Squarespace SEO Settings
Squarespace SEO settings are built-in options for controlling how a Squarespace site is indexed, described, and structured for search engines.
Key takeaways
- Squarespace provides site-wide and page-level SEO title/description fields to control snippets.
- Submit your sitemap.xml to Google Search Console for faster indexing awareness.
- Use 301 redirects (URL mapping) whenever you change a page slug to preserve link equity.
- Hide irrelevant pages (admin, system pages) from search results via page SEO settings.
These settings are the fastest way to improve crawlability and snippet quality without custom code.
Example: Optimizing a service page
Suppose you have a 'Web Design Services' page. Within page settings (gear icon → SEO tab), enter:
- SEO title: 'Web Design Services | Your Agency Name'
- SEO description: 'Custom web design for small businesses in Austin. Fast load times, mobile-friendly, and SEO-ready.'
- URL slug: /web-design-services Then check that the page is not hidden from search (ensure 'Hide page from search results' is off). This controls the Google snippet directly.
Quick-start: Configure Squarespace SEO settings
- Set site-wide SEO title: Go to Settings → Marketing → SEO / Search. Enter your brand name in 'Site Title'.
- Set site-wide SEO description: In the same panel, write a 150–160 character summary of your site.
- Add page-level metadata: For each key page (home, services, products), open page settings → SEO tab → add unique title and description.
- Submit sitemap: Go to Settings → Third Party Tools → Google Search Console → connect. Then verify your site and submit /sitemap.xml.
- Create 301 redirects: After changing a page slug, go to Settings → Advanced → URL Mappings. Add:
/old-slug→/new-slug301. - Hide irrelevant pages: In page SEO settings, check 'Hide page from search results' for admin pages, thank-you pages, or duplicate content.
Common mistakes
- Leaving site-wide SEO title/description blank or generic – results in poor snippet control.
- Not adding page-specific SEO titles/descriptions – misses opportunity to target unique keywords.
- Changing URLs without redirects – causes 404s and lost ranking signals.
- Blocking important pages from search – accidentally checking 'hide' on high-traffic pages.
How to evaluate your current settings
- Are all main pages showing a custom SEO title and description in search results? (Check via site: search)
- Is your sitemap.xml submitted and indexed in Google Search Console?
- Are there any broken links due to missing redirects after URL changes?
- Are irrelevant pages (e.g., drafts, /thank-you) hidden from search?
Next step
FAQ
Where do I find Squarespace SEO settings?
Site-wide: Settings → Marketing → SEO / Search. Per-page: open page settings → SEO tab.
Does Squarespace automatically generate a sitemap?
Yes, at /sitemap.xml. You still need to submit it in Google Search Console.
Related topics
Sources
- Squarespace Help Center: Adding SEO descriptions — Official Squarespace instructions for page-level SEO descriptions and settings.
- Squarespace SEO Guide: 10 Steps - July 2025 — Official Squarespace PDF covering SEO titles, descriptions, Search Console, sitemaps, redirects, and tracking.
- Squarespace SEO Checklist - 2022 — Official Squarespace checklist covering titles, descriptions, slugs, images, inbound links, and sitemaps.
- Google Search Central — Google’s official documentation for indexing, sitemaps, and search best practices.
Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.