Access our Squarespace Email Campaigns online course

TL;DR

• Struggling to get your Squarespace emails looking polished, delivered reliably, and actually opened? You’re in good company; most people wrestle with clunky templates, gnarly list management, or having their “newsletters” consistently consigned to the spam heap. This guide explains the right way to master Squarespace Email Campaigns quickly, cheaply, and without stress.
• We’ll walk through the real mistakes, the fixes (with practical, no-nonsense steps), and why our Pixelhaze course is honestly worth your time, whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or habitual course collector.
• Ready to bin the email drama? All the guidance you actually need is inside, plus you’ll find answers to every “what if I break it?” question at the end.

Why This Matters

Picture the scene: you’ve slaved over a newsletter you wrote yourself in Squarespace. You’ve triple-checked your spelling, uploaded images that actually look sharp, and you’re humming along to your playlist of choice. You hit send, leaning back with a sense of achievement worthy of an ad break.

Half of your audience doesn’t even see it. Of the ones who do, a handful receive a broken mess, and the “unsubscribe” button is the only thing anyone clicks. Weeks later, the only new mail in your inbox is from your mum.

This happens a lot. Small businesses and freelancers pour hours into email marketing, only to be bamboozled by technical faff, dodgy templates, and import screens that might as well be in ancient Greek. The result is time down the drain, missed sales, and a faint, burning urge to chuck the laptop in the canal.

Here’s the reality: Squarespace makes email campaigns pretty simple for mere mortals when you know the ropes. You shouldn’t spend your time fighting with mailing lists or cursing at formatting bugs. It's better to focus on sending emails that look good, actually get read, and, crucially, get replies (not rage unsubscribes).

When you fix your email system, you can run campaigns confidently with no coding, no guesswork and, dare we say, minimal swearing.

Common Pitfalls

Ask anyone who’s ever given Squarespace Email Campaigns a crack: the learning curve feels steep because the tool is easy. There’s a temptation to skip best practice, have a play, fling out a few “test” emails, then point fingers at the software when nobody opens them.

Here are the perennial blunders:

• Template Terrors: Users stick with the bland starter templates or crowd their designs with every bell and whistle. Result: emails that scream “spam bot” or “designed by a committee.”
• Mailing List Mayhem: Instead of segmenting contacts or using import tools, new users hand-jam email addresses (or worse, let an ancient spreadsheet do its worst). Typos, lost contacts, GDPR headaches; fortune favours the lazy.
• Trigger Happy Sending: Launching campaigns without running a single test. This is how you discover the logo is the size of a postage stamp or that your “view online” link does absolutely nothing.
• Ignoring the Data: You tuck analytics somewhere between horoscopes and terms and conditions: a thing other people use. This means you never work out why 25% of recipients immediately bounced.

Most of these snags are easy to dodge with a systematic approach (and, honestly, our online course will rescue you from the rest). But first, here’s how to fix your setup, step by step.

Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1: Get Set Up the Right Way

Before writing a single word, take five minutes to set up your Squarespace Email Campaigns environment like a pro.

Do This:

1. Activate the Email Campaigns Add-on: From your Squarespace dashboard, find 'Marketing', then ‘Email Campaigns’. Start a free trial if you haven’t yet; don’t overthink billing.
2. Integrate Your Domains: Make sure your sender email matches your website domain. This helps pull your emails out of spam limbo.
3. Billing Basics: Pick the right plan for your audience size. The entry-level tier (£4/month) works for most folks starting out, so there’s no need to pay for “unlimited” unless your list really requires it.

Step 2: Craft a Winning Template (Without a Design Degree)

Slapping together a plain text email might seem speedy, but you’ve got about 1.6 seconds to make an impression in someone’s inbox. Squarespace’s drag-and-drop editor is your friend if you use it sensibly.

Do This:

1. Choose a Simple Starter Template: Less is always more. Start with something clean (look for whitespace, readable type, and logical flow).
2. Brand It Up: Add your logo, pick your colours (ideally the same palette as your website), and check font choices for legibility. If it screams ‘early 2010s’, start again.
3. Cut the Clutter: Limit blocks. Think: headline, image, body copy, button. Extras dilute your message.
4. Mobile First: Every step, check the mobile preview. Over half your audience reads on their phone in a coffee queue, so make things easy for them.

Step 3: Build and Manage Your Mailing List Properly

Your cousin promised you could just add everyone in your address book. If GDPR hasn’t frightened you off that idea, the manual entry certainly should. Use Squarespace’s built-in tools and batch import, even if you’re starting with a scrappy spreadsheet.

Do This:

1. Go to Mailing Lists: Inside the Email Campaigns panel, click ‘Mailing Lists’. Don’t panic at the blankness.
2. Import Contacts: Use the ‘Import’ option to add contacts via a CSV file. Format your spreadsheet with “First Name”, “Last Name”, “Email Address” as headers. Anything extra (phone numbers, birthdays) can be left for later.
3. Segment Early: If you have clients, leads, and old newsletter signups, group them from the start. You’ll thank yourself later.
4. Manual Add = Last Resort: Only add emails one-by-one for tiny, niche lists (or your nan).

Step 4: Write Content People Will Read (And Not Delete)

This is where most would-be marketers fire up ChatGPT and let it churn out “We are excited to announce our latest products!” Avoid this. It just fills up your unsubscribe list.

Do This:

1. Subject Line Comes Last: Write your email, then craft a subject line that’s clear, honest, and has a pulse. “February Newsletter” is how you get ignored.
2. Structure Counts: One message per email, maximum. If you want people to visit three new products, send three emails over three weeks.
3. Link It Up: Always include a decent, visible call-to-action button such as “Shop New Arrivals” or “Secure Your Spot.” Make it obvious.
4. Plain Text: Not Dead: Squarespace lets you toggle a plain text alternative. Turn it on. Some clients block fancy formatting, and you want your updates legible whether users are checking on a flip phone or via Alexa.

Step 5: Send, Test and Learn, Then Get Clever About It

Launching a campaign to your whole list without testing is risky. Use the testing functionality, and pay attention to analytics.

Do This:

1. Send a Test: Always use Squarespace’s ‘Send Test Email’ button. Check it on desktop and mobile. Confirm links, images, and text are displayed as intended.
2. Schedule Sensibly: Don’t send at midnight, unless your audience is all insomniac developers. Weekday mornings tend to see higher opens, but test what works for your crowd.
3. Check Your Analytics: After sending, watch the open rates, click rates, and bounces. If your open rate is lower than 20%, the subject line probably needs adjusting, or your emails are hitting spam filters.
4. Make Regular Improvements: Use the built-in analytics to refine timing, topics, and even design. The data shows you what’s working.

Step 6: Automate a Little and Save Yourself a Lot of Time

You may not need a full-on marketing robot, but setting up some automation can reduce your workload.

Do This:

1. Set Up Welcome Campaigns: Squarespace lets you create automated welcome emails for new subscribers. Write your welcome message once, and every new sign-up receives it.
2. Use Drip Sequences for Courses or Offers: Instead of remembering to email each new customer manually, set up a mini-series. This keeps people engaged and encourages them to buy, join, or stick around.
3. Link Signup Forms Everywhere: Place a form on your homepage, in your website footer, and your contact page, so new leads feed right into your list.

What Most People Miss

There’s a huge difference between being able to use Squarespace Email Campaigns and sending emails that look polished and get responses. The key is to treat your campaigns as conversations, not just broadcasts.

It’s clear when the same spiel goes to 1,000 barely-interested contacts. Use the segmentation and personalisation tools thoughtfully. Even adding a recipient’s first name in the subject line can improve results. Most importantly, stay consistent: send emails monthly, fortnightly, or even quarterly, but don’t just send them whenever you remember.

Many people also neglect to check emails on both desktop and mobile, as well as dark mode previews. Something that looks great on a 27-inch monitor can easily break on a five-year-old smartphone.

Always include a plain text version for accessibility. It’s quick, free, and ensures even blind users or those with strict email clients can read your updates.

The Bigger Picture

Start sending good-looking, reliable emails and you’ll notice an immediate difference. You no longer need to worry about messages landing in spam or newsletters that look like a ransom note. You’ll free up time each year by using batch imports, straightforward templates, and avoiding formatting disasters from bad copy-paste jobs.

Time saving is only one aspect; professional campaigns lead to better engagement, higher sales, and your business comes across as more credible, even if you’re working from your kitchen table in slippers. When done right, email isn’t just another box to tick—it becomes a real growth engine for your project.

Over time, you’ll guess less, gain more confidence, and spend fewer fraught Mondays fixing problems from earlier in the week. And as your business grows, your systems won’t require a rebuild; they will grow right along with you. That’s how established businesses run.

Wrap-Up

If you want to stop wasting hours on email campaigns that go nowhere (or worse, seem to work until you check the numbers), knowing how to handle Squarespace Email Campaigns well changes everything.

Whether you’re switching from something like Mailchimp to get a smoother process, or you’ve never done a campaign before, our hands-on Pixelhaze Academy course will fix that for you. In under 40 minutes, you’ll go from blank canvas to feeling proud of the campaigns you send and getting real replies instead of unsubscribe requests.

When you’re ready for the honest, practical walkthrough with real demos, import templates, and the collective lessons I’ve learned by trial and error, go to Pixelhaze Academy membership, or grab just the course on Udemy if you want flexibility.

What makes sense for most? Join Pixelhaze Academy, get the winter rates, pick up all the discounts, and access 1-to-1 support if anything goes wrong. After doing this for years, I can promise an hour of prep now will save you a huge number of headaches down the line.

Interested in more step-by-step systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.

FAQ

How much does Squarespace Email Campaigns cost?
Entry-level campaigns start at £4/month. Prices go up if you’re sending to bigger lists or running several campaigns a week. For most small business owners, the starter tier is sufficient.

Do I need to know coding or design?
No. You can get strong results without knowing any HTML or CSS using the built-in editor.

How do I add contacts without losing my mind?
Use the ‘Import’ function. Prepare a CSV spreadsheet with your contacts and upload them all at once. Manual entries are for those who enjoy tedium.

Can I send test emails?
Yes, and you absolutely should. Use the ‘Send Test’ button before every campaign.

Is the course suitable for absolute beginners?
Yes. If you know how to log into Squarespace and can use your email, you’re ready.

What’s included in Pixelhaze Academy membership?
You get unlimited access to our full Squarespace Masterclass, discounts on Squarespace hosting and plugins, 1-to-1 help sessions, and our other design resources, guides, and courses.

Will my emails actually reach my audience, or live in spam?
If you connect your custom domain, warm up your list, and use sensible subject lines, your deliverability should be excellent. We cover all the specific tactics in the course.

Jargon Buster

Template: Pre-designed layout for your email; you fill in the blanks.

CSV: A type of spreadsheet file (“Comma Separated Values”) used for batch importing contact lists.

Segmentation: Splitting your main list into smaller, targeted groups (like customers, leads, event sign-ups).

Deliverability: The percentage of your emails that actually reach inboxes (not spam).

Call-to-action (CTA): The button or link you want your reader to click (e.g., “Shop Now”).

Bounce rate: The percentage of emails that fail to reach their destination (due to invalid addresses, full inboxes, etc).

GDPR: European privacy regulation; in short, don’t sign people up without their say-so.

Plain text version: An email format with no images or fancy elements—just words, for maximum accessibility.

Ready to finally get replies to your emails? Get started with the full lessons and downloadable resources for straightforward results.

Interested in more practical systems? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.