A Squarespace export to WordPress gives you one .xml file in WordPress format. According to Squarespace’s help page, it holds your layout pages, one blog with its posts and comments, text and image blocks, and gallery pages. It does not hold your products, store pages, styles, custom CSS, drafts, or audio and video blocks. Images can break if you only import the file and cancel Squarespace.
That makes the export a good start for a content-led site, and a poor one for a store. Our Squarespace to WordPress migration service fills the gaps. This guide shows what the file includes, how to export, the image trap, and what you rebuild by hand. We checked Squarespace’s page on 14 November 2026.
Squarespace export to WordPress: what the file includes
| Content | In the export? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Layout pages | Yes | Check the layout after import; the design does not carry over |
| One blog page and its posts | Yes, with up to 1,000 comments per post | Check dates, authors, categories and tags |
| Text blocks and image blocks | Yes | Check images (see the image section) |
| Gallery pages | Yes, including York project pages (version 7.0 only) | Rebuild the look with a WordPress gallery |
| Text in embed and Instagram blocks | Yes, with minimal structure | Re-add the embeds |
| Linked PDF files | Exported into the file, but cannot be imported into WordPress | Download them and upload to the Media Library |
| Products and store pages | No | Rebuild in WooCommerce. See the products section |
| Other page types: album, cover, index, info, calendar, portfolio | No | Rebuild by hand |
| More than one blog page | No. Only one blog exports | Copy the others by hand |
| Drafts | No | Publish or copy them before you export |
| Styles and custom CSS | No | Recreate in your WordPress theme |
| Audio, video and dropdown blocks | No | Re-add them in WordPress |
| Content in page-specific headers, footers and sidebars | No | Copy by hand |
The help page explains why: many Squarespace features rely on its own JavaScript and CSS, so some content cannot be exported.
How to export from Squarespace
- Make sure the site is published and its availability is set to Public. You cannot export from a trial site.
- Open the Import & Export content panel in your Squarespace settings.
- Click Export.
- Click the WordPress icon. The file only comes in WordPress format, even if you will not use it in WordPress.
- If the site has more than one blog page, choose the primary blog from the dropdown, then click Export.
- Wait while it processes. Larger sites take longer.
- Click Download to save the .xml file. Keep a copy somewhere safe.
Two limits from the same page: you cannot export content from one Squarespace site and import it into another. And if your Squarespace subscription has expired, you may need to reactivate it first, because content may already be deleted.
The image trap
This is the most common surprise. Squarespace warns that when you import the file into a self-hosted WordPress site with the WordPress Importer plugin, images may not migrate. The links can stop working after you cancel Squarespace.
Squarespace gives two ways round it:
- Import into WordPress.com, which copies the images to WordPress’s servers. Check the Media Library afterwards.
- Keep the WordPress Importer, download your images by hand, and upload them to your WordPress site.
For a site with many images, hand downloads are slow. Ask whoever builds the new site how they move the images. Whatever the method, confirm that every image shows from your own WordPress Media Library before you cancel Squarespace. Right-click an image and check its address. It should point to your domain, not to Squarespace.
After the import: what to check
Once the file is in WordPress, treat the result as a first draft. Go through it page by page.
- Count your pages and posts on both sites. Make sure none are missing.
- Open ten posts. Check dates, authors, categories, tags, headings and images.
- Look for odd spacing or broken layouts left over from Squarespace blocks.
- Open the comments on your busiest posts.
- Check internal links. Links inside content may still point to the old Squarespace addresses.
- Run a crawl and look for 404 errors and links to the old site.
Old internal links are easy to miss. If they stay, visitors keep going back to the Squarespace site, and they break the day you cancel. Our website migration services include these checks as part of the scope we agree with you.
Products: no export route in the help page
Squarespace says product blocks and store pages do not export. The help page does not describe a way to move products. If you sell on Squarespace, plan to rebuild the catalogue in WooCommerce. Products, variants, images, orders and customers are a separate job from the content import. See our WooCommerce development page if you need a store.
What the help page does not say
Some things matter for SEO, and the page is silent on them. Do not assume either way. Check them after the import:
- Page URLs. The help page does not say whether the import keeps your slugs. Compare each new URL with the old one.
- SEO titles and meta descriptions. They are not on either list. Compare a sample, and copy them from Squarespace if they are missing.
- Redirects set up in Squarespace. They are not mentioned. Export or note them before you leave.
- Forms. The lists do not mention form blocks. Plan to rebuild them and test each one.
Keep your Google rankings
A move from Squarespace to WordPress on the same domain follows Google’s site move guidance:
- Build and test the new site before switching.
- List every old URL, from Search Console, your sitemap and a crawl.
- Map each old URL to its new page.
- Use server-side permanent redirects (301 or 308), straight to the final page.
- Never send many old pages to the home page.
- Submit a new sitemap and watch the indexing reports.
- Keep the redirects for at least a year.
Google says visibility can change for a while during a move. It can take a few weeks for a small or medium site. If your domain is registered through Squarespace, check Squarespace’s domain help for the transfer steps before you cancel.
Do it yourself or get help?
| Situation | Likely fit |
|---|---|
| Brochure site, one blog, a few dozen pages, no store | DIY with the export file is realistic |
| Many images or galleries | DIY is slow. Ask how images will be moved |
| Online store | Needs a store rebuild, not just the export |
| More than one blog, or custom page types | Part of the site needs rebuilding by hand |
| Search traffic you cannot afford to lose | Get a redirect plan, whoever does the work |
At WebUncles, a website migration starts from US$49 (₹3,000), depending on complexity. A site with a store, many galleries or several blogs will cost more than the starting price. We give a fixed quote after a free consultation. A new WordPress site starts from US$499 (₹30,000).
Book a free consultation before migration. Send us your Squarespace URL and tell us if you sell products. We will tell you what the export will cover and what we would rebuild. If you want to stay on Squarespace instead, see our Squarespace website design service.
Checklist before you cancel Squarespace
- Export file saved in two places.
- Images checked in the WordPress Media Library, pointing to your own domain.
- All pages, posts and comments compared against the old site.
- Product catalogue rebuilt and a test order placed (if you sell online).
- Forms rebuilt and tested.
- Titles, meta descriptions and old redirects copied.
- Redirect map live and tested.
- New sitemap submitted.
- Domain and email records confirmed.
- Analytics and tracking codes added.
FAQ
Can I export my whole Squarespace site to WordPress?
No. The export covers layout pages, one blog, text and image blocks and galleries. Products, store pages, styles, custom CSS, drafts and several page types are not included.
Does the export include my design?
No. Style changes and custom CSS do not export. You choose a WordPress theme and rebuild the look.
Will my images work after I import?
Not always. On a self-hosted WordPress site, the WordPress Importer plugin may not copy images, and links can break after you cancel Squarespace. Check the Media Library before you cancel.
Can I export products from Squarespace to WooCommerce?
Squarespace’s export help page says product blocks and store pages do not export, and it describes no product migration method. Plan to rebuild the catalogue.
Can I export from a trial site?
No. The site must be published and set to Public.
What if I have more than one blog on Squarespace?
Only one blog page exports. Choose the primary blog when you export, then copy the others by hand.
Will my Google rankings drop?
They can move for a few weeks, as with any platform change. A URL list, tested 301 redirects and Search Console monitoring lower the risk. No one can promise zero change.
