How Do I Make Changes to Squarespace Without Going Live?

Making changes to your Squarespace website without those changes immediately going live is crucial for maintaining a polished, professional look. Squarespace has several features that allow you to edit and preview without affecting your live site. Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing this:

Step 1: Duplicate Your Site

1. Log into Squarespace: Navigate to Squarespace and log in to your account.
2. Go to Settings: From the home menu, select "Settings."
3. Sites and Domains: Choose “Sites and Domains.”
4. Duplicate Site: Click on the ellipsis (…) next to the site you want to duplicate, and select “Duplicate Site.” This creates a copy of your site where you can make changes. However, note that custom domains, forms, and eCommerce configurations will not be copied and need to be set up again manually on the duplicated site.

Step 2: Use the Preview Mode

1. Editing Pages: While editing specific pages or blocks of content in Squarespace, use the preview mode. This mode allows you to see how changes will look without making them live.
2. Previewing Edits: Click on “Preview” at the top of any page when you are editing. This lets you view your edits as they would appear on the live site without publishing them.

Step 3: Working with Unlinked Pages

1. Create an Unlinked Page:
2. Go to the "Pages" tab from the home menu.
3. Scroll down to the "Not Linked" section.
4. Click on the + icon to create a new page under "Not Linked."

Unlinked pages are part of your site but not accessible from the navigation menu. You can publish your changes here without them being easily accessible to the public. 2. Edit and Preview: You can edit content extensively on these unlinked pages. Use the preview feature to check the look and functionality.

Step 4: Password-Protect Pages

1. Add a Password:
2. Go to the "Pages" tab and select the page you want to work on.
3. Click on the cog icon (settings) next to the page’s name.
4. Under "Page Settings," go to "Password."
5. Set up a password for this page.

Only individuals with the password can access the page, making it ideal for client reviews or team collaborations before going live.

Step 5: Staged Content via Drafts

1. Draft Mode:
2. When editing blog posts or events, you can save content as a draft.

3. This draft is not publicly visible until you publish it.

4. Schedule Posts and Pages: Squarespace allows you to schedule your posts or pages to be published at a later time.

5. In the settings of the page or post, set the date and time when you want it to go live.

Considerations

• Limitations on Duplicated Sites: Remember that duplicated sites don’t copy specific settings like custom domains, forms, or eCommerce settings. You'll need to reconfigure these.
• Search Engine Indexing: Ensure that your duplicated site or unlinked pages are not indexed by search engines to avoid any SEO issues. You can find these settings under “Marketing” > “SEO” > “SEO Behavior.”

By following these detailed steps, you can ensure that your changes are carefully reviewed and tested before they go live to the public, maintaining your site's professionalism and functionality.