Eight Smart Things To Do Before Launching Your Squarespace Website
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Setting up a Squarespace website? There’s a bit more to it than just picking a template and throwing in some content.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news 🙈 … but if you’re here, you probably already knew that… and you’re probably wondering if there’s a checklist for what you need to do before you launch your Squarespace site.
I gotchu!
To really make your site work well and reach your audience effectively, you’ll want to pay attention to a few key settings. Let’s go through eight setup tasks that will help.
Before we get started though, if you want my Ultimate Squarespace Launch Checklist that goes into a TON more detail, you can grab it for free right here:
01. Secure Your Site with HTTPS
Security isn’t just for the big guys. Ensuring your Squarespace site uses HTTPS is vital for protecting your visitors' data. Go to Settings > Advanced > SSL and hit ‘Secure’. This not only protects your site but also improves your Google rankings, as secure sites are favored by search engines.
This is typically set for you already, but it’s always good to doublecheck.
02. Add a Favicon
Your favicon, also known as browser icon, might seem like a small detail, but it’s your brand’s tiny billboard on browser tabs and bookmarks. If you don’t add one, you’ll have that default little black square, and that is a waste of branding my friend.
Set yours by going to Settings > Browser Icon, and upload your favicon file. It’s a little touch that instantly makes your site look professional and credible.
Here’s a step by step guide on how to change your Squarespace favicon.
03. Set Up Your Cookie Banner
If you're operating in or targeting customers in regions with digital privacy laws (like the EU, and increasingly different U.S. states), you’ll need a cookie banner. Head over to Website > Utilities > Website Tools > Cookies and Visitor Data to set up your banner, making sure you comply with legal standards like GDPR.
04. Optimize Your Images
Large images can slow down your website, which can both hurt your SEO, and frustrate visitors, causing them to bounce. Keep your images looking high-quality but small in file size — no more than 500 KB if possible, or even 250 KB for faster loading. This can be done before you upload them (which is what I recommend) or by using Squarespace's built-in image editing tools (which I haven’t personally used).
05. Check All Forms
Make sure every form on your site, from contact forms to newsletter sign-ups, is properly set up. Go into the settings for each form to ensure they’re connected to the correct storage option, like your email account, a CRM like HoneyBook (what I use - get 25% off with my affiliate link) and/or ConvertKit (the email marketing service I use, affiliate link).
6. Review and Adjust Mobile Responsiveness
A huge chunk of web browsing happens on mobile devices, so check how your site looks on phones and tablets. Squarespace has a toggle to easily view your site in mobile mode. You’ll see a little blue dot on the phone icon when you’ve updated or added something to your site on desktop. This is your sign to head over to mobile and make sure it’s formatted how you’d like it.
Adjust any funky spacing or oversized elements to ensure a smooth mobile experience.
7. SEO Optimization
Navigate to Marketing > SEO to add a site description and customize your SEO titles and meta descriptions. Keep your page titles under 60 characters and meta descriptions around 155 characters. Also, make sure your URLs are clean and include keywords relevant to your page content.
If you want to know more about getting your Squarespace site totally set up for SEO, here’s a guide on that! And if you want more quick and easy SEO tips, here’s a post on that too!
08. Turn Off AI Crawlers
If you don’t want search engines or other services to index your site without your permission, turn off AI crawlers. This is a newer feature and quite important, so don’t forget, if it’s important to you! Go to Settings > Website > Crawlers and switch them off. This can also help manage unwanted traffic and keep your site metrics more accurate.
09. Check Your Page URLs
Last but not least, tidy up your URLs. Each page’s URL slug should be clear, concise, and descriptive. Avoid numbers or jumbled letters. Instead, use simple keywords that reflect the content of the page. Also this is a good time to just make sure that there aren’t any wonky URLS left over from creating your pages (ie wwww.yourwebsite.com/home-1). This not only helps with SEO but also makes your site easier to navigate.
Taking care of these things during your Squarespace setup can help you launch your site with confidence, knowing you have the basics set up for success and you can focus on your business.
One quick thing that isn’t technically a 'BEFORE LAUNCH’ task, it’s an ‘AFTER-LAUNCH’ must-do, and it’s this:
>> Super important bonus post-publish task <<
Google Search Console Setup
In the Home menu, click Analytics.
Click Search keywords.
Click Connect in the panel's pop-up.
Log into the Google account you want to connect to your site. If you have multiple Google accounts, ensure you select the correct one.
Review the permissions, then click Allow.
Wait 72 hours for the data to populate.
You NEED to do this to let Google know you exist. Just publishing your website WITHOUT doing this is like building a house but not giving out your address to anyone. No one will know where to find you!
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