Free CSS Button Basics Course for Squarespace Launching Later Today

A well-designed button on your Squarespace website can make a significant difference. Clear calls to action bring your visitors one click closer to where you want them to go. Too often, taming the appearance of Squarespace buttons with CSS can feel like wrestling a slippery fish, especially if you’re new to code. If your “Book now” or “Buy now” buttons look more like “Meh, don’t bother” buttons, it’s time to sharpen your skills.

We’re delighted to share an exceptional free resource: Rebecca Harpain from InsideTheSquare.co is launching her new “CSS Button Basics for Squarespace” course today. Yes, it’s free, and registration opens shortly. Rebecca is one of the brightest lights in the Squarespace code scene, and you might know her from previous guest posts here on Pixelhaze.

Before you sign up (the link is below), here’s our take on why mastering CSS buttons is so vital, what snags to avoid, and our step-by-step guide for getting your Squarespace buttons to behave. Everything is written for humans, not robots.

Register here for the Free CSS Button Basics Course

Why This Matters

You want your website to stand out, build trust, and guide visitors effectively. Buttons make all of this possible. They are the “do something” signposts on your pages. Unfortunately, generic buttons are everywhere. If you stick with Squarespace’s off-the-shelf look, you blend in with every other template on the block.

Customising buttons on Squarespace can sap time and patience. You tweak something in the Style Editor, and it almost gets you there, but not quite. Crack open the CSS editor, and suddenly, nothing lines up, or the changes spill over onto buttons you never meant to touch.

Every hour spent faffing about with half-working CSS is an hour you could spend doing what you actually want: designing, selling, helping clients, or just having a brew.

Common Pitfalls

It’s easy to think “How hard can it be? Surely I just paste some code and voilà!” Many people have tripped over these classics:

• All Buttons, Everywhere: One change and every button, whether in the header, footer, forms, shop, or even your 404 page, suddenly wears the same outfit. Not ideal.
• Wrong Code, Wrong Place: Premade CSS snippets scattered across the internet promise magic, until they break your mobile layout or override something crucial.
• Template Blindness: Failing to notice that button classes and structure shift between Squarespace versions, often drastically. A code fix for 7.0 Brine doesn’t behave in 7.1.
• Unclear Undo Button: When you get lost, there’s no obvious way back. Copy-paste coding in Squarespace does not forgive mistakes easily.
• Rogue Hover Effects: That stylish gradient or shadow hovers everywhere, including on tiny buttons in places you’d rather leave untouched.

Many Squarespace users eventually accept half-baked button styles out of frustration, never realising that getting it right is within reach.

Step-by-Step Fix

Breathe easy. Customising buttons properly in Squarespace is a set of practical steps anyone can learn. Here’s how to demystify it, along with a preview of what Rebecca’s free course will cover in even more detail.

1. Audit Your Buttons

Before touching a line of CSS, make a list of all the button types on your site. Open a notepad and jot down every place a button appears: main calls to action, newsletter blocks, shop links, forms, banners, and so on.

Pixelhaze Tip: Use Squarespace’s preview mode to flick through your most-used pages and spot any button outliers. Pay close attention to forms. Many designers forget their submit buttons even exist until they notice a styling clash.

2. Identify Which Squarespace Version and Template You’re Using

People often get tripped up by assuming all Squarespace CSS classes are universal. In reality, a Brine family template (Squarespace 7.0) offers a completely different code structure compared to 7.1’s Fluid Engine.

Navigate to Settings > About This Site in your Squarespace dashboard. Make note of your template version. This gives you the button classes you’re likely working with.

Pixelhaze Tip: Bookmark Rebecca’s CSS class cheat sheet. She usually links a downloadable guide in her courses. It saves you from endless inspector tool digging.

3. Inspect Button Classes with Your Browser

Right-click a button and select Inspect (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). This opens up the code inspector. The button will usually have classes attached like .sqs-block-button-element or .sqs-block-button-element--small. Each variant tells the browser how to style that button.

Jot down the exact class names for the button types you care about. Don’t be alarmed if you spot a jumble of classes; focus on the ones that appear consistently across your site’s buttons.

Pixelhaze Tip: If you’re new to inspecting elements, Rebecca’s course has a simple walkthrough video. Watching her do it live provides both clarity and saves time on confusion.

4. Customise One Button Type at a Time

Pick your main button (usually the “primary” call to action). Head to Design > Custom CSS in your Squarespace dashboard. Target just that button to begin with, for example:

.sqs-block-button-element--primary {
    background-color: #1286e5;
    border-radius: 8px;
    color: white;
    font-weight: bold;
    padding: 18px 44px;
}

Tweak the colours, padding, or font until you’re happy. Save and preview.

Pixelhaze Tip: Avoid the urge to style every button at once. Tackle one type, check it across your pages, and only then move to the next. This prevents the “coding by whack-a-mole” effect.

5. Test on Mobile (and Weird Browsers)

Once your new style is saved, view your site on a mobile device and in different browsers. Buttons can look great on desktop but shrink too much on phones if you’re not careful.

Add responsive tweaks if needed:

@media (max-width: 640px) {
  .sqs-block-button-element--primary {
      font-size: 16px;
      padding: 12px 24px;
  }
}

Keep it readable, tap-friendly, and consistent.

Pixelhaze Tip: If you spot a button looking wrong on mobile, check for extra classes applied by forms or pop-ups. These often inherit button styles but sometimes need special adjustment.

6. Vet Premade Code Carefully Before Using

It’s tempting to grab a full “cool button” snippet from a Google search, but pause for a moment. Always:

• Check that it’s made for your template or version.
• Test it in a duplicate or test page before rolling out site-wide.
• Be wary of any code that uses absolute positioning or masses of !important tags.

Rebecca shares three “red flags” for premade CSS in her course. It’s worth your time to review them.

Pixelhaze Tip: If a code claims to “work for every template”, take it with a pinch of salt. Good CSS is almost always specific to your Squarespace setup or at least thoughtfully modular.

What Most People Miss

Custom CSS can change more than just a button’s colour. This is your opportunity to shape mood, strengthen your brand’s personality, and create a clear journey for users. Great designers focus on careful targeting and precision.

Precision beats broad-strokes. Target only what needs adjusting using template-aware classes and build up your styles step by step. This approach minimises errors and ensures your tweaks will last. The satisfaction of seeing your buttons look distinct, sharp, and on-brand—now and six months from now—is hard to beat.

Don’t ignore the inspect tool. Using it well solves many design problems quickly. Many subpar button designs happen when people guess instead of checking the underlying code.

The Bigger Picture

Spending a little time to learn the ropes of CSS for Squarespace buttons helps your current project now and provides lasting flexibility. You no longer have to rely on the Style Editor’s limitations or risk creating a site that looks the same as everyone else’s.

Clients appreciate websites that feel considered down to the tiniest detail. Shoppers are more likely to click when buttons stand out and work as expected. Mastering button design helps your brand or your portfolio stand out and builds trust.

Once you feel confident, you can explore advanced options like animated hover states, gradients, and button badges. Solid basics make these next steps much easier.

Related Resources and Extra Help

Pixelhaze Academy is filled with useful add-ons and guides for Squarespace fans. Here are some other free resources to check after you’ve signed up for Rebecca’s course:

• Free Squarespace Plugins for Rollover Effects on Images
  Quickly add dynamic image hovers to your site; no coding drama required.

• How to Create Custom Gradient Buttons in Squarespace Using CSS and Eyedropper Tool
  One of our most popular guides for making fancy buttons without fuss.

• Three Ways to Install CSS in Squarespace
  Rebecca’s original “CSS for Squarespace” post, which is excellent for new starters.

• Squarespace 7.1 CSS Tips: Transparent Navigation on a Gallery Section
  Especially handy for photographers and makers who want their imagery to stand out.

• Our Free Squarespace Plugin Collection
  From testimonial sliders to sidebar widgets, every add-on is tested and free for Academy members.

FAQ: Quick Answers for Real Squarespace Users

How can I change the appearance of buttons using CSS in Squarespace?

Target your button’s specific class using the browser inspector, and add style rules in Design > Custom CSS. Refer to our code examples above or Rebecca’s starter snippets from the free course.

Is it risky to use premade CSS codes for Squarespace buttons?

Problems mainly occur if you don’t check the code’s source and ensure it matches your Squarespace template. Always test snippets on a staging (test) page first and watch for over-use of !important or code that claims universal compatibility.

Where can I go for more learning?

Rebecca’s course is our top pick for hands-on learning right now. For those wanting to experiment further and find free plugins, Pixelhaze Academy has a large collection of resources.

What if I mess something up?

Simply remove the code you added, clear your cache, and reload your site. If you need additional help, ask for assistance on the Pixelhaze forums or in Squarespace community groups.

Wrap-Up

You do not have to settle for “just okay” buttons that look like everyone else’s. Adjusting CSS gives you clearer control, distinctive personality, and a sharper site. Take a few minutes to audit your buttons, inspect classes, and make targeted changes; you’ll notice real improvement.

Rebecca Harpain’s free “CSS Button Basics for Squarespace” course is an excellent starting point for expert guidance and clear, confidence-building walkthroughs. Sometimes the best investment in your website comes from taking the time to upgrade your skills.

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

Happy coding, and may your buttons always look brilliant.