Adding Dynamic Content to Your Squarespace Site
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to:
- Set up Summary Blocks to display your blog posts, products, and events automatically
- Configure different Summary Block layouts to match your site's design
- Use Summary Blocks to keep your homepage and other pages fresh with updated content
Introduction
Summary Blocks are one of Squarespace's most useful features for displaying dynamic content. They automatically pull in and display your latest blog posts, products, or events wherever you place them on your site. This means your homepage can always show your newest content without you having to manually update it each time.
Think of Summary Blocks as smart containers that fetch content from other parts of your site. Whether you want to showcase recent blog posts on your homepage, display featured products on a landing page, or highlight upcoming events in your sidebar, Summary Blocks handle this automatically.
Lessons
Setting Up Your First Summary Block
Here's how to add a Summary Block to any page on your Squarespace site:
Step 1: Enter Edit Mode
Navigate to the page where you want to add dynamic content and click Edit.
Step 2: Add the Block
Click the + icon where you want the content to appear, then select Summary from the block menu.
Step 3: Choose Your Content Source
Select what type of content you want to display:
- Blog posts from a specific blog page
- Products from your store
- Events from your events page
- Gallery images from albums
Step 4: Configure Basic Settings
Set how many items to display (typically 3-6 works well for most layouts) and choose whether to show the newest content first or arrange it by other criteria.
The block will immediately populate with your content, giving you a preview of how it will look to visitors.
Customising Summary Block Layouts
Squarespace offers several layout options for Summary Blocks:
Grid Layout
Displays content in rows and columns. Good for showcasing multiple items with equal visual weight, like a portfolio or product grid.
List Layout
Shows content in a single column with more text visible. Works well for blog post summaries or news updates.
Carousel Layout
Creates a slideshow that visitors can scroll through. Useful when you have limited space but want to show multiple items.
Wall Layout
Arranges items in a Pinterest-style grid with varying heights. Great for image-heavy content like galleries or visual portfolios.
To change layouts, click on your Summary Block and select Design. You can preview each layout option before making your choice.
Filtering and Sorting Content
You can control which content appears in your Summary Block:
Category Filtering
If you've organised your blog posts or products into categories, you can set the Summary Block to only show items from specific categories. This is helpful for creating focused sections like "Latest News" or "Featured Products".
Tag Filtering
Similar to categories, you can filter content by tags. This gives you more granular control over what appears.
Date Range
You can limit content to items published within a certain timeframe, useful for showing only recent posts or current events.
Manual Selection
For complete control, you can manually choose which specific items to display, though this removes the automatic updating feature.
Styling Your Summary Blocks
Make your Summary Blocks match your site's design:
Metadata Options
Choose which information to display with each item – publish date, author, categories, excerpt length, and more.
Image Settings
Control how images are cropped and displayed. You can choose different aspect ratios and decide whether images should fill the entire container or maintain their original proportions.
Text Formatting
Adjust title sizes, excerpt lengths, and spacing to match your site's typography.
Colour Schemes
Summary Blocks inherit your site's colour palette, but you can override specific elements if needed.
Practice
Set up a Summary Block on your homepage that displays your three most recent blog posts. Configure it to show the post title, publication date, and a brief excerpt. Try switching between different layouts to see which works best with your site's design.
If you don't have blog posts yet, create a few sample posts first, or use products or events instead.
FAQs
Can I display content from multiple sources in one Summary Block?
No, each Summary Block can only pull from one content type at a time. If you want to mix blog posts and products, you'll need separate Summary Blocks for each.
Why isn't my newest content showing up in the Summary Block?
Make sure your content is published (not just saved as a draft) and check that it matches any category or tag filters you've set on the Summary Block.
Can I change the order of items in a Summary Block?
Yes, you can sort by publication date, alphabetical order, or custom order. Custom order lets you drag and drop items in your content manager to control their sequence.
How many items should I display in a Summary Block?
This depends on your layout and page purpose. Homepage sections typically work well with 3-6 items, while dedicated archive pages might show 9-12 items.
Jargon Buster
Summary Block: A content block that automatically displays items from your blog, store, events, or galleries based on criteria you set.
Content Source: The area of your site where the Summary Block pulls its content from, such as a specific blog page or your store.
Metadata: Additional information about your content like publication date, author, categories, and tags that can be displayed alongside the main content.
Layout: The visual arrangement of items in your Summary Block, such as grid, list, carousel, or wall format.
Wrap-up
Summary Blocks are essential for keeping your Squarespace site fresh and engaging. They automatically update your pages with new content, saving you time and ensuring visitors always see your latest work. Start with simple configurations and experiment with different layouts and filtering options as you get more comfortable with the feature.
Next, you'll learn how to use these same principles with other dynamic content features in Squarespace, including newsletter blocks and social media integrations.