Squarespace, a popular website-building and hosting platform, has made several updates and changes over the years. One notable change involves their "Cover Pages" feature. Initially, Cover Pages were a distinct type of page, designed to create a single, impactful page with minimal content – perfect for landing pages, splash pages, or simple one-page websites.

However, Squarespace has gradually phased out Cover Pages:

Reasons for Phasing Out Cover Pages

1. Streamlined Features: By consolidating their features, Squarespace aims to provide a more streamlined and cohesive suite of tools. This reduces redundancy and simplifies the user experience.

2. Improved Functionality: Many of the features that users loved about Cover Pages are now integrated into regular Squarespace pages. Users can create highly customizable and visually appealing single-page sites without needing a distinct Cover Page feature.

3. Template Evolution: As Squarespace’s templates have evolved, they offer more flexibility and design options. Modern templates often come with built-in capabilities to create simple and elegant single-page designs, making dedicated Cover Pages unnecessary.

Practical Alternatives

If you’re looking to create a page that serves the same purpose as a Cover Page in the current version of Squarespace, here are some steps you can take:

1. Create a New Page:
2. Log in to your Squarespace account and navigate to the website editor.

3. Add a new page using the “Pages” panel. Choose a basic page layout.

4. Use a Blank Layout:

5. Opt for a template or page layout that starts with a blank or basic structure if available.

6. This will give you a simple canvas to work with, similar to what a Cover Page offered.

7. Customize the Design:

8. Utilize Squarespace’s design tools to add content blocks like text, images, buttons, and more.

9. Customize the page style using design settings. Adjust the fonts, colors, and spacing to match your vision.

10. Enable or Customize the Header/Footer:

11. Depending on your needs, you can choose to hide the header/footer or customize them to be minimal.
12. This can often be done in the Style Editor or via specific page settings in some templates.

Important Considerations

• Mobile Optimization: With any page design, ensure that it is responsive and looks good on mobile devices. Squarespace templates generally handle mobile design well, but it’s always good practice to verify.

• SEO Considerations: Make sure to incorporate basic SEO settings like page titles, descriptions, and keywords. Even for a simple cover-like page, these can help in discoverability.

• Template-Specific Features: Different Squarespace templates offer varying degrees of customization. Explore the specific template you are using to fully leverage its features for your page design.

Conclusion

The phasing out of Cover Pages on Squarespace represents the platform’s shift towards more integrated and versatile design tools. While the specific Cover Page feature is no longer available, users can still create compelling, single-page designs using the current tools within the platform. This approach provides a more cohesive, flexible, and powerful web design experience.