Now you can add animated and gradient backgrounds to your Squarespace website

Why This Matters

You’ve probably noticed it. Websites are getting bolder by the week. Gone are the days when a sample photo of a fern would pass as “background design.” Today, a static site ends up looking as lively as an 8am queue at the Post Office. You get a couple of seconds to show your visitors that your brand goes beyond blank spaces and wishful thinking. One scroll and they’re gone, browsing someone else's whizzy animations and smooth colour blends.

Animating and bringing style to a site used to be a time sink, unless you were a dab hand with code or preferred losing your lunch break to After Effects. This was a hurdle for newcomers or people who would rather avoid complex SVG scripts just to add a spot of movement. Previously, your options were limited: you could outsource, hack your way through plugins, or simply wish things could be easier.

Squarespace’s new feature for animated and gradient backgrounds makes this accessible. No custom code. No faffing with Canva or Illustrator workarounds. Just point, click, and bring your pages to life with options that give you as much or as little flair as feels right. You spend less time tackling tech and more time focussing on what your site actually says. This is where the feature proves its value.

Still, it’s easy to go overboard or lose sight of the bigger goal: animation works best as a tool for clarity rather than chaos. To make the most of it, keep the following guidance in mind.

Common Pitfalls

Plenty of people jump in head first, switch on every animated option, then wonder why their website suddenly resembles a dodgy 90s screensaver. A few classics:

• Picking wild gradients just because you can, leaving pages unreadable.
• Animations whizzing so fast, your content feels like it's having a panic attack.
• Forgetting about mobile users, so backgrounds that looked grand on your desktop end up a jittery mess on someone’s phone.
• Not checking load speeds, which can mean subtle flourishes go unnoticed if visitors bounce before things finish loading.

Many folks also become stuck trying to “match” these new backgrounds with existing layouts. Add a whirling rainbow behind carefully-formulated text, and your call-to-action could end up lost in visual noise.

Treating animation as the star attraction leads to trouble. Animation should support your content and help guide users. While eye-catching is good, overwhelming visuals are not.

Step-by-Step Fix

This guide is here to help you get animated and gradient backgrounds right in Squarespace, avoiding common errors and making the most of the new features. Here’s how to proceed.

1. Decide the Purpose Before Designing

Before you explore the menus, determine where animation will actually contribute. Is it a hero section you want to stand out? A testimonial panel looking bland? Or do you want to unify a product page with a subtle flow of colour?

Animation works best when used intentionally. For example, drawing attention to a sign-up form or showcasing a product area can encourage visitors to take action. Sprinkling movement everywhere results in clutter, not clarity.

2. Access the Feature Easily—No Photoshop Needed

Squarespace 7.1 and up now include this feature across all plans, even the basic package. Every panel you add to a page (think banners, galleries, info strips) offers these extra design controls.

• In the Squarespace page editor, hover over any content section.
• Click Edit Section.
• Find the Background tab. If you don’t see it, you’re likely editing a legacy section—only the new pages have full access.
• Here you’ll spot the new gradient and animation options listed alongside photos, videos, and plain colours.
• Choose Gradient to reveal preset blends or build your own.
• Flick the switch for Animation. Set the style (Subtle, Flow, Dynamic, etc.), then tweak the speed. Slower movement feels calm and professional; rapid flickering generally does not.

3. Customise Colours Effectively

This is where people either excel or fall flat. Applying a gradient simply because you can rarely delivers good results. Connect your gradients with your site’s palette.

• Click Edit Gradient, then pick your colour stops. You’re not limited to two—you can add more to achieve a soft blend or dramatic effect.
• For a background that supports text, favour soft transitions and moderate contrast. Go too harsh, and your copy will vanish.
• Stick to colours already on your site or tweak them only slightly. Consistent branding builds trust.

4. Test Animation Speed and Subtlety

You can now adjust how quickly the animation loops and its overall intensity. The right approach is almost always understatement.

• Keep the animation smooth, with transitions that help, not hinder, your content.
• Use the built-in preview tools to watch the animation play out.
• Be cautious with “Dynamic” or “Fast” settings unless you have a specific reason. A second opinion can be invaluable.

5. Check Performance and Mobile Responsiveness

Squarespace backgrounds are optimised for performance, but it still pays to be practical.

• Preview your animated section in both desktop and mobile modes (using the toggle in the editor).
• Some animations might look great on a large monitor but become distracting or unreadable on smaller screens.
• Take time to scroll on both a phone and a tablet to ensure key buttons remain legible and the effect doesn’t obscure important links.

6. Launch Thoughtfully After Testing

Once you’re happy with your blend, animation, and speed, don’t rush to publish.

• Save your changes and view the page incognito, to check for any surprises your browser cache might hide.
• If you use accessibility tools or screen readers, test them at this stage.
• Finally, check your page on another device. Colour, motion, and speeds can vary between screens.

Key Insight Most Builders Overlook

Succeeding isn’t a matter of using animation and gradient features—it comes down to how well you deploy them so they serve your site’s goals. Many add colour, but few create atmosphere that fits naturally.

Gradients and animation work best as unifying visual tools. They connect page sections, direct attention, mask hard transitions, and reinforce your brand’s personality. When used effectively, visitors feel gently encouraged to explore further.

Restraint matters. Subtle backgrounds nearly always enhance the finished result. Visitors are left with an impression, not a specific visual memory. If a client says, “I’m not sure why I like it, but it feels so clean,” you have likely achieved the ideal outcome.

As Ken Rees, one of our longtime collaborators put it:

“With the new feature I no longer have to create gradients through Canva or Illustrator. I can now create them straight away inside Squarespace, without the need to code each individual effect.”
Ken Rees

That level of efficiency and control is the ideal to aim for.

The Bigger Picture

These efforts matter because working smarter on your design now will save you time in future updates. You’re freed from plugin updates and troubleshooting. That’s valuable time recaptured from technical frustrations.

Equally important, a visually consistent site with thoughtful animation shows visitors you care about details and value their attention. This fosters credibility. An up-to-date, calm website invites exploration and engagement.

As web platforms modernise, outdated approaches like FrostyMcStatic-bg.com no longer cut it if you want your site to represent your business. A little time invested brings ongoing benefits for every visitor who thinks, "Yes, this lot knows what they’re about." The craft is in the small flourishes that blend together so the whole experience feels seamless.

Remember from the Pixelhaze workshop: if your backgrounds resemble the design version of “World’s Loudest Pants,” it’s time to tone things down.

Wrap-Up

You don’t need a design degree or an extra dose of caffeine to use Squarespace’s new animated and gradient backgrounds. Choose where the effect works best, test your combinations, prioritise calm over chaos, and check it on mobiles, tablets, and even Grandma’s old laptop.

Used thoughtfully, these features can help your site stand out in the right way without making extra work or leaving your homepage looking too wild.

Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.

Jargon Buster

• Gradient: A smooth transition between two or more colours.
• Animation Effects: Any motion or change in appearance added to backgrounds, usually making things move or fade.
• 3rd Party Apps: Software made by companies other than Squarespace, e.g. Illustrator, Canva.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I adjust animation speed for Squarespace backgrounds?
In the section editor, after enabling Animation, you’ll see a slider for speed. Try starting slow; rarely does anyone wish they’d made it more frantic.

What are the best practices for choosing gradient colours?
Stick with your brand palette. Use softer transitions behind text. Preview everything on both desktop and mobile to catch clashing effects.

Can I preview animated backgrounds before publishing?
Yes. Use the standard Squarespace preview, or even better, create an unlinked test page and experiment until you’re happy. Always check on multiple devices.

Will the new animated backgrounds work on all Squarespace templates?
They’re available for all new 7.1 templates and all plan levels. If your editor is missing options, your section might be using legacy formatting.

Do I need coding skills to use these backgrounds?
No, everything is accessible in the admin interface. CSS tricks remain optional for advanced tweaks.

Where can I get help or see a walkthrough?
Catch our in-depth video tutorial over at the Pixelhaze Academy website.
If you get stuck, the Pixelhaze Academy community is ready with answers and insight.