Managing Your Parked Domain in Squarespace
TL;DR:
- Parked domains in Squarespace show a basic background page until you connect them to a site
- You manage everything through the Domains dashboard in your Squarespace account
- DNS settings need to be correct for parking to work properly
- You can add custom email addresses through Google Workspace even while parked
- Once you upgrade to a paid plan, you can't go back to the basic parking page
When you register or transfer a domain to Squarespace, it automatically gets "parked" by default. This means it shows a simple background page with your domain name until you decide to connect it to a website.
What Happens When a Domain is Parked
A parked domain displays a minimalist Squarespace page rather than a full website. It's essentially a placeholder that confirms your domain is registered and working, but it's not doing much else.
The parking happens automatically because Squarespace sets up default DNS records that point your domain to their basic parking page. This continues until you either connect the domain to a Squarespace site or point it somewhere else.
How to Park a Domain
If you need to park a domain manually, here's what to do:
- Go to your Domains dashboard in Squarespace
- Select the domain you want to park
- Open the DNS settings
- Apply the Squarespace default DNS settings if they're not already there
Moving from Active to Parked
If your domain is currently connected to a website and you want to park it instead, just disconnect it from that site. It will automatically revert to the parked state.
Managing Your Parked Domain Settings
The Domains dashboard is where you handle all the admin stuff for your parked domain:
Update Contact Information: Keep this current so you don't miss important renewal notices or ownership verification emails.
Add Contributors or Transfer Ownership: You can give other people access to manage the domain without transferring full ownership.
Check DNS Settings: Make sure everything is pointing to the right place.
Making Your Parked Domain Useful
Just because your domain is parked doesn't mean it has to sit there doing nothing:
Set Up Professional Email: Connect Google Workspace to get custom email addresses using your domain. This works even while the domain is parked and makes you look more professional.
Plan Your Website: Use the parking period to plan what you want to build when you're ready to create a full site.
Important Limitations
You can't customise the parking page itself. No adding your own content, ads, or tracking scripts. It's a basic Squarespace page and that's it.
If you bought your domain somewhere else, you'll need to upgrade to a paid Squarespace plan to manage it properly within their system.
Once you do upgrade to a paid plan and build a proper site, you can't go back to the basic parking setup.
FAQs
Can I add my own ads to a parked domain page?
No, Squarespace doesn't allow any customisation of their parking pages. No ads, scripts, or custom content.
Can I use a third-party domain with Squarespace parking?
Not really. If you bought your domain elsewhere, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to manage it through Squarespace.
Can I go back to parking after building a site?
No, once you've upgraded to a paid plan and built a website, you can't revert to the basic parking page setup.
Jargon Buster
Parked Domain: A registered domain that's not connected to a specific website yet
DNS Records: The settings that tell the internet where to send people when they type in your domain name
Google Workspace: Google's business tools including Gmail, which you can connect to your custom domain
Wrap-up
Managing a parked domain in Squarespace is pretty straightforward once you know where everything is. The Domains dashboard handles all the important stuff, and you can make good use of the parking period by setting up professional email through Google Workspace. Just remember that parking is meant to be temporary. When you're ready to build something proper, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
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