How to Start a Blog on Squarespace: The 10-Step Guide

Starting a blog can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Squarespace is a beautiful, beginner-friendly platform that makes designing and launching your blog seamless, without needing to know a single line of code.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just dipping your toes into blogging, this guide is here to walk you through the essentials with ease. By the end of this guide, you’ll have everything you need to launch a blog that feels as professional as it does personal.

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A woman stands barefoot on a sandy beach, reading a book. She wears a light, checkered set with a woven visor shading her face.
 

Why Should You Start a Blog?

You have something to say, but right now, your website might feel like a one-way conversation. A blog changes that.

For business owners, blogging is all about building connection and visibility. It gives your audience a reason to keep coming back, whether for your behind-the-scenes insights, client stories, or expert advice. It’s where potential clients see your personality, understand your process, and start to feel like they know you before ever reaching out.

Maybe you’re a photographer who wants to share recent shoots while answering common client questions. A designer hoping to walk people through your creative process. A coach offering valuable insights that help potential clients see why your approach is different. Instead of just listing your services, a blog helps you show your expertise, making it easier for people to trust that you’re the right fit.

And beyond? Blogging helps you get found. Every post is an opportunity to show up in search results when potential clients are looking for what you offer. The more valuable content you create, the easier it is for the right people to discover your work.

If you’ve ever felt like your website is just sitting there, waiting for traffic, a blog is how you start bringing people in.

How Can You Use a Blog? Turn Your Website Into a Traffic Generator

Here’s how you can make your blog work for you:

  • Educate & Empower Your Audience

    Whether you’re a photographer explaining what to wear for a session, a designer breaking down branding mistakes, or a coach offering mindset shifts, valuable content helps your audience get to know you and trust you as an expert, turning readers into clients.

  • Showcase Your Expertise

    Your blog is the perfect place to share insights, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes perspectives that highlight what makes your approach unique. Whether it’s quick tips or deep-dive guides, showing up consistently with value-driven content helps position you as the go-to person in your field.

  • Build Connection & Community

    The best brands feel personal. Your blog can be a space where your audience gets to know you—beyond your work, beyond your sales page. Share client stories, behind-the-scenes moments, or collaborations that invite readers into your world.

  • Earn Passive Income

    Blogging doesn’t just bring in traffic—it can generate income, too. From affiliate marketing (recommending products or services you love) to selling digital products (like guides, presets, or courses), a blog can become another revenue stream that works for you long after you hit publish. (New to affiliate marketing? Check out our guide for tips on getting started.)

Whether you’re using your blog to educate, connect, or grow your income, every post is an opportunity to strengthen your brand and bring in new clients.

Why Should You choose Squarespace For Your Blog?

If you’re starting a blog, the last thing you want is a clunky, complicated setup that takes the joy out of sharing your ideas. Squarespace makes blogging simple, without the tech overwhelm that comes with managing your website and blog separately. Here’s why it’s such a great platform for creators and business owners:

  • Easy to Use, No Code Needed

    Whether you’re a first-time blogger or a seasoned writer, Squarespace’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to set up, customize, and maintain your blog—no coding required, so you can focus on writing and creating instead of troubleshooting tech issues.

  • Customizable, Design-Forward Templates

    Squarespace offers stunning, fully customizable templates that give you creative freedom without requiring a designer. Adjust fonts, colors, layouts, and branding elements to craft a blog that feels uniquely yours. Looking for a premium, designer-made template? Take a look at our collection of Squarespace templates).

  • Simple integration

    Your blog is part of your larger brand ecosystem. Easily connect your blog with social media, email marketing tools (like Squarespace Email Campaigns), and third-party integrations to grow your audience and keep readers engaged beyond your website.

  • Built-In SEO Features

    No need for extra plugins. Squarespace has built-in SEO tools to help your blog rank on Google. Edit meta titles, descriptions, and image alt text with ease so that your content reaches the right people.

  • Built-In Analytics to Track What Works

    Wondering which posts get the most traffic? Squarespace’s built-in analytics help you track visitor numbers, page performance, and engagement, so you can fine-tune your content strategy with real data.

  • Reliable Support When You Need It

    Tech hiccups happen, but Squarespace’s 24/7 customer support ensures you’re never left troubleshooting alone. Whether it’s a design tweak or an SEO question, help is always just a message away.

With Squarespace, you get an intuitive, professional, and scalable platform that grows with you. Now, let’s walk through how to set up your dream blog, step by step.

The Squarespace website home page.

How To Create a Squarespace Account

Start by heading to Squarespace’s website.

On the homepage, look for the Get Started button. Clicking this will lead you through a few basic steps to either create a new account or log in to your existing one. You’ll need to provide your email address, create a password, and confirm your email. It’s a good idea to use an email you check often, as Squarespace will send you important notifications and updates. 

After signing in, you’ll be directed to your Squarespace dashboard. Once your account is set up and you’re comfy with the dashboard, you're ready to choose a template and a plan so you can start building your blog.

How to Choose a Squarespace Template

Your blog should support your content. Squarespace offers a collection of free templates, each designed with flexibility in mind. But if you want something with an extra layer of strategy, premium templates (like the ones in our Studio Founded collection) blend aesthetics with functionality, ensuring your blog isn’t just beautiful, but built to perform.

Choosing a Template That Aligns with Your Blog’s Goals:




  • For Image-Driven Content: If your blog is highly visual (think photographers, designers, or travel bloggers), look for gallery-focused layouts with large image blocks and full-width sections that let your visuals shine.

  • For Text-Heavy Articles: If your blog is more article-based, educational, or writing-focused, choose a design with clean typography, structured layouts, and intuitive navigation that enhances readability.

Customizing Your Template for a Unique Look

No matter which template you choose, remember: it’s a starting point. Squarespace’s Editor let you refine fonts, colors, and layouts to create a space that feels like you. Choose a template that fits your vision now, knowing you can adjust and evolve it as your blog grows.

How to Choose a Squarespace Plan

Your blog begins with the right Squarespace plan. Whether you're launching as a passion project or planning to turn your blog into a full-fledged business, here’s how to choose the best option for where you are now, and where you’re headed.

  • Personal Plan

    If you’re starting a blog purely for creative expression, the Personal plan has everything you need. It’s budget-friendly and gives you a clean, professional space to share your writing, but it lacks e-commerce and certain marketing tools. Ideal if you’re blogging for fun or as a personal portfolio.

  • Business Plan

    Planning to monetize through affiliate marketing, brand collaborations, or digital products? The Business plan is your best bet. It includes e-commerce functionality, custom code options, and third-party integrations—perfect if your blog is growing into a business. (Note: A 3% transaction fee applies to sales, so if you’re selling consistently, you might want to upgrade to Commerce.)

  • Commerce Plan

    If you plan to sell online courses, digital downloads, presets, or physical products, the Commerce plan gives you everything in the Business plan without transaction fees. Plus, you get advanced selling tools like abandoned cart recovery, product reviews, and flexible checkout options. Great for bloggers who are turning their site into a full-scale shop.

Tip: You can always start with the Business plan and upgrade to Commerce when your shop takes off.

After selecting your plan, follow the on-screen instructions to complete your purchase (or navigate to Settings > Billing > Subscription > Website if upgrading later). Once your plan is active, you’ll gain immediate access to premium features, bringing you one step closer to launching your blog.

Adding a Blog Collection in Squarespace.

How to Create Your Squarespace Blog Page

With your plan and template chosen, it's time to set up your blog.

Visit Website > Pages. In the Main Navigation area, select the + icon and choose Blog. This will add a new blog collection to your website, which will house your blog posts. After adding your blog page, you'll need to configure its settings:

  • Page Title and URL: Give your blog page a title and customize its URL to reflect your blog's content/

  • Social sharing: Enable social sharing buttons to allow readers to share your blog posts on socials.

  • Comments: Decide if you want to enable comments on your blog posts.

Will Myer's Blog Post Banner Image Styles plugin.

Will Myer's Blog Post Banner Image Styles plugin.

How to Customize the Layout of Your Squarespace Blog

Your blog’s layout is your opportunity to create an inviting, on-brand space for your readers. Squarespace provides intuitive tools to help you tailor your blog’s design with ease. Here’s how to make it your own:

  • Content Width

    Decide on the width of your content. A narrow column enhances readability, while a wider layout is ideal for bold imagery or dynamic galleries.

  • Text Alignment

    Adjust text alignment to bring balance to your layout. Play with aligning post titles, metadata, or introductory paragraphs to guide the reader’s eye naturally.

  • Metadata Options

    Choose what details to display (e.g., author name, post category, publish date, or tags) and where to place them to give your readers context at a glance.

  • Spacing

    Refine the spacing around your headers and body text to maintain harmony. This ensures your titles stand out without overpowering the page, creating a clean and inviting flow.

  • Design Details

    Enhance your blog with thoughtful design elements like dividers, images, video embeds, pull quotes, and galleries. These touches keep your layout engaging and dynamic.

  • Social Sharing

    Seamlessly integrate social icons or share buttons to encourage your readers to spread the word. You can even embed live social feeds for a more interactive experience.

  • Newsletter Sign-Up

    Use Squarespace’s Email Campaigns to add sign-up forms, turning casual readers into loyal subscribers.


Once you’ve designed a blog post layout that you love, save it as a draft and store it in the backend of your site as a ‘template.’ You can duplicate this template whenever you want to add a new post.

A Squarespace blog post.

How to Create A Blog Post on Squarespace

Now that your blog is set up, it’s time to bring it to life with your content.

  • Start Your Post

    Click the + icon in your blog collection to create a new post. Add a title, body copy, and use Squarespace’s content blocks to enhance your layout with images, videos, galleries, or quotes.

  • Know Your Audience

    Write with your ideal reader in mind. What topics spark their curiosity? What challenges can you help them solve? Dive into subjects that inspire you while offering value to your readers. Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback—your audience’s insights can guide your content strategy.

  • Keep It Engaging

    Use a clear, conversational tone that invites readers to stay awhile. Break up long blocks of text with visuals or formatting, and make your posts skimmable with headings, bullet points, or numbered lists.

  • Add Visuals

    Include images, videos, or infographics to keep your readers engaged and scrolling.

The Blog Post Settings area in the Squarespace dashboard.

How to Edit Your Squares[ace Blog Post Settings and Add Meta Data

The last step before publishing your post is to edit it’s settings and meta data. To do this, you can click the cog icon next to your post title in the left-hand panel to open the post settings and add:

  • A featured image.

  • A post excerpt.

  • A post author.

  • A post URL.

  • Meta description and meta title.

  • Categories and tags.

You can also save the post as a draft, publish it, to schedule it to go live at a future date.

How to Publish Your Blog Post on Squarespace

Lastly, publish your post by hitting the Publishbutton in top left-hand of the screen.

How to Optimize Your Squarespace Blog for SEO

You should always optimize your blog posts for SEO to bring in an ongoing stream of steady traffic. There’s no point in publishing posts if no one’s there to read them!

Adding meta descriptions and titles, enabling comments, setting up categories and tags, and integrating social media sharing options will all help improve your SEO.

For deeper SEO insights, try SEOSpace, the only SEO plugin designed specifically for Squarespace. It scans your site, offers personalized SEO recommendations, and helps you identify and implement the right keywords.

The Squarespace website section on gated content.

How to Monetize Your Squarespace Blog

As your blog grows, engage with your readers to build a community around your content. Respond to comments and messages, ask for feedback, or host giveaways and collaborations to keep your readers engaged.

When your blog starts to gain traction, monetizing it can turn your passion into profit. Here are a few ways that you can monetize:

  • Affiliate Marketing

    Join affiliate programs related to your niche. By promoting products or services through your blog, you can earn a commission for each sale made through your links.

  • Digital Products

    Create digital products like workbooks, online courses, or templates. Squarespace makes it easy to set up a storefront, so you can sell products to your readers. 

  • Enable Sponsored Content

    As your blog grows, brands may approach you to write sponsored posts. These are paid articles that promote a brand or product.

  • Integrate Email Marketing

    Use email marketing to send newsletters, promote your products, or offer exclusive content. By nurturing your email subscribers, you create multiple opportunities for revenue.


  • Gated blog

    Create a gated blog to protect your posts behind a paywall. Offer exclusive content like premium articles, videos, or webinars, to members who pay a monthly fee.


Exploring these options can provide multiple revenue streams, making your blog both a platform for sharing your passion and a business venture in its own right.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If you’re moving your blog from WordPress, Blogger, Shopify, or Tumblr, you can import your content directly into Squarespace. Just export your posts from your current platform and use Squarespace’s built-in import tools to bring everything over. You might need to tweak formatting afterward, but it’s a smooth process.

  • Squarespace doesn’t have a built-in sidebar option, but you can still add one using a third-party plugin like the 'Squarespace Sidebar Plugin' by SQSP Themes. This lets you feature categories, recent posts, or newsletter signups—helpful if you want a more structured layout.

  • Squarespace includes customizable meta tags, automatic XML sitemaps, clean URLs, and mobile-friendly design—all essential for getting found in search.

    If you want more advanced insights and personalized SEO guidance, SEOSpace is the only SEO tool designed specifically for Squarespace. It helps with:

    • Keyword research so you can target the right search terms.

    • Fixing SEO errors that could be holding your site back.

    • Tailored SEO recommendations to help your blog grow.

    Try SEOSpace for free for expert insights, without the guesswork.

  • To turn on comments, go to your blog page in the site editor, click on a post, and select the Options tab. Scroll down to Post Settings and toggle Enable Comments. Don’t forget to save! You can also choose whether to moderate comments before they go live.

  • Here are a few ways to monetize your blog on Squarespace:

    • Sell products or services directly with Squarespace Commerce

    • Use affiliate marketing to earn commissions on product recommendations

    • Offer sponsored content or brand collaborations

    • Enable Google AdSense or other ad networks to display ads

    Squarespace gives you built-in tools for e-commerce and digital downloads, so whether you’re selling guides, presets, or online workshops, you can create a revenue stream right from your blog.

  • With Squarespace Member Areas, you can lock exclusive blog content behind a paywall or require a subscription. This is perfect if you want to offer premium content, workshops, or a VIP community.

  • Squarespace Analytics tracks page views, traffic sources, and reader engagement so you can see what’s resonating with your audience. To check your top-performing posts, go to:

    Analytics > Popular Content → Here, you’ll see which blog posts are bringing in the most traffic.

    For even deeper insights, you can integrate a tool like Google Analytics to track bounce rates, search queries, and audience behavior over time.

Concluding Thoughts

Your ideas are worth sharing, and your voice deserves a platform. With the right tools and a little intention, your blog can become a place of connection, creativity, and growth. Reach out to other bloggers, engage with your readers, and most importantly, have fun with it!

More Squarespace Tips:

How to Craft a Captivating Squarespace About Page
How to Earn Passive Income With Affiliate Marketing
Elevate Your Squarespace Site With 5 CSS Image Hover Effects

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