How to Migrate From Squarespace Without Losing SEO
Squarespace makes leaving feel almost possible — it offers a WordPress-format XML export. But that export only covers blog posts and basic pages, and it stops there. Your design, galleries, product pages, and structured content stay behind. So migrating off Squarespace is part data export, part rebuild — and if you don't handle the URLs carefully, you'll lose the search rankings you built. Here's how to move without the traffic drop.
What Squarespace's export actually gives you
Set expectations before you start:
- A partial WordPress XML file. Squarespace exports blog posts, basic pages, text blocks, and some images in WordPress format. That's genuinely useful — more than Wix offers.
- What it leaves out. Product/store pages, galleries, album pages, index pages, custom CSS, and any block that isn't standard text or image. Those you recreate by hand.
- URLs that will change. Squarespace uses its own URL patterns (
/blog/post-name, collection prefixes). Your new platform may differ — and every changed URL needs a redirect or you lose its ranking.
The trade is worth it: once you're off, your content lives on a platform you own, not one that owns your design.
The SEO-safe migration plan
Order matters. This sequence protects your rankings.
1. Inventory every URL first
Crawl your Squarespace site and export every URL with its title. Check Search Console to see which pages actually get organic traffic — those are the ones you must not break. This list becomes your redirect map later.
2. Run the Squarespace export
In Squarespace: Settings → Advanced → Import/Export → Export → WordPress. You get an XML file with your blog and basic pages. Download it. Also download your images separately at full resolution — the export often references lower-quality versions.
3. Set up your new CMS
Choose where content will live long-term. A self-hosted headless CMS like UnfoldCMS keeps content in your own database over a REST API, so this is your last forced migration. Recreate your content types — with UnfoldCMS, one Post model handles posts, pages, and landing content, so there's little to configure.
4. Import the blog, rebuild the rest
The WordPress XML gets your blog content in. Everything the export skipped — store pages, galleries, custom-designed pages — you recreate manually. Copy the text, re-upload the images, and rebuild the layout in your new platform's editor or templates.
5. Match URLs, then 301 the rest
Keep the same slugs wherever possible. If a post was at /blog/my-post, keep /blog/my-post. For every URL that must change, set a 301 redirect (permanent) from the old Squarespace URL to the new one. The 301 hands the old page's SEO value to the new page. Miss one, and that page's ranking resets to zero.
UnfoldCMS has a redirect manager at /admin/seo/redirects with CSV bulk import — feed it the old→new spreadsheet from your inventory and set every redirect in one pass.
6. Preserve titles, meta, and alt text
Carry each page's title tag and meta description to the new CMS, and set them explicitly so proper nouns and brand names stay correct. Re-add descriptive alt text to images. These are direct ranking and click-through signals — don't let them regenerate from slugs.
7. Submit a fresh sitemap
Generate an XML sitemap on the new site (UnfoldCMS produces one at /sitemap.xml automatically) and submit it in Search Console so Google recrawls the new URLs fast.
8. Switch DNS and watch
Point your domain at the new site, then monitor Search Console for two to four weeks. Confirm redirects resolve, watch for crawl errors, and check that rankings hold. A short dip is normal; a lasting drop means a missing redirect — find it in your inventory.
Squarespace migration checklist
| Step | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Inventory all URLs + traffic | Builds your redirect map |
| Export WordPress XML | Gets blog + basic pages |
| Rebuild galleries/store/custom pages | Export skips these |
| Match slugs where possible | Continuity for Google |
| 301 redirect changed URLs | Passes SEO value forward |
| Preserve titles + meta + alt | Ranking + CTR signals |
| Submit new sitemap | Faster recrawl |
| Monitor 2–4 weeks | Catch missing redirects |
FAQ
Can I export my whole Squarespace site?
Not entirely. Squarespace exports blog posts and basic pages as a WordPress XML file, but it excludes store/product pages, galleries, album pages, and custom-designed blocks. Those you recreate manually on the new platform. It's a better export than closed builders like Wix, but still partial.
Will I lose SEO migrating from Squarespace?
Only if you skip redirects. Match your URL slugs where possible and set 301 redirects for every changed URL. That preserves the ranking signals tied to each page. The WordPress XML import plus a complete redirect map is what keeps your traffic intact.
Where should I migrate from Squarespace?
To a platform you own. A self-hosted CMS like UnfoldCMS keeps content in your own database with no vendor lock-in — the WordPress XML import gets your blog in, and you rebuild the rest. WordPress itself is an option too, since the export is already in its format.
How long does a Squarespace migration take?
A blog-focused site imports quickly from the XML — a day or two. Sites with stores, galleries, or heavy custom design take longer because those pages rebuild by hand. Budget a couple of weeks of light monitoring after launch for the redirect and ranking check.
The bottom line
Squarespace's WordPress export is a real head start, but it only covers part of your site — the rest is a rebuild. Inventory your URLs, import the blog, recreate what's missing, and 301-redirect everything that changes, and your rankings survive the move. Land on a self-hosted CMS and you own your content for good. See the live demo.
Related: Best Self-Hosted CMS Platforms · How to Migrate From Wix · What Is a Headless CMS?
Free & Open Source
Own your CMS. No subscriptions.
Unfold CMS is free to download and self-host. Built on Laravel + React, full source code included.
Share this post:
