What the WordPress export includes and leaves out
Squarespace's export article is specific about the boundaries. Only one blog page exports; if your site has several, you pick a primary blog before exporting. The site must be published and set to Public, and you cannot export from a trial site.
Linked PDF files are written into the XML file but, Squarespace notes, cannot be imported into a WordPress site. Treat course handouts as manual uploads.
| Exports to WordPress | Does not export |
|---|---|
| Layout pages | Album, cover, index, info, calendar, portfolio and store pages |
| One blog page with its posts and up to 1,000 comments per post | Any additional blog pages |
| Text blocks and image blocks | Audio, product and video blocks |
| Text from other blocks such as embeds, with minimal structure | Content in page-specific headers, footers and sidebars |
| Gallery pages, including York project pages (version 7.0 only) | Dropdowns, drafts, style settings and custom CSS |
Images: the step that fails silently after you cancel
Squarespace warns that importing into a self-hosted WordPress site with the WordPress Importer plugin may not migrate your images; WordPress may keep reference links to Squarespace instead, and those stop working after you cancel your Squarespace site. Everything looks fine on launch day and breaks on the day billing ends.
Squarespace offers two remedies: import into WordPress.com, which copies images to WordPress's servers, then confirm they appear in the Media Library; or download images manually and upload them yourself. WordPress.com's own guide adds that images created from external links might not all come through and that your Squarespace site should stay publicly accessible throughout the export and import.
On a self-hosted site, the WordPress Importer plugin handles posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, tags and authors from the WXR file. Attachment downloading is controlled by a filter, import_allow_fetch_attachments, which a site can set to false. The listing showed version 0.9.7, last modified 20 October 2026.
- After import, search the WordPress database or page source for the Squarespace image domain your site used; any hit is an image that will break.
- Count images on five representative Squarespace pages and compare with the WordPress versions.
- Do not cancel Squarespace until that search returns nothing.
Member areas, products and course content: plan the rebuild
Squarespace's export article does not mention member areas, and store pages and product blocks are on the does-not-export list. Plan to rebuild gated content with a WordPress membership or LMS plugin, and to recreate the course structure lesson by lesson.
For products, WordPress.com's guide describes exporting your Squarespace products in a single CSV and importing them into WooCommerce. That moves catalogue data; it does not move customers' access to digital content, so pair it with a re-invite email.
Video and audio blocks do not export. If lessons embed video from a platform such as Vimeo or YouTube, keep a list of every lesson and its video URL before you start so you can re-embed them in WordPress.
| Squarespace content | WordPress destination | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Blog posts (one blog) | Posts via the XML import | Low; check images |
| Additional blogs | Manual copy, or test a second export with a different primary blog selected | Medium |
| Member-only pages | Membership or LMS plugin with protected pages | High; rebuild and re-invite |
| Store products | WooCommerce via product CSV, per WordPress.com | Medium |
| Lesson videos and audio | Re-embed from your video host | Medium; needs a URL list |
Map URLs before you switch the domain
WordPress.com's guide suggests setting a custom permalink structure of /blog/%postname% so blog URLs match Squarespace's. Use the same structure on your new site if your Squarespace blog lived at /blog; every post that keeps its path is one fewer redirect to maintain.
For everything that changes path, Google's site-move guidance applies: map old to new URLs, use permanent 301 or 308 redirects, keep them generally at least one year, and avoid redirecting many old URLs to the home page. Update internal links in the new site so visitors do not bounce through redirects.
Order of work
- Pick the primary blog in Squarespace, confirm the site is public and not a trial, and export the XML file.
- Import into a staging WordPress site and fix every image still pointing at Squarespace.
- Rebuild member areas, courses and products; re-embed video and audio.
- Upload course PDFs manually, since linked PDFs do not import.
- Load the redirect map, switch DNS, and test old URLs one by one.
- Re-invite members, then cancel Squarespace only after images and logins are confirmed.
Questions before you decide
Does the Squarespace WordPress export include store products?
No. Squarespace lists store pages and product blocks as not exported. WordPress.com's guide describes exporting products separately as a CSV for WooCommerce.
Why did my images break after I cancelled Squarespace?
Squarespace warns that the WordPress Importer may keep reference links to Squarespace rather than copying images, and those links stop working after cancellation.
Can I export more than one blog?
Squarespace exports only one blog page to WordPress. If your site has several, you choose a primary blog before exporting.
Will my course PDFs come across?
Squarespace says linked PDF files export in the XML file but cannot be imported to a WordPress site, so upload them manually.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Squarespace Help Center: Exporting your site Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WordPress.com Support: Import from Squarespace Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WordPress.org: WordPress Importer plugin Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changes Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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