How Do You Tell What Template a Squarespace Site Is Using?

Identifying the template used by a Squarespace site can be important when you want to replicate a particular design, customize your own site, or simply understand more about how the website is constructed. However, Squarespace doesn't make it straightforward to identify the template, as newer versions (7.1 and beyond) share a common and highly customizable template foundation rather than distinct templates. Here are steps and tips to identify the template or understand the design characteristics of a Squarespace site:

Method 1: Inspect the Source Code

1. Open the Website: Go to the Squarespace site you want to inspect.
2. Inspect the Page: Right-click anywhere on the page and select “Inspect” or “View Page Source” from the context menu. This will open the browser's developer tools.
3. Search for Template Information: Use "Ctrl+F" (or "Cmd+F" on Mac) to open the search bar, and enter keywords such as "templateID", "template-name", or "template". In older versions of Squarespace (7.0 and before), you might find a line in the HTML or CSS that indicates the template name.

Method 2: Utilize Online Tools

Some third-party websites and tools can identify the templates used by Squarespace sites. Use a tool such as "BuiltWith" or "WhatCMS" to analyze the website. These tools often provide details about the site’s CMS, and for older Squarespace sites, they might reveal the specific template used.

Method 3: Check the Squarespace Backend (For Site Owners)

If you have access to the Squarespace site as an admin: 1. Log In to Squarespace: Go to squarespace.com and log in with your credentials. 2. Access the Website Manager: Select the site you want to check from the dashboard. 3. Navigate to Design: In the left-hand sidebar, click on "Design". 4. Template Information: Depending on whether you are using version 7.0 or 7.1, the template information will be available under different menus. In version 7.0, the template name is explicitly listed. For version 7.1, you won't see a traditional template name because all sites share a common template foundation.

Method 4: Additional Research for Custom Sites

For sites that are highly customized, identifying the template could be more challenging as extensive custom code and unique modifications might be utilized. However, observing the design structure, layout styles, and common elements like navigation menus or footers could give clues about the base template. You may need to familiarize yourself with different Squarespace templates to make this comparison easier.

Key Considerations

• Version Differences: Squarespace 7.1 and later versions use a single, highly flexible template. If you find older Squarespace sites (version 7.0 and earlier), they will have distinct templates (e.g., Bedford, Brine, or York).
• Custom Code: Extensive custom CSS and Javascript can obscure the original template, making it harder to identify.
• Future Changes: As Squarespace evolves, older methods for identifying templates might become obsolete, necessitating new approaches.

Conclusion

Identifying the template a Squarespace site is using involves a combination of inspecting source code, leveraging online tools, and accessing the backend for those with admin privileges. While newer versions of Squarespace streamline templates into one flexible foundation, older sites may still conform to the unique templates characteristic of early iterations. Always consider the possibility of heavy customizations, which might mask the original template.