Changing your Squarespace website name or title is a straightforward process, but it plays a crucial role in your online branding. A well-optimized name improves recognition, SEO rankings, and user experience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to change your Squarespace website name, explain key concepts, and provide expert tips for selecting the best website title.
Understanding Website Titles and Names
Before making changes, it’s important to understand how Squarespace differentiates between a website name and a site title. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they serve slightly different functions:
- Site Title: This is the name that appears in browser tabs, search engine results, and, depending on your template, in the website header.
- Website Name: This is more of an internal reference that can also be displayed in different places, depending on your settings.
- Domain Name: This is your website’s URL (e.g., yourwebsite.com). If you are rebranding, you may need to update your domain as well.
Understanding these elements will help you make informed decisions when renaming your Squarespace website.
How to Change Your Squarespace Website Title
Updating your website title is one of the easiest ways to align your online presence with your brand identity. Whether you are rebranding or just making minor adjustments, the following steps will guide you through the process.
Squarespace allows you to modify your site title, which appears in browser tabs, search engine results, and potentially in the header of your site, depending on the template. This change does not affect your domain name but updates how visitors and search engines recognize your brand.
Steps to change your website title:
- Log in: Sign in to your Squarespace account.
- Go to Settings: In the main menu, click on Settings.
- Find the Site Title Option: Under the Site Information section, locate the Site Title field.
- Edit Your Title: Enter the new website title in the provided field. Ensure it reflects your brand identity and is concise.
- Save Changes: Click Save to apply your changes.
Additional considerations
Before finalizing your website title change, keep these important factors in mind. They will help ensure that your update is reflected correctly and optimized for search engines, social media, and different display settings.
- SEO Impact: Your website title contributes to SEO. Use relevant keywords without overloading it.
- Check Template Display: Some Squarespace templates allow the title to be displayed in the header, while others rely more on the logo.
- Social Media Preview: Updating your site title may affect how your website appears in link previews on social media platforms.
- Mobile and Desktop View: Test your new title on different devices to ensure it looks good across all screen sizes.
- Wait for Updates: Changes might take a few minutes to reflect, especially in search engine results.
After updating the title, it’s a good idea to review how it appears across different platforms, including search engines and social media previews.
Where Will the New Title Appear?
Once you update your website title, it will show up in multiple places, helping to establish consistency across your digital presence. It is important to check each location to ensure the changes reflect correctly.
- Browser tabs
- Search engine results (Google, Bing, etc.)
- Squarespace header (depending on your template)
- Social media link previews
Tips for Choosing a Great Website Title
Your website title should be more than just a name—it should communicate your brand’s essence and purpose. Here are some key considerations when selecting the right title:
- Keep it concise: Shorter titles are easier to remember and look cleaner in search results.
- Reflect your brand: Ensure your title aligns with your brand identity.
- Use relevant keywords: Include terms that describe your business or niche.
- Check availability: If you're rebranding, ensure matching domains and social media handles are available.
Additional Changes to Consider
Renaming your website is often part of a broader branding strategy. If you are making this change, you may want to adjust other elements to maintain consistency.
1. Updating Your Logo
Your logo is one of the most recognizable aspects of your brand. If your website name has changed significantly, a new logo may be necessary to match your updated branding.
- Go to Design > Logo & Title.
- Upload a new logo that aligns with your updated branding.
- Adjust sizing and placement if necessary.
2. Editing Your Website Description (Tagline)
Your website description, also known as a tagline, provides additional context about your brand. Updating it ensures that visitors and search engines understand your website’s new direction.
- Navigate to Settings > Site Information.
- Look for the Tagline or Website Description field.
- Update it to match your new branding.
3. Changing Your Domain Name
For those undergoing a full rebrand, changing the domain name is an important step. This ensures that your website URL matches your new identity.
- Go to Settings > Domains.
- Either register a new domain or connect an existing one.
- Set the new domain as primary if applicable.
Troubleshooting: When Changes Don’t Appear
Sometimes, after updating your website name or title, changes might not be visible immediately. This can be due to caching, settings conflicts, or delays in search engine updates.
- Clear your browser cache: Cached data can delay updates from showing.
- Check template settings: Some templates may have custom settings that override your site title.
- Review SEO settings: Ensure the correct title appears in Marketing > SEO settings.
- Wait for search engines to update: Google and other search engines may take time to reflect changes.
- Contact Squarespace support: If issues persist, reach out to support for assistance.
Useful Links
Changing Your Site Title – Learn how to update your Squarespace site title, which appears in browser tabs, search results, and website headers.
Updating Your Website Name – This guide explains how to modify your website name and other branding elements within Squarespace settings.
Connecting or Changing Your Domain – A step-by-step tutorial on updating your domain name or linking an external domain to your Squarespace website.
Troubleshooting Title & Branding Updates – If your updated title or branding changes aren’t showing up, this article provides troubleshooting steps.
Your Squarespace Website Can Do Even Better!
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!
Final Thoughts
Renaming your Squarespace website is a quick but impactful change. By updating your title, logo, and related branding elements, you ensure consistency across all digital platforms. Follow these steps, choose an effective title, and make use of SEO-friendly practices to improve visibility. If changes don’t appear immediately, troubleshooting steps like clearing cache and checking SEO settings should help.