The Squarespace Upgrades That Finally Fix Your Biggest Headaches

Unlock essential features that streamline your Squarespace workflow, making your site more efficient and user-friendly for your audience.

Squarespace 2024 Update: Key Features to Boost Your Website

Squarespace 2024 Update: Key Features to Boost Your Website

If you use Squarespace, whether you're a hobbyist, freelancer, or running something a bit grander, chances are you've been waiting for some overdue improvements. Plenty of us were quite happy to see the back of the odd-bod workarounds and bits of code we had to paste in to get features you might expect baked in. Pop the kettle on and settle in, because the 2024 updates are here, and while the changes aren’t earth-shattering, your web life may actually become noticeably easier.

Let’s get stuck into what’s changed, why it matters, and how to wring every drop of value from these tweaks.

Why This Matters

Every wasted minute tinkering with a clunky page layout, wrestling with inventory, or fiddling around trying to add a paywall is a minute you could spend serving customers (or having a biscuit). This is a real headache, especially if you've found yourself:

  • Sending manual reminders for subscriptions
  • Using clumsy email hacks to deliver digital content
  • Spending half an afternoon trying to hide the navigation on a sales page
  • Manually double-handling orders between online and in-person sales

As a result, you get confused customers, lost sales, and a website that feels like it’s fighting you at every click. With these upgrades, you’ll spend less time on dull admin. You may also notice your site feels sharper and more effective.

Common Pitfalls

Despite Squarespace's best intention to keep things simple, old habits die hard. After each big update, the most common mistakes I see are:

  • Ignoring new features entirely because you don't spot them, or you assume they're for techies only
  • Struggling with feature placement (wondering, “where’s this button, then?”)
  • Copy-pasting code from old tutorials even though it's now unnecessary
  • Overlooking the customisation options because you’re used to the same standard blocks and bland layouts

If you’re not sure whether you’re missing something, odds are you probably are.

Step-by-Step Fix

Below, I’ll break down the headline improvements and show you exactly how to use each one. No jargon, no fuss.

Step 1: Take Control of Your Page Headers and Footers (Finally)

This may just be the most overdue feature I’ve been waiting for. Anyone who’s ever tried to create a minimalist landing page in Squarespace knows the pain: header and footer, glued on by default, right where you least want them. You’d have to faff with code snippets just to get rid of them.

How to Hide the Header or Footer on a Specific Page

  1. Open your Squarespace dashboard.
  2. Select the page you want to tweak.
  3. Visit the page settings (the little gear icon).
  4. Look for the toggles marked something like “Show Header”, “Show Footer” etc.
  5. Flick them off.

That’s it. There’s no need for CSS gymnastics or sneaky cover pages. You get the page as you want it: clean and distraction-free.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Use hidden headers and footers for high-impact sales pages or event registrations, anywhere you want visitors to focus on one clear action, with no navigation to distract them.
💡

Step 2: Smarter Commerce – Automate and Monetise

If you’re running an online shop or offering memberships, these new features can make life far easier.

Subscription Renewal Emails

Subscribers forgetting about their plans? Previously, customers had to remember themselves, or you’d end up fielding angry emails after unexpected renewals.

Now, Squarespace will automatically email your customers a reminder about their upcoming subscription renewal, 15 days in advance. The email includes the product, price, renewal schedule, and links to view or manage the subscription.

How to Enable Subscription Renewal Notifications:

  1. In your Squarespace backend, head to the Commerce panel.
  2. Find the Subscription or Membership section.
  3. Under Notifications, there’s an option to switch on renewal emails.
  4. Preview or edit what the customer receives (you can usually insert your brand voice here).

Pixelhaze Tip:
Add a friendly note or an offer in the email (“Got questions before your renewal? Drop us a line!”) to keep your customer experience warm, not robotic.
💡

Sell Access to Blogs and Videos (Properly)

Previously, “paywalling” required some ugly cheats or third-party tools. Now you can sell gated access to your blogs or videos directly from within Squarespace, using built-in Pricing Plans.

How to Set Up a Paywall:

  1. Add (or edit) a blog or video collection.
  2. Under the “Access” settings, link it to a Pricing Plan.
  3. Set your price, your billing schedule, and you’re off.

Now, only users with an active plan can view or download your premium content. This approach means no security loopholes and fewer headaches.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Paid newsletters, course modules, or video vaults work well for this feature. Masterclasses, training libraries, or specialist magazines are perfect use cases.
💡

SKU IQ – Sync Your Online and In-Store Inventory

If you’ve ever oversold a product because a website order and a shop sale crossed wires, this integration will help. SKU IQ now lets you link your Squarespace store directly to your shop’s POS (such as Square), so stock levels and orders stay in sync.

How to Connect SKU IQ:

  1. Head to Extensions in your Squarespace panel.
  2. Locate SKU IQ and connect your POS system (you’ll need your account details).
  3. Follow the instructions to map your products and variants, and choose how inventory and order sync works.

Test with a dummy product, then run a few test transactions to make sure everything’s talking properly.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Keeping one SKU system across all sales channels prevents those awkward out-of-stock notifications and lets you track bestselling lines with much less friction.
💡

Step 3: More Control with Block Styling and Pinning

Squarespace sites used to look a bit predictable. Now, block styling offers more flexibility so each page can feel unique and well-planned.

More Control with Styling

You can now adjust strokes (borders), add blending and blur effects, and play with other visual tweaks on multiple block types. It’s now possible to highlight testimonials, features, or photo galleries without needing code.

How to Style Blocks:

  1. Click on any content block.
  2. Open the Block Style or Design settings.
  3. Tweak stroke width, blur background, or blend with overlays.
  4. Preview on desktop and mobile to check your changes.

Pin Content Blocks for Persistent Visibility

A “contact me” button or a key message can now remain visible as someone scrolls because you can pin blocks to the screen. This works well for persistent calls to action.

How to Pin a Block:

  1. Select your chosen block (e.g. a CTA, image, or booking button).
  2. Within the block settings, select the ‘Pin’ or ‘Fixed Position’ option.
  3. Place it left, right, or in a corner. Pick what works best.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Avoid overusing pinned blocks. Stick to one, and make it genuinely useful, such as a “Call Now” or “Book Your Free Demo” button.
💡

Step 4: Streamlined Domain Management and Invoicing

Domain management and invoices can be tedious areas if you’re not careful.

Improved Domains Dashboard

You can now review, transfer, configure DNS, and manage auto-renew in one place. The updated dashboard is centrally located, less confusing, and reduces the risk of missing a renewal or making a mistake editing records.

How to Use It:

  1. Go to Settings > Domains in your dashboard.
  2. All Squarespace-purchased domains are listed with renewal dates, DNS tools, and support links.
  3. Want to move a domain in or out? The simplified steps are on the same screen.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Set a yearly calendar reminder to check expiring domains, then enable auto-renew for anything business-critical. Don’t rely solely on automated emails—those are easy to miss in noisy inboxes.
💡

Invoice Directly on the Personal Plan

Previously, only higher-tier Squarespace users could send invoices via the platform. Now, those on the Personal plan can send professional invoices directly without third-party fees.

How to Set Up Invoicing:

  1. Under Commerce > Invoices, create a new invoice.
  2. Fill in your client’s details, itemised breakdown, and due date.
  3. Squarespace sends it on your behalf, removing the need for clunky PDFs or informal payment requests.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Make use of branded note templates for repeat invoices, and always double-check your bank details before sending.
💡

Step 5: AI Improvements for Brand Identity and Content Creation

AI is everywhere, but usually it fails to sound human or capture your style. Squarespace’s latest features can help you get closer to content that actually fits your brand.

Brand Identity for AI Output

You can now provide Squarespace’s AI with a set of instructions about your tone, style, and what your business does. Now generated content comes closer to your own writing style.

Getting Started:

  1. In the AI or Content Assistant section, set your brand description and preferred writing style.
  2. Use AI to suggest blog intros, product blurbs, or ad copy—with outputs that stay close to your guidelines.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Spend a few minutes setting up your “voice” properly. Upload samples of your writing if possible. The AI will produce better results when you lead by example.
💡

Content Creation in the Squarespace App

Draft blog posts, sales blurbs, or about pages straight from your phone, with AI offering suggestions as you go. It’s quick and useful for creating a first draft, though it’s always best to review before publishing.

Pixelhaze Tip:
Use mobile AI writing for rough drafts when you’re out and about. Save your detailed editing for when you’re back at your laptop or desktop.
💡

What Most People Miss

Many people overlook these features, thinking they’ll get to them when time allows. Ironically, spending a bit of effort up front with these new tools saves far more time down the road.

Also, don’t reserve these updates for big projects. Even a minor tweak, like pinning a support button or adding a branded email nudge, can help your site reflect your brand and stand apart from generic templates.

The Bigger Picture

If you only stick with Squarespace’s default options, you may not benefit fully from what the platform offers. You get the best results by investing a small amount of time to personalise and experiment. The 2024 updates put more useful features directly in your hands, with fewer unnecessary steps.

Looking ahead, treat your Squarespace site as far more than a digital business card. It can be part of your brand ecosystem: an online shop, a course hub, or your company’s own media outlet. These upgrades free up time previously spent on fixes, so you can focus on expanding your product line, growing your audience, and moving your business forward.

Final Thoughts

Squarespace isn’t perfect, but the improvements have moved it much closer to what many of us have wanted. You now have greater flexibility with headers and footers, improved commerce features, and more useful AI tools. If you want to see real benefits, don’t just use these features—make them a regular part of your process.

For hands-on tutorials, bonus templates, and a friendly place to ask any Squarespace questions you have, join us at Pixelhaze Academy.

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

About the Author

Elwyn Davies is the founder of Pixelhaze Academy, a veteran web designer, business owner, and former project manager with a fondness for a strong cup of tea and a clean, user-friendly website. He’s spent over 15 years demystifying digital for clients of all stripes (and occasionally grumbling about unnecessary complexity). Pixelhaze is his way to help you skip the headache and get results, minus the faff.

Related Posts from Pixelhaze

Related Posts

Table of Contents
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Email
Reddit