How Do I Share My Squarespace Site Before Publishing?
If you’re building a website on Squarespace and want to share it with others before making it live, there are a few ways to do it. Whether you need feedback from a client, a team member, or a friend, Squarespace provides several ways to share your site privately.
🔹 Key Methods to Share Your Squarespace Site Before Publishing:
Use the Built-in Site Preview Mode (Logged-in users only)
Enable Site Password Protection (Best for private sharing)
Use a Squarespace Trial Link (For new sites)
Share Individual Page Previews (For specific pages)
Use a Temporary Custom Domain (For advanced previews)
1. Use the Built-in Site Preview Mode (Logged-in Users Only)
Squarespace automatically saves your website as a draft until you publish it. You can preview your site while logged in, but this option is only visible to you.
🔹 How to preview your site:
Go to your Squarespace Dashboard > Pages.
Click "Preview" to see the unpublished site.
However, only logged-in users (you) can see the preview.
✅ Best for: Personal previews while working on the site.
❌ Not ideal for sharing with others since only you can view it.
2. Enable Site Password Protection (Best for Private Sharing)
The easiest way to share your entire website before publishing is to enable password protection. This lets others preview your site with a simple password.
🔹 How to Set Up Password Protection:
Go to Settings > Site Availability.
Select "Password Protected" mode.
Enter a password of your choice.
Share the URL + password with whoever needs access.
🚀 Example:
URL:
https://yourdomain.squarespace.comPassword: 1234 (or any password you set)
✅ Best for: Clients, teams, or friends who need full site access before launch.
❌ Not ideal for: Public sharing (password-protected sites aren’t indexed by search engines).
3. Use a Squarespace Trial Link (For New Sites)
If you’re still in the trial period, your site remains on a Squarespace subdomain (yoursite.squarespace.com) until you connect a custom domain.
🔹 How to Share Your Trial Site:
Copy your trial site link:
https://yoursite.squarespace.comShare the link with anyone who needs to preview the site.
✅ Best for: Sharing new sites without publishing.
❌ Not ideal for: Private previews (since the link is public).
4. Share Individual Page Previews (For Specific Pages)
If you don’t want to share the entire site, you can send a link to a specific unpublished page.
🔹 How to Share a Draft Page:
Go to Pages in the Squarespace dashboard.
Click the ⚙️ (Settings) icon next to the page.
Scroll down and find the Share Link option.
Copy the link and share it.
✅ Best for: Showing specific pages (e.g., homepage design) before launching.
❌ Not ideal for: Full site previews.
5. Use a Temporary Custom Domain (For Advanced Previews)
If you’ve already purchased a custom domain but don’t want to fully publish, you can connect it temporarily to your Squarespace site.
🔹 How to Connect a Temporary Domain:
Go to Settings > Domains.
Connect a custom domain (e.g.,
preview.yoursite.com).Set your site to Password Protected (so only people with the password can view it).
Share the domain link with your team or clients.
✅ Best for: Businesses needing a branded preview link.
❌ Not ideal for: Quick previews (this requires a domain purchase).
Which Method Should You Use?
Best Methods to Share Your Squarespace Site Before Publishing
| Method | Best For | Easy to Set Up? | Private? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site Preview Mode | Personal previews (logged-in users only) | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Password Protection | Clients, teams, private sharing | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Trial Link | New sites in trial mode | ✔ Yes | ✖ No |
| Page Preview Link | Sharing a single page | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Temporary Custom Domain | Businesses testing branding | ✖ No (requires domain) | ✔ Yes |