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Understanding the Squarespace Blog Design Settings

Omari Harebin

Squarespace was designed to prioritize ease of use over complete design flexibility. This is particularly true with blog templates. To ensure consistency and a user-friendly experience, they limit the degree of structural changes you can make without deep code manipulation.

What You Can and Can't Easily Do

  • You CAN:

    • Choose the most suitable starting template to minimize customization needs.

    • Utilize built-in template settings to adjust date formats, toggle category displays, control excerpt lengths, and configure image styles.

    • Employ custom CSS to change colors, fonts, and certain spacing or element styles. This offers some flexibility but has its limits.

  • You LIKELY CAN'T (without advanced code):

    • Radically alter the position of core elements like the blog post date or categories. These positions are often hardcoded into the HTML of the template itself.

How to Customize Your Squarespace Blog Template

  1. Minor Changes: Utilize the provided options within the template editor for basic adjustments to:

    • Fonts

    • Colors

    • Image placement

    • Spacing

  2. Advanced Changes (Custom Code):

    • CSS:

      • Target specific HTML elements using their classes and IDs.

      • Reposition elements like the date by changing properties like position, margin, and padding.

      • Change the overall look with styles for fonts, colors, etc.

    • JavaScript (limited use cases):

      • Add dynamic behavior (e.g., show/hide elements on interaction).

      • Be cautious, as JavaScript can interfere with core Squarespace functionality.

Important Considerations

  • Squarespace Versions: Customization capabilities can differ between Squarespace 7.0 and 7.1. Make sure you know your site's version. Read here to find out what template your site it using.

  • Code Injection: You can add CSS and JavaScript using the "Code Injection" feature in your site settings.

  • Backup: Always create a backup of your site before making extensive code changes.

Example: Moving the Date (CSS)

Let's say the CSS class of the date element on your blog post is .blog-post-date. Here's how you could move it below the title:

CSS

/* In Code Injection -> Advanced -> Header */
.blog-post-date {
    position: relative; /* Allows movement */
    top: 20px;          /* Distance to move down */
    left: 0;            /* Adjust if needed */
}

Workarounds and Trade-offs

  • Code Injection: Injecting JavaScript and potentially some HTML can potentially reposition elements. However, this is an advanced technique, requiring coding expertise. Also, these customizations are prone to breaking with Squarespace updates, demanding ongoing maintenance.

  • CSS "Hacks": Sometimes specific CSS tricks can reposition elements, but their reliability varies across templates and they lack long-term stability.

  • Alternative Platforms: If deep structural control over blog presentation is non-negotiable, platforms like WordPress offer full template editing, though they require a higher technical skill level for setup and maintenance.

  • Compromise: You might need to adjust your design expectations to align with Squarespace's constraints. Focus on achievable adjustments through the built-in settings and limited CSS styling.

  • Summary Blocks: While losing some automatic blog functionality, Summary Blocks within regular Squarespace pages provide more layout freedom. Consider if this trade-off is worthwhile for your specific needs.

Official Squarespace Documentation:

  • Blog Page Settings: . This is the essential starting point explaining what settings Squarespace provides to customize your blog layout and appearance.

  • Adding custom code to your site: This details how to inject code into your Squarespace site. Remember, significant blog layout changes likely require this approach.

Community Resources and Examples:

  • Squarespace Forum: The community forum has many discussions regarding blog customization. You can search using terms like "blog template customization" or "squarespace blog CSS". Be aware of the dates of threads, as Squarespace updates can affect older solutions.

  • Squarespace Customization Blogs: Several blogs specialize in Squarespace code customization and often tackle blog-related adjustments. A few resources include: