How to Move From Squarespace 7.0 to Squarespace 7.1
Since Squarespace’s release of its latest platform in 2020, many existing users have asked, “How do I move from Squarespace 7.0 to Squarespace 7.1?” Because 7.1 is a new version of the same user-friendly platform, you’d think there would be a simple solution to making the switch.
Unfortunately, there’s not. Switching between 7.0 and 7.1 is much like switching platforms altogether; a largely manual process.
However, it is possible. My team and I moved my website from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 at the beginning of the year, and while it wasn’t as simple as clicking a button, we were able to find a streamlined, thorough way to make the switch. The following post will outline the steps we took - just in case you’d like to move from 7.0 to 7.1 as well.
Do I need to move from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1?
Before we dive in, I want to mention that I only recommend switching from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 on a case-by-case basis.
Generally, if you have a well-designed, well-performing website on 7.0 and you don’t have plans to make major structural or design changes anytime soon, there’s no need to switch. 7.0 is still a great platform, and as I mentioned here, the differences between the two platforms exist on the website owner’s end. Meaning that Squarespace 7.1 is no better or worse in terms of your visitors’ experience.
If you need more help deciding whether or not to switch from 7.0 to 7.1, read this guide.
Getting Started
Moving a website is similar to moving homes. You’ve got to pack everything up, make sure everything’s accounted for, move locations, then forward your mailing address.
Just as moving to a new home can feel chaotic and stressful, so can moving websites. If you’d rather not do it alone, skip to the end of this article to learn more about our new Squarespace Tech Support services.
Step One: Start a new website on Squarespace 7.1
Before you can pack up your 7.0 website and move to 7.1, you need to set up your 7.1 website.
Whether you start with one of my professionally designed Squarespace templates for therapists and coaches, or you start with a default Squarespace template, the first step in making the switch is starting a new 7.1 trial site.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH A HOLD SPACE CREATIVE TEMPLATE
Shop website templates for therapists here, or templates for coaches here.
Choose your design and complete your purchase.
Within two business days, we’ll install your pre-built, pre-designed 7.1 website in your Squarespace account.
Once installation is complete, you’ll see two websites in your Squarespace dashboard: your existing 7.0 site and your new 7.1 site.
Your 6-month free trial begins.
Hold Space Creative templates include a 6-month free trial, so you can take your time customizing before proceeding with the transfer, all while your existing 7.0 website stays live.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH A DEFAULT SQUARESPACE TEMPLATE
Log in to your Squarespace dashboard.
Click the “Create Website” button.
Choose a default template to get started.
Your 14-day free trial begins.
Step Two: Take inventory of your existing content
Before moving anything, take stock of everything. To ensure everything transfers seamlessly, it’s important to know what you’re starting with.
Before my team and I moved holdspacecreative.com to 7.1, we made a list of all of our page URLs, title tags, and meta descriptions in order to prevent SEO disruptions.
A NOTE ON SEO:
Google and other search engines keep an inventory of your website’s pages and the content on those pages. This is called a site map. Keeping Google up-to-date on your website’s pages and content is a key part of continuing to show up in the right search results.
When you move your domain, there’s a risk of your SEO taking a dip, especially if your site map changes and you don’t tell Google about it.
The best way to protect your SEO? Make sure the new website’s structure, content, and SEO info (title tags, meta descriptions) match the old one.
“But Monica, I want to make changes as I move to 7.1!”
If you want to add new pages, change page names, or change your structure entirely, use URL redirects (more on this later).
My team and I implemented a new site map and new page content when we moved from 7.0 to 7.1, and we maintained our SEO without issue, so don’t worry if you want to make structural or content changes. It’s totally possible to maintain SEO after a website transfer, you just have to take the right steps, and that’s what this post is for!
MAKE A SPREADSHEET OF YOUR EXISTING CONTENT
Create a spreadsheet with the following columns:
Page Title, Navigation Title, Page URL, Page Description (or Meta Description)
On your 7.0 website, navigate to Pages.
Open the settings of each page to obtain the information above and fill in your spreadsheet.
If you plan to change any of your pages’ URLs, add another column to your spreadsheet to note which pages will need a URL redirect.
Step Three: Transfer content
Once your new 7.1 trial site is started and you know which pages will be moving, you can begin transferring content. Keep in mind that your existing website will stay live as long as your domain is connected there; meaning, your website visitors will continue to see your existing website while you work on moving behind the scenes.
Option 1: Manual Transfer
To manually transfer your content from one website to another, copy and paste your content, page by page, until your content is transferred.
Keep in mind that you can’t manually copy/paste images or icons from one site to another, so you’ll have to re-upload those to the new site.
As you can imagine, this method is very time-consuming, especially if you have more than a few pages on your 7.0 site. In general, I don’t recommend transferring your content manually for this reason.
Option 2: Assisted Transfer
To automate Hold Space Creative’s content transfer from 7.0 to 7.1, we used a Chrome extension called SquareWebsites Tools Extension PRO. Admittedly, it’s a little tricky to figure out, but it was crucial in helping us transfer content quickly and thoroughly.
Make sure “Extended Editor” is enabled when transferring pages from 7.0 to 7.1, as described here.
In your 7.0 Pages panel, hover over the page you want to copy and click “Get Collection Data”
Go to your 7.1 site, click on the Chrome extension, and click “Create From Data”
Note: Certain blocks will not transfer from 7.0 to 7.1, so you may notice minor discrepancies between your page content after the transfer is complete.
This extension is the best way we’ve found to automatically transfer content between Squarespace websites. If you have an extensive blog catalog, it’s absolutely crucial.
Manually recreating blog posts would likely take weeks; with this extension, it takes minutes!
Option 3: Done-for-you transfer
If you’d rather not spend the time manually transferring your content or navigating the extension mentioned above, we can help!
Hold Space Creative now offers hourly technical support services for Squarespace users. Interested? Jump to the end of this article to learn more.
Step Four: Finalize the new website
Once your content is transferred over to the new website, you can work on finalizing and preparing for the domain transfer.
This is when you can format and design your page layouts so that the content you just transferred looks great. You’ll want to click through your website to make sure everything is looking and behaving the way you want.
Here’s a checklist to help you along:
FINAL WEBSITE CHECKLIST:
Organize page content
Set site styles (fonts, colors, buttons, animations)
Double-check page URLs (use spreadsheet)
Review content on all pages
Review SEO page descriptions
Click all links and buttons. Fix broken links
Create URL redirects (see below)
Step Five: Create URL redirects
If some of your page URLs have changed, you’ll want to create URL redirects. URL redirects will automatically redirect users when they click on a link that leads to a discontinued page, preventing a 404 page.
This is a crucial step to maintaining a smooth and enjoyable experience for your website visitors. It’s also super important for maintaining SEO, because Google doesn’t like sites with broken links.
To learn how to create URL redirects in Squarespace, read this guide.
Step Six: Manage Squarespace subscriptions
It’s not possible to transfer a billing plan to a new Squarespace site, so you’ll need to start a new subscription on your 7.1 website. I recommend the following steps:
Step 1: Change your 7.0 subscription to monthly billing
In your 7.0 website, navigate to Settings > Billing > Subscriptions. Click on “Website” to view your subscription details. If you pay annually, change your billing to monthly.
This will automatically issue a refund for the remainder of your annual subscription and save you the effort of reaching out to Squarespace to request a refund.
Step 2: Upgrade your 7.1 trial site to a pain plan
Head back to your Squarespace dashboard and go into your 7.1 site. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Subscriptions. Upgrade your trial site to a paid plan.
Step Seven: Transfer your domain & email
Once your 7.1 site is on a paid subscription, you can transfer your domain from one site to the other. If you purchased a custom Google Workspace email address through your 7.0 site, that will transfer with your domain automatically.
Follow this guide to transfer your domain from 7.0 to 7.1.
After your domain transfer is complete, your new 7.1 website will be live and visible to the public!
This is why it’s important to finalize your website and redirect your discontinued URLs before transferring your domain.
To reduce possible hiccups and glitches for your site visitors, make sure your 7.1 site is completely finished before transferring your domain.
Step Eight: Audit your website
After transferring your domain, make sure everything is working correctly by clicking through your website as if you were a visitor.
Open an Incognito Window (in Chrome: File > New Incognito Window).
Type your website URL into the search bar.
Click through every page of your website to check for broken links or errors. Make sure your URL redirects are working.
Correct any errors.
Step Nine: Cancel your 7.0 subscription
When you’re ready, and after you’re happy with your 7.1 site, you can cancel your 7.0 site’s subscription.
Again, there’s no way to transfer an existing Squarespace subscription, which is why you started a new subscription in step six. Don’t forget to go back to your 7.0 site and cancel your subscription so that you’re not paying for two websites unnecessarily.
Need help moving from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1?
If the prospect of moving your Squarespace 7.0 site to Squarespace 7.1 on your own makes your head spin, you’re not alone! Website transfers are a precarious process, but they can be done well with the right support.
After successfully moving HoldSpaceCreative.com from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 without SEO interruption, we thought this might be something therapists and coaches like you might be interested in!
Hold Space Creative now provides Squarespace Technical Support to all Squarespace users.
Whether you need help moving from Squarespace 7.0 to Squarespace 7.1, fixing glitches, or connecting an EHR, this hourly service was made for therapists and coaches who don’t have time (or desire) to DIY the technical side of Squarespace.
