Squarespace Fluid Engine: Two Years On, Has It Truly Modernized the Platform?

Two years ago, I found myself staring at another half-finished Squarespace build, lost in a maze of rigid boxes and blue outlines. Back then, the Classic Editor was the centrepiece of the platform. “All-in-one” was the promise, but for designers and business owners who actually needed customisation, it may as well have been "one-size-fits-nobody." I nearly walked away.

Then, in 2022, Squarespace began rolling out Fluid Engine. I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes. Was this just a new coat of paint, or a proper rethink? Two years in, it’s time to answer that question from direct experience, both the challenges and victories, plus the usability issues that persist.

Why This Matters

Every hour you spend fighting your website is an hour not spent selling, creating, or helping clients. Before Fluid Engine, Squarespace’s shortcomings weren’t just superficial; they cost time and creative energy.

Suppose you’re a photographer aiming for a portfolio that stands apart from others on the platform. Or you run a small business and expect brand flexibility that goes beyond basic tweaks. The old Squarespace boxed you in: step outside the default options, and you’d face custom CSS, obscure forum advice, or workarounds with mixed results.

For freelancers and agencies, the stakes grew higher. Project timelines slipped as you inserted spacer blocks just to shift an image. Sometimes you’d promise a client "Yes, we can do that"—then spend the night trying to make Squarespace cooperate, often without much success.

Fluid Engine claimed to offer a solution: custom layouts, greater freedom, and separate mobile editing. But is everything as smooth as advertised? If you manage your own Squarespace site or clients’ sites, this has real implications for your work and reputation.

Common Pitfalls

I wish I could say Fluid Engine fixed everything overnight. Truth is, the migration introduced a new set of headaches alongside the improvements, and a good chunk of users are still stepping on the same rakes.

Here are frequent mistakes that keep appearing:

• Treating Fluid Engine like Classic Editor with extra steps. Many stick to the old 12-column mentality and barely scratch the surface of the new grid.

• Ignoring mobile design until launch day. Fluid Engine gives you control over mobile layouts, which can be risky if you ignore it until the end.

• Stacking elements in odd orders. The order you add items in Fluid Engine affects both how your site appears visually and how Google and screen readers interpret your content. For example, putting an image first and text second can negatively affect SEO.

• Spacing gone wild. More flexibility allows for misaligned elements, leading to messy layouts that distract from your message.

• Overusing features just because you can. It’s possible to overlap every element, but that doesn’t guarantee a good result.

If you don’t watch for these pitfalls (and a few more covered below), your project can eat double the time and still leave you scratching your head.

Step-by-Step Fix

If you’re new to Fluid Engine or still wrestling with it after months, here’s how to actually make it your friend. Consider this the process I wish someone handed to me two years ago.

1. Learn the Grid, Ditch the Spacers

The heart of Fluid Engine is its 24-column grid. It sounds technical, but it functions more like a flexible canvas with plentiful connection points. Most Squarespace users haven’t experienced this level of freedom before.

Before, nudging an image meant wrestling with spacers—adding, dragging, then adding more in hopes of a mobile-friendly outcome. Now, you move a block (text, button, gallery, etc.) exactly where you want it.

Take time to experiment: Drag blocks around, overlap them, and stretch them across columns to observe the results. You’ll quickly discover how to build overlapping text and image combinations, edge-to-edge banners, and multi-column features that previously required complex coding.

2. Set Up Sections as Reusable Favourites

This feature is consistently underrated. Fluid Engine lets you save entire designed sections, making them instantly accessible whenever you need them on any page.

Don’t waste time recreating a strong hero banner, testimonial block, or contact section. After designing a section you like, click the ‘heart’ or ‘save as favourite’ icon. Next time, just drop it in, adjust as needed, and move on.

3. Work Intentionally With Mobile and Desktop Views

Earlier versions of Squarespace downplayed mobile adjustments, automatically rearranging site elements for smaller screens. That approach seemed convenient, unless you actually paid attention to your mobile design (which is now essential for everyone).

Fluid Engine presents desktop and mobile layouts as separate workspaces. You can adjust spacing, order, and sizing individually for each, so the mobile view fits phones instead of stacking everything in endless columns.

However, this requires effort. Designing solely on desktop will likely result in a cluttered mobile view.

4. Respect Content Order: SEO Doesn’t Forgive

This detail trips up many users. When working in Fluid Engine, the order in which you add content sets the order in the site code. If a decorative image goes first and text follows, Google and screen readers read the image first—sometimes missing your main copy entirely.

If SEO or accessibility matter at all, always start with headlines and body text, then add in decorative elements. Use dragging or, if necessary, rebuild a section so key content comes first.

5. Keep it Snappy: Avoid “Design Bloat”

Complete flexibility is appealing, but it can quickly lead to cluttered, confusing, or slow-loading pages. Persistently overlapping elements risks making your site harder to use.

Limit yourself to 1-2 highlighted visual moments per section. A headline crossing an image, or a button integrated with a photo, works well. Prioritize space and clarity over piling effects and tricks into each layout.

6. Batch Your Workflow; Avoid Endless Micro-Tweaking

Greater design control often brings the temptation to adjust every tiny detail. This can make work drag on indefinitely. Tackle projects in stages instead: create a rough draft, review for mobile, check content order, do a final visual pass, then publish.

Set a timer if necessary to move each task forward and prevent overthinking. You can always return for tweaks later, but a finished project is more valuable than a perfect one stuck in editing.

What Most People Miss

Fluid Engine’s main advantage is discipline over flexibility. Many users fall into the trap of thinking “doing more” means using every new feature. This often leads to clutter without real gains in usability or performance.

Outstanding projects rely more on restraint than on exhaustively using every setting. Layout flexibility is a tool—let it clarify or accentuate your ideas. Sometimes, a stark headline on a background image is more powerful than elaborate effects.

For inspiration, look at leading editorial sites. Notice how white space and clear composition guide attention without relying on a frenzy of widgets. Fluid Engine allows the same approach when you use features selectively.

The Bigger Picture

After two years with Fluid Engine, Squarespace has finally become flexible enough for more complex client needs. Clients can make changes or update their sites without fear of breaking everything.

Agencies and freelancers benefit from increased efficiency. Reusable templates and sections mean less redundant work, and each project can feel unique instead of variations on the same starter template. More efficient processes allow greater focus on site purpose and content.

For business owners managing their own sites, Fluid Engine reduces the long-term risk of being stuck with a static template or reliant on ongoing developer help. Learning the basics makes future changes manageable, and most pivots won’t require a complete rebuild.

Squarespace still isn’t perfect. The added flexibility comes with new complexity, so expect a learning curve that’s steeper than before, and customization still doesn’t match platforms like Webflow. Still, the experience compared to the limitations of the old Classic Editor is dramatically improved.

Wrap-Up

Squarespace Fluid Engine, two years in, marks a significant but long-overdue upgrade. Creative professionals and motivated DIYers get genuine layout options without the need for code or countless tutorial sessions.

Focus on the fundamentals: strong content, clarity, and logical structure always surpass complicated effects. Use Fluid Engine as a means of clear self-expression, rather than feeling pressured to employ every new feature for its own sake.

For me, these advances kept me loyal to Squarespace. For you, they could be the reason to stay put as the platform matures.

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

Quick Jargon Buster

• Classic Editor: The old Squarespace drag-and-drop tool, limited to 12 columns, infamous for constricted design and blue box overload.
• Fluid Engine: Squarespace’s redesigned editor. It’s a major step up from Classic Editor, with more columns, more control over layouts, and less frustration.
• Spacer block: Filler block used to nudge content around in Classic Editor; now largely replaced by direct placement in Fluid Engine.
• Grid System: The invisible set of columns and rows that helps content line up. More columns = finer control.
• Full-bleed: Content or images stretching right to the edge of the page or section.
• Stacking order: The sequence blocks are added in the editor, which is the same order Google and screen readers interpret the site.
• Accessibility: Ensuring your site can be used by everyone, including people with vision or mobility challenges.

Takeaway Box

• Fluid Engine’s 24-column grid removes old barriers and provides authentic design variety.
• Save your best sections as favourites to streamline client projects and future edits.
• Prioritise mobile layout early; don’t depend on automatic rearrangement.
• Check the stacking order of content for both SEO and accessibility benefits.
• Simplicity leads to better results: overlapping and complex layouts are most effective when used with intent.
• Work in defined stages rather than making endless small adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to start from scratch to use Fluid Engine, or can I upgrade old sites?
A: Squarespace now offers a solid migration path. Some custom CSS may need reviewing, but you won’t lose your work.

Q: Is Fluid Engine really better for mobile?
A: Yes, with proper use. Independent mobile editing delivers a much better experience, provided you design thoughtfully.

Q: Will using all these features slow down my site?
A: If you overdo images and effects, yes. Sensible use keeps things fast. Always test on low-powered devices.

Q: Do I still need to learn CSS?
A: Far less. Most “fancy” custom layouts are possible natively. Only ultra-specific tweaks will need code.

Q: What if my layout looks fine on desktop but chaotic on mobile?
A: Revisit the mobile view. Adjust, rearrange, hide as needed. What looks tight on a big screen can collapse unpredictably on small ones.

Q: Where can I find inspiration or ready-made layouts?
A: Squarespace’s own library is expanding, but for more options, check out https://squareforge.net for 300+ section templates.

Where to Go Next

Fluid Engine goes beyond a simple redesign. The editor gives you valuable tools to develop your skills over time.

If you want proven systems, live courses, and practical community support, consider joining the Pixelhaze Academy. Membership is free, and it can streamline your workflow and save you time.

See you inside: https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership