How to switch templates in Squarespace 7.0 & seven.ane

How to switch templates in Squarespace 7.0 and 7.1・Kerstin Martin Squarespace Studio

Before we start permit's accept a look at the difference between Squarespace 7.0 and vii.1.

seven.0 has 21 template families and each family tin can accept mutliple iterations of the template, Brine for instance has 45 variations. Yous can switch templates every bit often equally you like and beneath nosotros await at the three options for doing this equally efficiently as possible.

vii.1 on the other hand is just ONE template. The 'templates' yous come across in the template shop are in fact simply iterations of the same 7.one architecture. Once you have selected a template for your website you cannot change it in vii.ane. You can run across all vii.1 'templates' here.

Pick one

Nether Structure Page

Under Construction Page in Squarespace・Kerstin Martin Squarespace Studio

With this method you tin do the redesign and adapt the existing content while placing your site temporarily under construction or behind a password. This is my prefered method if I anticipate that the redesign won't take long.

Steps for 7.0

  1. Create a cover page with an under structure message and make that the home page.

  2. Go to > Pattern > Template and select your new template.

  3. Click on PREVIEW.

  4. Click on SET As LIVE TEMPLATE. You can also do this at a later phase but I similar to do this at this bespeak to become rid of the preview message at the lesser of my screen.

  5. Style in Site Styles and redesign/restructure your existing page content.

  6. Yous can always switch back. Your sometime template will retain its styling settings only you volition have to restructure your pages if you changed them with the new template.

Steps for 7.1

  1. Create a new page in the Not-Linked section, fashion it equally desired.

  2. Hide the header and footer. 7.1 does not have cover pages so we accept to tweak it a bit to make it look similar a encompass page. The easiest way is to hibernate the header and footer. Observe your collection ID and add the following lawmaking to > Design > Custom CSS. Make sure to replace #collection-ID with your own ID number:

    /* Hide Page Header and Footer */
    #collection-ID header, #drove-ID footer {display: none; }

  3. Fashion and redesign your existing page content.

Option 2

Sitewide Password

With an Nether Construction page people can however admission pages on your website. If you have straight links to any pages floating around the internet information technology might be improve to password protect the whole website instead. In this case y'all won't demand an Under Construction page, you simply design the lock screen instead. Past using a sitewide password yous can also share the site with other people if you want them to have a look at it, for example.

To set the password go to > Settings > Site Availability

Blueprint the lock screen by going to > Pattern > Lock Screen

Option 3

Preview Mode (7.0 only)

This method can rapidly go messy and is only recommended if at that place is non too much existing content or if you desire to create brand new content and pages anyway.

  1. Go to > Design > Template > select your new template.

  2. Click on PREVIEW.

  3. Style in Site Styles as desired. This will non bear on the styles of your live website as long every bit you are in preview manner.

  4. Duplicate existing pages and place them into the Non-Linked section. Restructure and style the copies as needed. This mode your live pages are not affected by structural or content changes you are making as part of your redesign.

  5. Go alive. Once you are happy with everything brand the preview alive.

  6. Rename the original pages past appending -old to the slug.

  7. Alter the URL of the copied pages to the original URL and move them to the advisable navigation department. This way the 'copied' pages supplant the 'former' pages while retaining the original URL.

  8. Disable or delete the -old pages. If you disable them make sure you move them to the Non-Linked section. I put onetime pages into a folder called, ahem, Old Pages.

Option 4

Showtime A Make New Site

The advantage of this method is that information technology allows you to proceed your current site up and running while you pattern the new one. However, while page content tin can be retained or copied, information cannot. If yous take a lot of existing data, such equally product orders, customer accounts, analytics and email campaigns, you will lose all of that. So this option has to be carefully considered.

Circle Members

  1. Duplicate your website. If you are a Circle fellow member create a new site by duplicating your current ane. Go to your Squarespace account dashboard and click on your website settings and then on Duplicate Site.

  2. This volition keep all of your content, i.e. pages and collection items but non your data. Y'all volition lose any order data, customer accounts, analytics etc.

Non-Circumvolve Members

  1. Start a brand new website past going to your Squarespace business relationship dashboard and clicking on the CREATE A SITE button.

  2. If you lot desire to copy over the content from your former website, I recommend this swell Chrome extension that will do this quickly and finer. There is a fee but information technology might be worth it because information technology tin save you a lot of time. I am not an affiliate of this extension, I just really like it.

In one case you have created your new site…

  1. Style and blueprint every bit desired.

  2. Connect your domain. When yous are ready to launch you accept to connect your new site to your domain.

    If the domain was purchased through Squarespace this is very easy, you simply move your domain to the new site.

    If your domain is registered with a third party you lot'll accept to disconnect it from the old website and reconnect to the new i. In that location might be a disruption with the site accessibility while the domain changes propegate through the net.

  3. Ask for a refund for your old site. If you had an annual subscription on your old site you may qualify for a pro-rated refund. In this case accomplish out to Squarespace Support.

Option 5

Switch from 7.0 to 7.1

There is currently no migration path to move your website from 7.0 to 7.1 which is why I created a handy guide and checklist for exactly this! I moved my ain website to 7.ane in early 2021, it was a lot of piece of work simply so worth it. I used my own checklist and that was a lifesaver!

Kerstin Martin

Equally a leading Squarespace Practiced and Authorized Trainer I assistance entrepreneurs and small-scale business owners build cute websites, eCourses and thriving businesses with Squarespace.

https://kerstinmartin.com