My Experience Building a Website on Squarespace: Lessons Learned

An honest look at what it’s really like to build a professional website on Squarespace — the good, the bad, and the frustratingly unfixable.

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When a client recently insisted on using Squarespace for their new website, I thought, “Alright then, let’s see what it can do.” I’ve worked with plenty of platforms over the years, so I was up for the challenge.

It started smoothly enough — the templates looked clean, the editor was intuitive, and I could see why clients like it. But it didn’t take long before I started muttering at my screen. Let’s just say there were a few moments when I came close to launching my laptop across the room.

Here’s what I discovered after giving Squarespace a proper go.

1. Tablet Views Are a Nightmare

Squarespace handles desktop and mobile views fairly well, but tablet view is where things fall apart. Columns don’t scale properly, and layouts that look perfect on a laptop can suddenly turn into a jumble on an iPad. Buttons seem to have a mind of their own — they overlap, float, or just refuse to line up no matter how much you tweak them.

I even added custom CSS to try to fix it, but you’re always fighting against the built-in grid system. It’s like trying to build a custom kitchen using flat-pack furniture — it’ll work, but it’s never quite right.

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2. File Upload Limits
Then there’s the 20MB upload limit. This might not sound terrible until you try to upload a PDF brochure, high-res image, or a decent-sized video file. You quickly hit that ceiling and have to link externally — to Google Drive, Dropbox, or wherever. It’s fine as a workaround, but not ideal when you’re trying to create a seamless user experience.
3. Limited Advanced Features

For anything more than a standard brochure-style site, Squarespace gets tricky. Things like timelines, interactive sections, or advanced layouts require a lot of workarounds — and often, some code injection. You can’t easily create dynamic content or get too creative with layouts without bumping into the platform’s guardrails.

It’s fine for a quick site or a simple portfolio, but as soon as you try to do something more tailored, you start realising how restrictive it really is.

4. Other Common Frustrations
A few other issues popped up along the way:
  • Alignment and spacing control is limited, so you never quite get that pixel-perfect finish.
  • Grids can be stubborn, and columns don’t always resize as expected.
  • Templates can feel samey — great for speed, not so much for originality.
  • SEO and performance tweaks are minimal; you don’t get the same level of control as you do with WordPress or a hand-coded build.

Tips for Developers Working with Squarespace

If you do find yourself building on Squarespace, here are a few things that help:
  1. Link externally for large files – host big PDFs or videos elsewhere.
  2. Use CSS tweaks – a little code can go a long way in fixing layout quirks.
  3. Plan layouts carefully – keep things simple; Squarespace doesn’t like complex structures.
  4. Test early on multiple devices – especially tablets! Don’t trust the built-in preview.
  5. Embed external tools – for things like timelines or dynamic content, use third-party widgets.

Squarespace for Website : The Bottom Line

Squarespace is a solid option for clients who need a site up quickly — something simple, clean, and easy to manage themselves. The drag-and-drop interface is genuinely good for that.

But for developers or designers who like flexibility, fine control, and the freedom to build custom features, it can feel pretty limiting. You’ll spend a lot of time finding clever ways to work around its constraints.

For my client’s project, I got it done and looking good — but it took extra effort and compromise. It confirmed for me that Squarespace is best kept for straightforward projects, not complex or feature-rich builds.

Sometimes, the “easy” option for a client isn’t always the easy option for the developer.

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