Squarespace gives you three ways to use a domain on your site: register a new one with Squarespace, transfer one you already own so Squarespace hosts it, or connect a domain that stays registered with another provider. Which one fits depends on your plan, how long you've had the domain and whether your current provider gives you full DNS access.
Here's the catch. Transferring a domain in is free, but you pay a registration fee that adds one year to the domain, which may be free if you're eligible. The domain must have been with your current provider for at least 60 days, and some country domains, including .au, .com.au, .jp, .nz and .co.nz, can't be transferred at all. If you don't meet the rules, Squarespace's answer is to connect the domain instead.
Register, transfer or connect
| Option | What Squarespace says, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Register | Available on all trial sites and most paid plans, but not Mobile Start. Price depends on the TLD and premium status. |
| Transfer in | Free transfer plus a one-year registration fee. The domain needs 60 days at its current provider. |
| Connect | The domain stays with your provider and you change its DNS records. You must keep it registered there. |
| Can't transfer | Registry premium domains, some ccTLDs, domains with nine or more years left, and names containing squarespace or sqsp |
There's no limit on how many domains you can register or connect to one site. Every connected domain points to your homepage, so you can't connect a domain to a single page such as yourdomain.com/blog.
Registering a new domain
Price varies by TLD, premium status and any one-time premium fee, and it covers domain hosting, not web hosting. If you're in the first year of an annual website plan, you may be eligible for one free custom domain for a year. Whois privacy is included with most Squarespace domains. Check the renewal price in the Cart Overview panel before you pay, because every Squarespace domain is set to auto-renew.
Two details catch people out. If you fill in Organization in the registration details, ICANN treats that organisation as the legal owner, not the person named. And you must click the verification link Squarespace emails you within 15 days, or the domain is suspended. You can rename most domains within five days of registering them.
While it's pending, the domain shows a yellow Registration In Progress label. Most resolve within an hour, though it can take up to 48 hours, and a green label with the renewal date means it's live. If your card was issued in the European Economic Area, your bank may ask for Strong Customer Authentication, and it cancels the purchase if you don't verify within two hours.
Transferring a domain to Squarespace
Transferring makes Squarespace your domain host, so settings and billing all move to your Squarespace account. Before you start, delete any DNSSEC records, because they can make the transfer fail, and screenshot your current DNS records. If you use a custom email address, check with your email provider first: some require the domain to stay with them to keep your email active.
- Ask your current provider to remove the lock on the domain, following their own instructions.
- Request the authorization code, sometimes called an EPP code or transfer key. Some providers take a day or two to send it.
- In your site's Domains panel, enter the domain, paste the code and select Save and Continue.
- Check the registration details, but ask your provider first: changing them can lock the domain for 60 days.
- Confirm the one-year registration charge and the new expiry date, then select Confirm and Purchase.
- Check the Domains panel for Transfer in progress, and fix any Domain is locked or Authorization code needed errors.
During the transfer, leave your MX records and any Squarespace default records in place, and hold off adding Google Workspace until it's finished. If it's still pending after 15 days and you've done everything right, contact your old provider. Once it completes, the domain can take up to 48 hours to connect to your site. You can move it away from Squarespace again after 60 days.
Connecting a domain you keep elsewhere
Connecting suits you if your domain is with a provider like GoDaddy, Namecheap or Network Solutions and you'd rather leave it there. For those three, Squarespace recommends nameserver connect as the easier route. For other providers, you add two CNAME records and four A records.
| Record | Host | Points to |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | Your unique code from the Squarespace DNS panel | verify.squarespace.com |
| CNAME | www | ext-cust.squarespace.com |
| A | @ | 198.185.159.144 |
| A | @ | 198.185.159.145 |
| A | @ | 198.49.23.144 |
| A | @ | 198.49.23.145 |
Delete any existing A records first, but leave your other records alone, since deleting them could interfere with your email. The first CNAME is the one that matters most: if it's missing or wrong, the domain unlinks from your site after 15 days. When everything's right, the Domains panel shows a green Connected label.
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When the domain won't verify
If you've added the verification CNAME and the domain still isn't verified after 48 hours, or your provider won't let you add or edit CNAME records, use a TXT record instead. Delete the unique-code CNAME, then add a TXT record on @ with the unique code from your Squarespace DNS panel as its value. Wait the full 48 hours before you switch methods, because some domains take that long to resolve.
My verdict on Squarespace domains
I'd transfer the domain in if it qualifies and you want site, domain and billing in one place, because the transfer itself is free and you were going to renew anyway. I'd connect it instead if your email depends on your current provider, if it's a .au or other domain that can't move, or if you've had it under 60 days. If you're changing the address your site uses, here's my step-by-step on changing your domain on Squarespace, and for what each plan includes, here are the Squarespace plans compared.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it free to transfer a domain to Squarespace?
The transfer is free, but you pay a registration fee that extends the domain by one year. Depending on the TLD, that may be free if you're eligible.
Can I register a domain on the Squarespace Mobile Start plan?
No. You can register domains on all trial sites and most paid plans, but not on Mobile Start.
How long before I can transfer a domain to Squarespace?
The domain must have been with its current provider for at least 60 days.
How long does a Squarespace domain take to connect?
After a transfer it can take up to 48 hours to connect, though it's usually faster. For a connected domain, wait the full 48 hours before switching to TXT verification.
Can I point a domain at one page of my Squarespace site?
No. All connected domains point to your homepage, the same location as your primary domain.
