How to Hide Blog Metadata in Squarespace
TL;DR:
- You can hide author names, dates, categories and tags from your blog posts
- Most templates let you control this through blog style settings
- Summary blocks give you more layout flexibility without unwanted metadata
- Not all templates support hiding every metadata type – some need custom code
- Changes apply to your entire blog, not individual posts
Cleaning up your blog's appearance often means hiding bits of information that don't add value for your readers. Here's how to control what shows up on your Squarespace blog posts.
Hiding Author Names from Blog Posts
Most Squarespace templates let you control author visibility through the blog settings. Keep in mind that changes affect your entire blog, not individual posts.
For Version 7.1 Templates:
- Open the Pages panel and select your blog page
- Click Edit, then hover over the blog section and click the pencil icon
- Look for Primary or Secondary Meta Data options
- Make sure 'Author' isn't selected in either section
- Save your changes
Template-Specific Options:
- Aviator: Go to Blog Styles and tick 'Hide Author'
- Brine: Navigate to Blog: Metadata and untick 'Author'
- Bedford: Use the same Blog: Metadata approach as Brine
If your template doesn't give you a clean way to hide authors, try using a summary block on a new page instead. Set it to pull from your blog but exclude author information.
Controlling Publication Date Display
Publication dates work similarly to author names – you can usually control them through your blog's style settings.
Common Template Approaches:
- Brine: Under Blog: Metadata, choose options that don't include 'Date'
- Tremont and York: Same navigation path, just make sure Date is unticked
- Avenue: Look for Date options in the blog customization panel
Using Summary Blocks for More Control
Summary blocks give you an alternative way to display blog content with more control over metadata:
- Create a new page for your blog landing
- Add a summary block and set it to pull from your blog
- Configure the metadata display to exclude author, date, or both
- Hide your original blog page from navigation if you want a cleaner setup
This approach works well when your template doesn't support the metadata hiding you need.
Managing Categories and Tags
Categories and tags are trickier – not all templates let you hide them easily.
What Usually Works:
- Skye templates: Set the Promoted Meta option to something other than 'Tags' or 'Categories'
- Brine family: Look for Metadata options under blog settings
- Newer templates: Check the blog customization panel for tag/category toggles
Some templates don't offer clean ways to hide categories and tags. If you're stuck, custom CSS might be your best option for getting the exact look you want.
Version 7.0 vs 7.1 Differences
If you're still on Squarespace 7.0, the process is similar but the interface looks different:
- Go to Design > Blog
- Look for Style options in the sidebar
- Find metadata controls under your template's blog settings
- Make your changes and save
Version 7.1 gives you more granular control over metadata display, so upgrading might solve some limitations you're hitting.
When Standard Options Don't Work
Some templates are more restrictive than others. If you can't hide the metadata you want through normal settings:
- Try the summary block approach on a new page
- Consider switching to a template with better metadata controls
- Look into custom CSS solutions for specific tweaks
- Check if your template has been updated with new options
FAQs
Can I hide author names on all Squarespace templates?
No, not all templates support this directly. Some need workarounds like summary blocks or custom CSS.
Is it possible to hide metadata on individual posts instead of the whole blog?
Generally no – metadata controls apply to your entire blog. You'd need custom code to target specific posts.
What if my template doesn't have the metadata options mentioned?
Try using a summary block for more control, or consider custom CSS for specific adjustments.
Do these changes affect my RSS feed?
No, hiding metadata in your template only affects how your blog looks on your website. RSS feeds will still include the full metadata.
Jargon Buster
Metadata: Extra information about your blog posts like author name, publish date, categories and tags that appears alongside your content.
Summary Block: A Squarespace feature that displays content from other parts of your site, with customizable options for what information to show.
Custom CSS: Code that overrides your template's default styling to create specific visual changes.
Template Family: Groups of Squarespace templates that share similar customization options (like Brine family or Bedford family).
Wrap-up
Getting your blog metadata just right comes down to knowing what your template supports and working within those limits. Most templates give you decent control over author names and dates, but categories and tags can be stubborn.
If you're hitting walls with your current template, the summary block approach often provides a good workaround. For more complex needs, custom CSS might be worth exploring.
Ready to take your Squarespace skills further? Join Pixelhaze Academy for in-depth tutorials and expert guidance.