A Step-by-Step Guide to Squarespace to WordPress Migration

A Step-by-Step Guide to Squarespace to WordPress Migration

Let’s be real — Squarespace is great when you’re just starting out. It’s clean, simple, and doesn’t demand much from you technically. But as your website grows, you might start feeling boxed in. Whether it’s limited SEO flexibility, the lack of advanced plugins, or just the need for more control, it’s not uncommon for creators and businesses to start considering a switch.


If you’ve found yourself at that crossroads, you’re not alone. Squarespace to WordPress migration is a common move for people who want to scale their website, improve performance, and tap into the flexibility that WordPress offers.


But making the switch can seem intimidating, right? The good news is — with the right steps, it’s a smooth ride.


Let’s walk through exactly how to migrate your site from Squarespace to WordPress without pulling your hair out.


Why Move from Squarespace to WordPress?

Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why. Understanding the benefits of WordPress can help you feel more confident about the transition.


1. Flexibility & Control: WordPress gives you complete ownership of your site. You can choose your own hosting, modify every line of code, and use thousands of plugins to customize functionality.


2. SEO Freedom: WordPress is highly SEO-friendly. You can use plugins like Rank Math or Yoast, control metadata, create custom URL structures, and optimize performance with ease.


3. Cost Efficiency in the Long Run: Squarespace charges a monthly fee, even if your site isn’t growing. With WordPress, you only pay for hosting and optional extras.


4. Huge Ecosystem: WordPress powers over 40% of the web. There’s a solution or support community for almost anything you can imagine.


Step 1: Set Up Your WordPress Hosting

Before anything else, you’ll need a place to host your new WordPress site. Choose a reliable provider — especially one that offers performance, support, and scalability.


If you’re looking for a high-performance WordPress hosting provider, platforms like Rocon, Kinsta, or WP Engine are built specifically for WordPress and offer top-tier speed and uptime.


Once you’ve signed up, install WordPress on your hosting account — most providers offer one-click installation to make this part easy.


Step 2: Choose a Theme That Matches Your Current Design (Or Upgrade It)

Next, pick a WordPress theme. You can either try to replicate your Squarespace site’s look or take this as an opportunity for a design refresh.


There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes. Platforms like Astra, GeneratePress, and Kadence offer clean, lightweight themes perfect for customization.


You can install a theme from your WordPress dashboard under Appearance → Themes.


Step 3: Export Your Content from Squarespace

Unfortunately, Squarespace doesn’t make it super easy to migrate everything, but you can still move most of your content.

Go to your Squarespace dashboard:

This file will include pages, blog posts, images, and basic content — but not everything (more on that later).


Step 4: Import Content into WordPress

Now, head back to your WordPress dashboard:

Once done, your blog posts, pages, and content will now live inside your WordPress site.


Step 5: Manually Migrate the Remaining Pieces

Here’s the part most people forget — not everything comes over with that XML file. You may need to:


Step 6: Set Up Redirects and Preserve SEO

Don’t forget to maintain your hard-earned search engine rankings.


Use a plugin like Redirection or Rank Math to create 301 redirects from your old Squarespace URLs to your new WordPress links. This helps preserve your SEO and ensures users (and Google) aren’t landing on broken pages.

Also, submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console once your migration is complete.


Step 7: Add Plugins for Enhanced Functionality

One of the best things about WordPress? The plugins. You can add pretty much any feature to your site without needing a developer.

Some must-have plugins post-migration include:

Use this opportunity to power up your site beyond what Squarespace could offer.


Final Thoughts: Is the Migration Worth It?

Absolutely — as long as you’re prepared. A well-planned Squarespace to WordPress migration gives you more flexibility, better control, and a much stronger foundation for growth. Yes, it takes a little effort, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term work.


You’ll thank yourself later when you have a lightning-fast, fully customizable website that grows with your brand.


So if you’re still on the fence, take the leap. WordPress is ready when you are.