How Do I Share a Squarespace Draft?

Sharing a Squarespace draft involves enabling others to preview your website before it goes live. This feature is especially useful if you want feedback or need approval from stakeholders before publishing. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to share a draft of your Squarespace site:

Step-by-Step Guide to Sharing a Squarespace Draft

1. Log into Your Squarespace Account:

2. Navigate to the Squarespace website and log in using your credentials.

3. Access Your Website Dashboard:

4. After logging in, select the website you are working on from your dashboard.

5. Navigate to Pages:

6. In the left-hand side panel, click on the "Pages" tab. This will list the different pages of your website.

7. Work on the Draft:

8. If you haven't done so already, create a new draft or edit an existing one. Draft pages are typically found under the "Not Linked" section.

9. Preview The Page:

10. To ensure the page is ready for sharing, preview the page. Click on the "eye" icon or "Preview" button to see how it looks.

11. Share the Page Link:

12. Squarespace does not offer a direct method for sharing drafts through a unique link. However, you can use the built-in Password Protection feature as a workaround:
    • Enable Password Protection:
    • Go to the "Settings" panel of the page you want to share.
    • Click on "Password" in the page settings.
    • Enter a password that you'll share with the people who need access.
    • Click on "Save" after setting the password.
    • Share the Link and Password:
    • Copy the URL of the draft page from your browser's address bar.
    • Share this URL along with the password to your reviewers.

Considerations and Limitations

1. Password Protection is Essential:

2. Since there is no direct link sharing option for drafts, password protection ensures that only intended recipients have access while keeping the page invisible to the public.

3. Restricted to Logged-In Users:

4. Ensure that whoever you share the draft with has the necessary password or account access to view the protected page.

5. Editor Permissions:

6. If the recipient needs to make changes, invite them as a contributor with appropriate permissions:

   • Go to "Settings" > "Permissions"
   • Click "Invite Contributor"
   • Enter the person’s email and assign the appropriate role (such as Admin, Editor, etc.)
   • Click "Send Invite"

7. Usage of Preview Mode:

8. While the link sharing method via password is recommended, you can also request feedback by demonstrating the draft over a screen-sharing session or exporting the site as a PDF/image.

9. Publishing to Staging Environment:

10. Squarespace doesn’t offer a staging environment. Therefore, using password-protected pages or keeping the site under construction is essential for restricting broader access.

Wrap-Up

By following the steps above, you can effectively share a draft of your Squarespace website and gather the feedback you need before officially publishing the site. Remember the importance of confidentiality and make sure only authorized individuals have access to the draft pages.