Whether you’re closing your website permanently or just taking it offline temporarily, deleting a Squarespace website is a straightforward process—but it’s important to do it correctly. This guide covers all the steps, from deactivating your website to permanently deleting it and canceling your subscription.
Deactivate or Delete? Understanding Your Options
Before proceeding, decide whether you want to deactivate or permanently delete your Squarespace website. If you only need a temporary break, deactivating (also known as unpublishing) will make your website inaccessible without erasing your content. You can reactivate it anytime.
However, deleting a Squarespace website is permanent. All content—including pages, blog posts, and media—will be erased with no way to recover it. If you're certain you won’t need the website again, this may be the right choice, but it’s essential to back up your data first.
What Happens When You Delete a Squarespace Website?
- All pages, images, and blog posts are permanently removed.
- Your website dashboard access is revoked immediately.
- If you have a custom domain, it remains active but needs to be managed separately.
- Squarespace does not automatically cancel your subscription—you must do this manually.
How to Deactivate a Squarespace Website Temporarily
If you want to take your website offline without deleting it, unpublishing is the best option. This is useful if you’re redesigning your website, rebranding, or pausing a business.
Steps to unpublish your website:
- Log into your Squarespace account.
- Go to Settings in your dashboard.
- Find Availability or Site Visibility settings.
- Select Unpublish or Disable your website.
How to Delete a Squarespace Website Permanently
If you’re ready to delete your Squarespace website for good, follow these steps carefully. Once deleted, recovery is not possible.
Steps to delete your website:
- Log in to your Squarespace account.
- Go to Settings > Billing & Account.
- Open Subscription Details and locate the delete option under Advanced Settings.
- Squarespace will ask for confirmation—review the warning before proceeding.
- Select a reason for deletion (optional but helps Squarespace improve).
- Click Confirm to complete the deletion.
How to Back Up Your Squarespace Website Before Deleting
Since Squarespace does not offer automatic backups, it’s crucial to save your content manually before deleting your website.
Backup methods:
- Export content: Use the Export feature to download blog posts and pages in XML format.
- Download images: Save media files manually.
- Copy essential text: Store key content in a document for reference.
- Take screenshots: Document your website’s structure and design.
Starting Over with a New Squarespace Website
If you’re looking for a fresh start, deleting your old website and creating a new one is an easy way to begin again. Simply log in to your account, select Create a New Website, and choose a template that fits your needs. If you’ve saved your previous content, you can re-upload images and reformat blog posts to rebuild efficiently.
Troubleshooting Website Deletion Issues
Some users experience difficulties when trying to delete their website. If you run into issues, consider the following:
- Subscription status: If your Squarespace subscription is active, you may need to cancel it first.
- Admin access: Only the website owner or admin can delete a Squarespace website.
- Technical problems: If an error occurs, try clearing your browser cache or using a different device.
If these don’t solve the issue, contact Squarespace Support for assistance.
Canceling Your Squarespace Subscription
Many people assume that deleting a website automatically cancels their Squarespace subscription, but this is not the case. You must cancel your plan separately to avoid future charges.
Useful Links
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Key Takeaways
Deleting a Squarespace website is a permanent action, so make sure you’re absolutely certain before proceeding. If you’re unsure, deactivating your website may be a better option.
Before deletion, back up all your important content, including blog posts, images, and pages. Squarespace does not provide recovery options, so once your website is gone, it’s gone for good. Additionally, remember that deleting your website does not automatically cancel your subscription. You must go to your account settings and manually cancel your plan to avoid future charges.