Visual content is essential for creating an engaging and modern website. A scrolling image gallery can transform static pages into dynamic displays, enhancing the way you showcase products, portfolios, or brand stories. Squarespace provides multiple ways to add a scrolling gallery, from built-in options to custom solutions using CSS. Whether you want a simple slideshow or a fully customized scrolling effect, this guide will walk you through the process.
Beyond improving aesthetics, a scrolling gallery enhances user experience by allowing visitors to view multiple images effortlessly. This method keeps users engaged without forcing them to click through different pages, making it an excellent choice for photographers, eCommerce stores, and creative professionals. Let’s explore the best ways to add a scrolling gallery in Squarespace and optimize it for the best performance.
What Is a Scrolling Image Gallery?
A scrolling image gallery, also called a scrolling photo gallery, is a visual element where images move automatically or manually in a horizontal or vertical direction. This feature creates an interactive browsing experience, making it easier for visitors to explore images without clicking through multiple pages.
Such galleries are commonly used in:
- Portfolios – Artists, photographers, and designers can showcase their work dynamically.
- Product showcases – Online stores use scrolling galleries to highlight featured products.
- Testimonials – Businesses often display client reviews in a scrolling format for better visibility.
- Landing pages – Adding movement to images makes a page visually appealing and engaging.
How to Add a Scrolling Gallery Using Squarespace’s Built-in Blocks
Squarespace provides easy-to-use gallery blocks that allow you to create scrolling galleries without coding. The platform offers different layouts, including slideshows and carousels, which naturally incorporate a scrolling effect. These options are ideal for those who want a quick and effective solution.
Follow these steps to add a scrolling gallery:
- Navigate to your Squarespace editor and select the page where you want to add the gallery.
- Click the “+” button to add a new block and choose Gallery.
- Select a scrolling-friendly layout: Slideshow – Displays one image at a time with navigation control; Carousel – Displays multiple images that scroll horizontally.
- Upload high-quality images and arrange them in your preferred order.
- Adjust settings to customize transition effects, autoplay, and navigation arrows.
How to Create an Auto-Scrolling Gallery in Squarespace
If you want your gallery to scroll automatically without user interaction, enable the Autoplay feature within the gallery settings. This creates a seamless scrolling effect, allowing images to transition on their own.
Steps to enable auto-scrolling:
- Open your gallery block and go to Settings.
- Toggle on the Autoplay option.
- Adjust the Transition Speed to set how quickly images move.
- Experiment with Transition Effects like fade, slide, or zoom for a more engaging experience.
Customizing Image Scrolling Speed in Squarespace
Squarespace offers some built-in options to control scrolling speed, but for more precise adjustments, custom CSS is required. Modifying speed is particularly useful when creating smooth scrolling effects for a more professional appearance.
Add the following CSS to your website to fine-tune scrolling speed:
/* Adjust scrolling speed for carousel */
.sqs-gallery-container {
animation-duration: 10s !important; /* Change value to control speed */
}
To apply this CSS:
- Go to Website Settings → Custom CSS.
- Paste the code above and modify the animation-duration value as needed.
- Click Save to apply changes.
Adding Motion Effects to Images
Beyond scrolling, adding motion effects to images enhances visual engagement. Squarespace provides built-in animation tools that allow images to appear with subtle effects when users scroll.
- Fade-in – Images gradually appear as users scroll.
- Slide – Images move in from the left or right.
- Zoom – Creates a slight zoom effect for a dynamic look.
To apply motion effects:
- Select an image block and open Design Settings.
- Choose an animation style from the Animations dropdown.
- Adjust timing and intensity to achieve the desired effect.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Despite its simplicity, scrolling galleries in Squarespace can sometimes run into issues. Below are common problems and their solutions:
- Images not loading: Ensure your images are optimized for web use and check file sizes.
- Slow scrolling: Large images can slow down performance—resize them before uploading.
- Gallery not displaying correctly: Verify that your gallery block settings are configured properly.
Alternative Solution: Use Elfsight’s Photo Gallery Plugin
While Squarespace provides built-in options for scrolling galleries, an even easier and more flexible solution is using a third-party tool like Elfsight’s Photo Gallery. This plugin allows website owners to embed photo collections in various layouts, including sliders and carousels, without the need for coding.
With Elfsight’s Photo Gallery, you can:
- Create fully customizable scrolling galleries that match your website’s style.
- Embed image sliders, grids, and masonry layouts effortlessly.
- Enable autoplay and smooth transitions to enhance user engagement.
Instead of working with custom CSS or tweaking Squarespace’s built-in options, Elfsight’s plugin offers an easy-to-use interface where you can design and integrate a scrolling gallery within minutes. Learn more about the Squarespace Photo Gallery plugin.
Useful Links
Gallery Blocks – Official Squarespace documentation on adding and customizing gallery blocks to display images and videos on your website.
Using the CSS Editor – Learn how to apply custom CSS to style fonts, colors, and backgrounds beyond Squarespace's built-in options.
Gallery Sections – Guide on adding gallery sections to your pages, allowing for dynamic image and video displays.
Enhance Your Squarespace with Powerful Plugins!
Elfsight created dozens of useful plugins to make your website more attractive and boost its performance in so many ways. Try these no-code solutions for free on Squarespace!
Conclusion
Adding scrolling image galleries in Squarespace is an excellent way to enhance your website’s visual appeal and user engagement. Whether you use built-in gallery blocks or customize the scrolling speed with CSS, Squarespace provides flexible options for creating eye-catching displays.
By following the steps in this guide, you can create a gallery that not only looks great but also functions smoothly across all devices. Be sure to experiment with different layouts, autoplay settings, and motion effects to find the perfect combination for your website. And don’t forget to optimize your images to ensure fast loading times and a seamless user experience.