How Do I Suspend a Squarespace Website?

Suspending a Squarespace website involves effectively removing it from public view without permanently deleting it. This process can be useful if you need to make significant updates, want to temporarily hide the site from visitors for any reason, or are pausing your business operations. Below are the detailed steps to suspend your Squarespace website:

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Log into Your Squarespace Account:

  • Open your web browser and navigate to the Squarespace website.
  • Click on the “Log In” button located at the top right corner.
  • Enter your credentials (email and password) and click “Continue.”

2. Select the Website:

  • After logging in, you’ll see a list of your websites if you manage multiple sites. Click on the thumbnail of the site you intend to suspend.

3. Enable Site-Wide Password Protection:

  • In the Squarespace management interface, navigate to the Home Menu.
  • Click on Settings and then Site Availability.
  • Choose Password Protected from the available options.

  • Set a Password:

  • Enter a password of your choice. Visitors will need this password to access your site.
  • Click Save to apply this setting.

Additional Considerations:

Messaging and Communication:

  • If this suspension is temporary, consider informing your regular visitors and clients about the reason and expected duration of the suspension through a temporary announcement on the page or via emails/newsletters.
  • Customize the password prompt page with a message that communicates the reason for the site being password-protected (e.g., “Our site is currently undergoing maintenance. Please check back later”).

Disable Search Engine Indexing:

  • To prevent search engines from indexing your password-protected site, go to Settings > SEO.
  • Toggle on the Hide this site from search engines option. This will ensure that your site does not appear in search results while it’s suspended.

Backup and Documentation:

  • Before suspending your site, ensure you have a recent backup of your site’s content and structure.
  • Squarespace doesn’t offer a one-click backup feature, but you can manually export parts of your site (such as blog content).

Limitations:

  1. Subscription Fees:
  2. Suspending your website does not pause your subscription fees. You will continue to be billed according to your current plan.

  3. Email Campaigns:

  4. If you have active Squarespace Email Campaigns, they will not be suspended automatically. You need to go into the Email Campaigns settings and pause or cancel any ongoing campaigns.

  5. Third-Party Integrations:

  6. Any third-party integrations or connected services (like payment gateways) will remain active unless specific actions are taken to pause or stop them.

Re-enabling the Site:

When you’re ready to make your site live again, simply log back into your Squarespace account and navigate to Settings > Site Availability. Choose the appropriate option, typically “Public,” and save your changes. Remember to re-enable search indexing by going to Settings > SEO and toggling off the “Hide this site from search engines” option.

By following these steps and keeping the considerations in mind, you can effectively suspend your Squarespace website while maintaining control over its status and visibility.

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