Chykalophia Docs

A plain-English explanation of what Squarespace is, who it's for, and how it works as an all-in-one website platform.

Squarespace is an all-in-one website platform. You pay a monthly or annual subscription and get a website, hosting, a domain name option, and editing tools all in the same place. You don't need to install anything or manage separate services.

Quick summary

Squarespace is a subscription-based website builder. Your site lives on Squarespace's servers. You log in to a browser-based editor to make changes. No coding or separate hosting account is needed.

What does "all-in-one" mean?

With some website setups, you have three or four separate accounts: one for hosting, one for your domain name, one for your website software, and maybe one for your email. If something breaks, you have to figure out which company to call.

Squarespace puts most of that under one roof:

Website builder — a drag-and-drop visual editor for designing and editing pages
Hosting — your site files live on Squarespace's servers (you don't pay a separate hosting company)
Domain names — you can register a new domain through Squarespace, or connect one you own elsewhere
SSL certificate — the padlock in your browser's address bar is included automatically

Email is still separate. Squarespace doesn't host your business email inbox. It can sign you up for Google Workspace or Titan email and bill you for it, but those companies run the inbox. Squarespace also offers Email Campaigns, a paid add-on for sending marketing newsletters.

How does editing work?

You log in at account.squarespace.com with your email and password. Your account dashboard lists your sites: hover over one and click Go To Website. That opens the site's main menu (sometimes called the dashboard). Click Website, then Pages to edit your pages, or Site Styles to change how the whole site looks.

Squarespace uses a system of sections and blocks. A section is a band across the page, and sections stack from top to bottom. Inside each section, you add blocks: text blocks, image blocks, button blocks, and more. You click on any element to edit it. Squarespace doesn't save as you go, so click Save when you're done, or your changes won't go live.

Who is Squarespace for?

Squarespace suits:

Small businesses that want a clean, design-forward website without hiring a developer for every update
Service businesses (coaches, photographers, consultants) who want a professional presence with a portfolio or booking feature
E-commerce sellers who want to sell products directly from their site
Bloggers and content creators who want a built-in blog tool

It works best when your site has a relatively fixed structure and you mainly need to update content rather than build custom features.

What Squarespace is not

Squarespace is a closed, managed platform. That means:

You cannot install plugins the way you can on WordPress. Squarespace offers a curated set of third-party tools, called Squarespace Extensions, but you can't add just any software.
Customization has limits. You can do a great deal with the built-in design tools, but deeply custom layouts or complex web applications may require a different platform.
Your site data lives with Squarespace. If you cancel your plan, the site goes offline. You can export some content, and it's best to do that before you cancel.

Platform dependency

Because Squarespace is a closed platform, moving your site to a different provider later involves rebuilding it. Talk to your Chykalophia project lead before choosing a platform if you're unsure.

Squarespace vs other platforms

	Squarespace	WordPress	Webflow
Hosting included	Yes	No (separate)	Yes
Plugins / extensions	Limited	Thousands	Limited
Coding required	No	Sometimes	No
Design flexibility	Moderate	High	Very high
Monthly cost	Subscription, plus any add-ons	Hosting + plugins	Subscription only

For a deeper look, see Squarespace vs WordPress.

Common questions

Do I own my Squarespace website?

Your domain name stays yours, whether you registered it through Squarespace or elsewhere. Cancelling the website doesn't cancel a Squarespace domain; you can keep it or move it to another provider. The platform itself is Squarespace's software, so if you cancel your subscription, the site goes offline. Squarespace lets you export some content, such as one blog and its posts (as a WordPress file) and your products (as a spreadsheet file), but not your design. Export while the site is still active.

Does Squarespace include email hosting?

No. Squarespace does not host your email inbox (like yourname@yourdomain.com). That's always a separate service, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. You can buy Google Workspace or Titan email through Squarespace and pay for it there, but Google or Titan still runs the inbox. Squarespace also offers an Email Campaigns tool for sending newsletters, but that's different from your day-to-day business email.

Can I switch away from Squarespace later?

Yes, but it requires rebuilding the site on the new platform — there's no one-click migration. Plan ahead if you think you might outgrow Squarespace.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.

What is Squarespace?