How Do I Edit My Checkout Page in Squarespace?
Why the Checkout Experience Matters
Imagine walking into a beautiful boutique, picking out something you love, only to face an awkward, confusing checkout counter. That’s often how visitors feel when the online checkout doesn’t match the rest of your website’s branding or user experience. A clunky checkout can derail conversions at the very last moment.
Luckily, Squarespace 7.1 provides straightforward ways to style and streamline the checkout page—and a few more advanced (but limited) tricks if you’re tech-savvy. In this post, we’ll show you exactly how you can polish up your checkout process so customers feel confident, informed, and ready to click that “Place Order” button.
1. Built-In Customizations: The Basics
Squarespace’s Commerce settings let you tailor your checkout page without touching a single line of code. You’ll find these settings under Commerce → Checkout (or similar, depending on your exact site layout).
a) Style & Branding
Logo & Header: Upload a clear, high-resolution logo (or site title) to appear at the top of the checkout page. Keep it consistent with your overall branding so the user never feels they’ve left your site.
Colors & Buttons: In your Design settings, you can tweak the background color, text color, and button color for the checkout page. A well-chosen color scheme that lines up with your brand goes a long way toward building trust.
Layout Alignment: Some templates allow minor adjustments to header placement (e.g., centered or left-aligned). Choose what feels neat and consistent with your store’s vibe.
b) Store Policies & Additional Info
Policy Links: From your Checkout settings, you can add links to important policies—like returns, shipping, or privacy. These typically pop up in a modal so customers stay on the checkout page.
Custom Fields: Need more info from customers (gift messages, delivery instructions)? Add custom fields to the checkout flow. Just don’t overdo it—more fields can mean higher abandonment if they aren’t absolutely necessary.
c) Payment & Domain Settings
Multiple Payment Methods: Enabling PayPal, Apple Pay, or buy-now-pay-later services (like Afterpay through Stripe) can reduce friction for different shoppers. More ways to pay means fewer abandoned carts.
Checkout on Your Domain: Use a custom checkout URL (e.g.,
yourdomain.com/checkout) instead of the default secure Squarespace domain. This seamless transition assures visitors they’re still on your site.
2. Advanced Customizations with CSS (Within Limits)
Squarespace locks down the checkout page heavily for security and compliance reasons. That means your editing tools are somewhat limited. However, if you’re comfortable with CSS, there are a few styling tweaks possible:
Site-Wide Custom CSS: In Design → Custom CSS, you can override certain checkout page styles. For example:
.sqs-checkout-button { background-color: #222; color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; padding: 10px 20px; /* Subtle hover effect */ transition: background-color 0.3s ease; } .sqs-checkout-button:hover { background-color: #555; }This snippet updates the checkout button’s look. Changes like button shape, spacing, and colors are fair game—as long as you’re only adjusting existing elements.
What You Can’t Do with Code
Add New HTML Blocks: Squarespace doesn’t allow you to insert custom elements into the checkout flow.
Run Custom JavaScript: Attempting to manipulate the checkout’s functionality (fields, form steps) is disallowed for security reasons.
Fully Restructure the Page: The overall checkout sequence and layout are fixed—this includes shipping and payment steps.
If you try to push beyond these boundaries, your code may simply be ignored or, worse, conflict with the checkout process. Keep your CSS edits cosmetic to avoid issues.
3. Third-Party Integrations: Extending Squarespace’s Capabilities
If you truly need a fully customized or feature-rich checkout experience beyond what Squarespace offers, third-party solutions can help:
External Cart & Checkout Platforms: Tools like Foxy.io (FoxyCart) or Ecwid let you embed a completely different checkout inside your Squarespace site. You can then design that checkout page however you want (HTML, CSS, JS), effectively bypassing Squarespace’s default checkout. This route is powerful but involves extra setup, potential subscription fees, and a partial shift away from Squarespace’s native Commerce.
Additional Payment Solutions: Beyond Stripe and PayPal, consider enabling buy-now-pay-later services or “wallet” payments that integrate smoothly. This won’t change the checkout design but can vastly improve convenience for your customers.
4. Understanding the Hard Limitations
There’s a reason Squarespace keeps checkout customization limited: security and compliance.
No Code Blocks: You can’t drop a code block onto the checkout page.
Fixed Structure: Squarespace controls the order of fields, the layout, and the standard text.
No Full HTML Control: Because it’s a PCI-compliant environment, manipulating underlying forms and scripts is off-limits.
This means advanced modifications—like re-labelling fields, reordering steps, or drastically redesigning the layout—just aren’t possible (or officially supported). If you need that level of control, consider the external solutions mentioned above.
5. Best Practices for a High-Converting Checkout
Even within these constraints, you can still optimize your Squarespace 7.1 checkout for fewer abandoned carts and happier customers:
Keep It Simple: A streamlined checkout is your friend. Don’t force sign-ups or add extra form fields unless necessary.
Brand Consistency: Match button colors, maintain your site’s logo and fonts (where possible), and use domain-based checkout to avoid confusing domain jumps.
Offer Trust Signals: Display return policy links, shipping details, and contact info. A transparent approach reassures buyers.
Multiple Payment Options: The more choices (credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.), the better your chance of capturing diverse customer preferences.
Test, Test, Test: After making any changes—especially custom CSS—run through a test purchase. Preview on desktop, mobile, and different browsers to confirm everything behaves as expected.
Conclusion: A Better Checkout, One Step at a Time
While Squarespace’s checkout page might feel restricted at first glance, remember that those limitations keep the process secure and consistent for your customers. With the built-in design settings, a bit of CSS savvy, and optional third-party integrations, you can still create an elegant, on-brand checkout that closes sales effectively.
Always keep the shopping experience user-focused. If you minimize friction, match your branding, and provide clear reassurance, your shoppers are far more likely to complete that final click. And that’s what every store owner really wants—a checkout that feels trustworthy, simple, and totally you.
Ready to start? Jump into your Commerce settings, refresh your brand styling, and give your checkout some extra polish. Happy selling!
Have your own tips or stories about customizing the Squarespace checkout? Feel free to share in the comments—let’s help each other build better online shopping experiences!