Migrating an existing Wordpress site and blog to a Squarespace template

It’s pretty straightforward to move your content from WordPress into a new Squarespace template — but it does take some careful prep and a little manual rebuilding. You’ll copy over page text and images, import your blog, tweak the design, and then point your domain to the new site when everything looks perfect.

Step 1 — Prep + Backup

First things first, get yourself organized. Make sure you’ve chosen a Squarespace template that feels similar to your existing site in terms of layout and structure — this will make the rebuild process much easier. Open your current WordPress site in one browser tab and your new Squarespace site in another so you can easily toggle back and forth.

Before you do anything else, back up your WordPress site. In your WordPress dashboard, head to Tools → Export → All Content and download the XML file. It’s also smart to save copies of your images, logo, favicon, social sharing graphics, and anything else you know you’ll want to reuse. If your site has custom plugins or features, take notes or screenshots since those won’t transfer automatically and will need to be rebuilt manually.

Step 2 — Set Up Settings in the New Template

Before you start adding pages and content, take a few minutes to personalize the basics of your Squarespace site. Go into the settings and update your Site Title and Business Info, upload your favicon (the little browser icon), and set your social sharing image. If you’re using a custom template with specific setup instructions, follow those; otherwise, Squarespace and YouTube both have plenty of helpful tutorials to guide you through the basics. These little touches will help your site feel more polished from the start.

Step 3 — Recreate Pages + Copy Content

Now it’s time to rebuild your site page by page. In Squarespace, create a new page for each one on your WordPress site. Then, copy the text from your old site and paste it into the corresponding new page. Upload your images into your Squarespace library and swap out any placeholders in the template. As you go, open the page settings (the little gear icon) and update the SEO settings with a clean title, description, and URL slug for each page.

Step 4 — Import your Blog

If you have a blog, Squarespace makes it fairly easy to import. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Tools → Export → All Content and download the XML file. Then, in Squarespace, go to Settings → Import & Export (you’ll find this under the Website section), click Import, choose WordPress, and upload your file. Your imported blog posts will appear in the “Not Linked” section of your Pages panel. Once you’ve checked them over, you can drag the blog into your main navigation.

Keep in mind that images, especially featured images, don’t always import perfectly. You may need to manually re-upload some images to make sure your posts look right.

Step 5 — Tidy the Blog

With your blog content imported, take a few minutes to clean it up. Open your blog page and check through a handful of posts. Make sure your featured images look right, categories and tags are assigned correctly, and your author name and excerpts are in place. While you’re there, update your blog design so it matches the rest of your site.

One thing to note: comments typically won’t transfer over, so you’ll be starting fresh in that department.

Step 6 — Reconnect Forms + Integrations

If your old site had contact forms, newsletter signups, or other integrations, you’ll need to reconnect those in Squarespace. Open each form and link it to your email, Google Drive, Mailchimp, or whatever storage option you use. Test everything before launch to make sure forms are delivering properly.

Step 7 — Navigation, Header + Footer

Next, make sure your navigation is organized. Drag your pages into the Main Navigation section in Squarespace so your menu matches your old site or your updated structure. Go into the header editor to upload your logo, adjust the layout, and toggle any extras like buttons or social icons. Don’t forget to check your footer too — update your address, social links, or any other information that lives there.

Step 8 — Final Checks on SEO + Analytics

Before you launch, run through your SEO and tracking setup. Go to the SEO settings in Squarespace to set a clean site-wide title and description. Reconnect Google Analytics or any other tracking codes you were using. Once the site is live, connect it to Google Search Console to help Google index it quickly. If your URL structure has changed, don’t forget to set up 301 redirects so visitors and search engines find the right pages without hitting errors.

Step 9 — Connect Your Domain + Launch

When everything looks good, it’s time to go live. In Squarespace, go to Settings → Domains and connect your custom domain. If you’re transferring your domain instead of just pointing it, Squarespace will guide you through the process. Keep your old WordPress site live until your new Squarespace site is verified and working everywhere.

That’s it! Your content now lives inside your new template. Keep refining copy, images, and SEO over time for best results.