Migrating a Squarespace Site to WordPress on Getwebup
Squarespace is great until it isn't — you hit a wall with plugins you can't install, a checkout you can't customize, or a monthly bill that keeps climbing. Moving to WordPress fixes all of that, but Squarespace doesn't make it easy: there's no full site export, no database you can just copy, and no one-click migration tool. Here's how to move a Squarespace site to WordPress on Getwebup without losing your content, your rankings, or a single day of uptime.
Why this migration is harder than it looks
Most "move your host" guides assume you're going from one WordPress install to another — copy the database, copy wp-content, done. Squarespace isn't WordPress. It's a closed platform with its own block editor, its own templating, and its own idea of what an "export" means.
In practice, Squarespace gives you:
- A WordPress-format XML export — but it only includes blog posts, not pages, navigation, or design.
- A commerce CSV export — only if you're on a Commerce plan, and only for products, not orders or customer accounts.
- No export at all for standalone pages, index pages, or custom code blocks. Those you rebuild by hand.
Knowing this upfront saves you from the mistake most people make: assuming the export button gives you "everything" and finding out on migration day it doesn't.
Step 1: Audit before you export anything
Spend 30 minutes doing this and you'll avoid most of the pain later:
- List every page and blog post URL. Squarespace's Pages panel plus a quick crawl (Screaming Frog's free tier handles up to 500 URLs) gives you a full sitemap.
- Pull your indexed URLs from Google Search Console (Pages report) so you know exactly what Google currently ranks — these are the URLs you must not break.
- Note any embedded forms, galleries, or third-party code (Google Analytics, chat widgets, Meta Pixel) so you can re-add them on WordPress.
- Check your current DNS: run
dig your-domain.com NSanddig your-domain.com Ato see whether you're on Squarespace nameservers or just an A record pointed at their IPs. This decides how the cutover works later.
Step 2: Build the WordPress site on Getwebup first — don't touch DNS yet
This is the part that actually gets you zero downtime: you build and test the new site completely before anyone's browser is pointed at it.
- In cPanel, install WordPress via Softaculous on your Getwebup hosting account. If your domain isn't pointed here yet, install it on the temporary URL cPanel gives you, or on a subdomain like
new.yourdomain.com. - Install WooCommerce now if you're moving a Commerce site — get the plugin and payment gateway (Razorpay, Stripe, PayPal) configured before you import a single product.
- Pick a theme that can approximate your Squarespace layout. Full-page-builder themes (or the WordPress block editor's full-site editing) get you closest without a full rebuild from scratch.
Step 3: Import the content Squarespace will actually give you
Blog posts: In Squarespace, go to Settings → Advanced → Import/Export → WordPress and download the XML file. In WordPress, go to Tools → Import → WordPress, install the importer if prompted, and upload that file. Map authors when asked, and check "Download and import file attachments" so featured images come across instead of staying hotlinked to Squarespace's CDN.
Products (Commerce plans only): Export your product CSV from Commerce → Inventory → Export. Squarespace's column names don't match WooCommerce's importer, so you'll need to remap fields — product title, SKU, price, and description usually line up; images almost always need re-uploading since the CSV only stores Squarespace CDN URLs, which will eventually go dead once you cancel the plan.
Pages: There's no export for these. Open each page side-by-side with the WordPress editor and rebuild it. For a 5–10 page site this is a few hours of work, not a blocker — just budget the time instead of being surprised by it.
Step 4: Protect your SEO — map every URL, not just the important ones
This is where most self-service migrations quietly lose traffic. Squarespace's URL structure (often /blog/post-title or /s/page-name) rarely matches WordPress's default permalinks. If the URLs change and you don't redirect them, every backlink and every ranked search result starts 404ing.
Two ways to handle it:
- Match the structure. Set WordPress's permalink settings (Settings → Permalinks) to mirror Squarespace's as closely as possible, so fewer URLs actually change.
- Redirect what still changes. Install the Redirection plugin and add a 301 rule for every URL from your Step 1 audit that doesn't match exactly. It's tedious but it's the difference between keeping your rankings and starting over.
Step 5: Test on the real server before you touch DNS
Before cutover, preview the new site exactly as visitors will see it by editing your local hosts file to point your domain at Getwebup's server IP (find it in cPanel → General Information). Test:
- Every form (contact, newsletter signup) actually delivers mail — see the FAQ below if it doesn't.
- Checkout end-to-end if it's a WooCommerce store, including a real test transaction.
- Mobile layout, since Squarespace's responsive behavior and your new WordPress theme's won't be identical out of the box.
Revert the hosts file entry once you're satisfied — it was only for your own preview.
Step 6: Cut over DNS
Lower your DNS TTL to 300 seconds at least 24–48 hours before cutover — this makes the eventual switch propagate faster instead of getting cached for hours. Then:
- If you're on Squarespace's own nameservers, you'll need to move to Getwebup's nameservers or a registrar that lets you set a custom A record pointing at Getwebup's IP.
- Once DNS resolves to Getwebup, AutoSSL in cPanel issues a fresh Let's Encrypt certificate automatically within minutes — no manual SSL purchase needed.
- Don't cancel your Squarespace plan immediately. Keep it (even on a basic tier) for a week as a safety net in case you spot a missed page or asset.
Common problems after cutover
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Images broken across the site | Imported content still links to Squarespace's CDN, which goes dead after cancellation | Run a plugin like Better Search Replace to swap old Squarespace image URLs for your Media Library ones |
| Old blog URLs 404ing | Permalink structure changed and no redirect was set | Add the missing 301 in Redirection — check Search Console's Coverage report weekly for new 404s |
| Contact form not sending | Squarespace handled form delivery internally; your WordPress form plugin has no SMTP configured | Install WP Mail SMTP and connect it to a real mail provider instead of relying on PHP's default mail() |
| Browser shows "Not Secure" right after cutover | AutoSSL hasn't issued the certificate yet because DNS is still propagating | Wait for full propagation, then trigger AutoSSL manually from cPanel > Security > SSL/TLS Status |
| Google still shows old Squarespace pages in search | Sitemap hasn't been resubmitted | Submit your new WordPress sitemap (usually /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml) in Search Console |
Prevention: what to do in the first two weeks
Keep an eye on Search Console's Coverage and Pages reports daily for the first week — new 404s show up there before customers ever complain. Keep a copy of the original XML export and product CSV somewhere safe even after everything looks stable; it's your only fallback if you discover a missed page a month later. And don't delete the Squarespace site itself until you've confirmed the new one has been live and error-free for at least a full week.
Frequently asked questions
Does Squarespace let me export my entire site?
No. Squarespace only exports blog posts as a WordPress-format XML file. Pages, navigation, and design have no export option and need to be rebuilt manually in WordPress. Commerce plans get a separate CSV export for products only.
Will I lose my Google rankings after switching to WordPress?
Not if you redirect every changed URL. Rankings drop happens when old URLs 404 after migration, not from changing platforms itself. Audit your indexed URLs in Search Console first, then 301-redirect anything whose slug changes.
Can I keep using my existing domain?
Yes. You don't need a new domain — just repoint DNS (nameservers or the A record) from Squarespace to Getwebup once the new WordPress site is built and tested.
How much downtime should I expect?
None, if you build and test the WordPress site on Getwebup first and only touch DNS at the very end. The old Squarespace site keeps serving visitors right up until the DNS cutover completes.
What happens to my Squarespace SSL certificate?
It stays with Squarespace and stops mattering once you leave. Getwebup's cPanel issues a new AutoSSL (Let's Encrypt) certificate automatically within minutes of your domain resolving to its servers.