trying to evoke and decide which colors fit that mood. For example, if you sell all natural skincare products, earthy color tones could make sense. If you sell desserts, fun and bright pops of color could make sense. While there are a number of designer color palettes for you to choose from, you’re not limited to them. You can create custom colors, use Hex/RGB, or HSL codes, and even build a palette from an uploaded image. 

Similar to how you select a color palette for your site, you also select a font pack. Font packs are type combinations that are applied to different kinds of text on your site. Different types of fonts evoke different moods. With Squarespace, you can choose between three types of font packs: 

• Serif fonts have a more classic feel. 
• Sans-serif fonts have a more modern feel and are more common for text on the web. 
• Mixed uses both styles. 

The type of font you choose ultimately depends on what kind of mood you want to set for your site. Just keep in mind that less is more, and it’s best not to have more than two fonts throughout your site.  

If you’re looking for more advice on selecting the right color palette or font pack for your site, you’re in the right place. The Forum is a great place to connect with a community of beginners and pros alike for more subjective questions, like “What’s the best color palette for me?”. Here are a couple categories you may find helpful: 

• Feedback on your site 
• Site Design & Styles