How to Build a Membership with Squarespace Member Areas
Building a membership is about creating a space where your audience feels invited in—through a private library of courses, a community hub, or a subscription that offers something extra. They’re a way to move beyond transactions into relationship — to create a home for your most committed audience and give shape to long-term sustainability.
Squarespace Member Areas bring that possibility into the website you already use, so you can grow without juggling extra platforms or tools. In this post, we’ll explore how they work, and how you can get started.
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What are Member Areas?
Squarespace Member Areas are private sections of your website where only members can access content, opening the door to something more intimate. They might be a digital library of lessons, a subscriber-only newsletter archive, a circle for deeper conversations, or a space with small privileges for your most dedicated clients. It’s a way to turn your site into a gathering place for your community.
Why Use Squarespace Member Areas?
Members-only content is a choice about how you want to relate to your audience. With social platforms, you’re always renting space: your reach depends on algorithms, your content disappears in a feed, and your connection is mediated by someone else’s rules.
A Member Area shifts that dynamic. You own the relationship, and you decide how it’s shaped. You can build something evergreen: a library, a circle, a body of work that holds value long after it’s published.
It’s also a strategic move for sustainability. One-off launches can be exciting but unpredictable, but a membership creates continuity, recurring income, and a deeper sense of belonging for the people who choose to be part of it.
And because Member Areas live inside your Squarespace site, the experience is unified. Your brand, your design, your content, and your payments are all housed in one place rather than across disconnected tools.
How to Shape Your Member Areas
There’s no formula every business has to follow. The best memberships grow out of your work and your audience’s needs. A few possibilities:
Host an online course
Gather your knowledge into a step-by-step path. Upload lessons, worksheets, or video guides so members can move through your material at their own pace.
Create a private content library
Extend your blog, podcast, or newsletter with a members-only section; bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes notes, or in-depth guides reserved for paying subscribers.
Offer a space for community
Memberships are often less about content and more about connection. Think live Q&As, group workshops, or a hub for conversation that keeps people engaged.
Set different membership tiers
Invite people in at different levels. A free preview, a mid-tier subscription, or an all-access pass. This gives your audience choice and helps you grow sustainably.
How to Set Up a Membership Site on Squarespace
The strongest ones mirror the way you already create and the way your audience wants to gather. A few starting points:
The Library
A private archive of your work: lessons, guides, recordings, or resources. Members return here when they need clarity, inspiration, or a deeper dive.
The Circle
A community space for dialogue. This is less about consuming content and more about belonging. Live Q&As, workshops, or a forum for people to connect around shared values.
The Workshop
A structured path, like a course or program. It’s designed to move members step by step, with lessons, exercises, or milestones that build toward transformation.
The Patronage
A tiered model where people choose their level of support. Think previews, behind-the-scenes notes, or exclusive privileges for those who want closer access to your work.
The form you choose isn’t fixed and can change over time. A library that grows into a circle, or a course that develops into a broader community. What matters is that it reflects your way of working and creates meaningful value for the people inside.
Member Areas Pricing: Costs & Options
Squarespace keeps things fairly simple when it comes to Member Areas, with three tiers to choose from depending on the stage of your business.
Starter – £5.25/month
A good entry point if you’re testing the waters with memberships or digital content. You’ll get up to 10 hours of video storage, though transaction fees are higher at 7%. This option is good for validation and testing your concept.Core – £18/month
Designed for businesses ready to grow. Storage increases to 50 hours and the transaction fee drops to 3%, which makes a difference as sales scale. This plan is ideal for early growth with room to scale.Pro – £54.75/month
Best for established brands running full-scale memberships or courses. Unlimited video storage and 0% transaction fees mean you keep everything you earn. Suited to established creators who want to maximize margins and cut transaction fees.
When choosing, think less about the “bells and whistles” and more about your actual needs—how much content you’ll be uploading, how many members you’re inviting, and what kind of revenue you expect to bring in.
Note: Pricing is accurate as of March 14, 2025, but always double-check Squarespace’s official pricing page for the most up-to-date details.
FAQs
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They’re private sections of your website that only paying members (or invited guests) can access. Think of them as digital rooms where you can host courses, premium content, or a community space.
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Coaches, educators, creatives, and small business owners often use Member Areas to share knowledge, resources, or community spaces. If you’ve ever thought about offering an online course, a paid content hub, or a subscription service, this feature could be a natural fit.
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Since Member Areas are built into Squarespace, you can style pages with your fonts, colors, and layouts so the experience feels intuitive for your audience.
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Pretty much anything digital: video lessons, PDF workbooks, audio files, premium blog posts, or entire resource libraries. You can keep it simple with a few downloads or build out a full, structured learning experience.
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Yes. Squarespace integrates with Stripe and PayPal, so you can offer one-time purchases, subscriptions, or tiered memberships. Payments are handled directly on your site, which keeps things streamlined and professional.
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Absolutely, you can create multiple tiers. For example, a free preview tier, a mid-level subscription, and an all-access VIP option. This gives people flexibility to choose the level of access that suits them best.
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Yes. That’s one of the biggest benefits. Instead of one-off sales, you can create a subscription model that brings in revenue every month. Whether it’s a small community space or a full online course library, Member Areas make it possible to build consistent income around your expertise.
Concluding Thoughts
Squarespace Member Areas open the door to a space where your work and your community meet. Over time, that can grow into deeper relationships, steadier revenue, and long-term sustainability.
To make the most of it, start with an intentional design. Our Squarespace membership templates are built for coaches, educators, and course creators with conversion-focused sales pages to help your membership thrive.
More Squarespace Tips:
How to Craft a Captivating Squarespace About Page
How to Effortlessly Start a Blog in Squarespace
Elevate Your Squarespace Site With 5 CSS Image Hover Effects
