Answers to common questions about the transition of your Google domain to Squarespace.

Note: We’re migrating domains in batches. To check if your domain(s) have migrated, go to https://domains.google and log in. If your domain(s) have migrated, you’ll be redirected to Squarespace. If not, your domain(s) haven’t moved to Squarespace. Continue managing your domains and DNS records in Google, and contacting Google Domains for support.

Squarespace has entered into an agreement to become the new home for Google Domains customers. When your domain transitions from Google to Squarespace, you'll become a Squarespace customer and manage your domain through an account with us.

This guide answers some common questions about what to expect when your domain moves, and how you'll manage your domain moving forward.

What's happening?

On September 7, 2023 Squarespace acquired all domain registrations and their associated customer accounts from Google Domains. If you bought a domain through Google Domains, you're now a Squarespace customer, and your domain will move over from Google Domains to Squarespace for management at some point in the next several months.

Do I need to do anything?

We'll let you know when you need to take action by sending you an email with the subject "[Your domain] is now available on your Squarespace Domains account" to the email address associated with your Google Domains account.

If your domain currently uses a verification record to point to a non-Squarespace site, to ensure your site doesn't experience downtime, before your domain migrates, we recommend contacting your website host to ask if you need to re-verify the domain after it migrates.

After your domain migrates, logging into your Google Domains account automatically redirects you to Squarespace.

We're moving domains in waves over several months, so if you haven't received an email from us, you don't need to take any action. We'll let you know when your domain is ready.

Note: When your domain migrates, Google will send a notification email to:

• The email address associated with the Google Domains account where you managed the domain
• Any contributor email addresses associated with the domain
• The email addresses listed as the Admin, Tech, and Billing contacts on the domain

Squarespace considers the last person responsible for payment on the domain to be the owner of the domain. The domain owner and any contributors to the domain will receive notification emails from Squarespace and Google. After your domain migrates, the domain owner will have domain owner permissions, while contributors will have domain manager permissions. To learn more about these permissions, visit Managing domain permissions.

Who do I contact for support?

After your domain moves to Squarespace, you can contact us for help with your domain. To check if your domain(s) have migrated, go to https://domains.google and log in. If your domain(s) have migrated, you'll be redirected to Squarespace.

If your domain hasn’t moved to Squarespace, you can contact Google Domains for support.

What do I do after receiving the welcome email?

If you already have a Squarespace account

If you already have a Squarespace account associated with the email address you use to log into your Google Domains account, log into your Squarespace account as you normally would. Your domains will appear in your domains dashboard.

If you don't have a Squarespace account

If you didn't have an account with us prior to the migration, we automatically created a Squarespace account with the email address associated with your Google Domains account. To log in:

1. Click Manage domains in your welcome email. If you lost the welcome email, you can navigate to squarespace.com/login
2. Click Continue with Google.

If you encounter an authorization error when attempting to log in using your Google account:

1. Click Manage domains in your welcome email, then click Can't log in.
2. Click Send verification email. This sends an email with the subject "Verification email for Squarespace Domains" to the email address associated with your Google account. You'll need to verify your email before continuing the account setup process.
3. Open the verification email and click Verify.
4. Create a password for your new Squarespace account and click Continue.

If you encounter any error messages or experience any issues logging in, please contact us.

Will my domain experience downtime?

No. We're collaborating with Google to ensure a seamless transition of your domains. Your domain won't stop working during the move because we'll utilize the infrastructure behind the Google Domains product to maintain your domain's DNS records. If you're using custom nameservers with your domain, those settings will be retained as well. 

Note: If your domain uses a verification record to point to a non-Squarespace website, before your domain migrates, we recommend confirming with your website host if you need to re-verify the domain. If you need to add a new verification record to your domain, failing to re-verify after your domain moves to Squarespace may break your domain's connection to your site.

After your domain migrates, you can manage your domain's DNS records in Squarespace. To learn more about adding DNS records to your domain, visit Adding custom DNS records to your Squarespace-managed domain.

Who's my domain host?

After your domain moves from Google to Squarespace, Squarespace will be your new domain host, and you'll manage your domain and its settings in a Squarespace account.

Will my domain be locked after it moves to Squarespace?

No, your domain won't have a 60 day domain lock after it moves to Squarespace. You can transfer the domain to another provider at any time. 

Do I need to buy additional subscriptions after my domain moves?

No, you don't need to buy a website subscription or any other services with Squarespace to use Squarespace Domains.

Squarespace Domains is an independent domain registrar separate from Squarespace, and you won't be required to use other services from Squarespace besides domain management.

Does having a Squarespace domain mean I have a Squarespace website?

No, having a domain with Squarespace doesn't mean you have a Squarespace website. You can continue using any website provider of your choice, though you're always welcome to start a website with Squarespace or move your existing site to Squarespace.

Will the cost of my domain change?

Squarespace will honor all existing Google Domains customers’ renewal prices for at least 12 months following the acquisition.

Will my domain keep all the time remaining on its registration?

Yes, when your domain transitions from Google to Squarespace, it'll keep all the time remaining on its registration.

Where do I manage my domain?

Until your domains move to Squarespace, you'll continue to manage your domains at Google Domains by navigating to https://domains.google and clicking Manage Domains in the top-right corner.

After we contact you and let you know that your domain has moved, your domains dashboard will give you access to all of your domain's settings, including its:

• Billing
• Contact information
• DNS records
• Nameservers and DNSSEC
• Whois privacy

Will my other Google services still work after my domain moves?

Yes, your existing Google services, like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Ads, will experience a seamless transition with no interruption to service upon transition.

Note: We'll automatically add a CNAME record to your domain’s DNS settings when your domain migrates from Google to Squarespace. It contains a unique code in front of the URL .googlehosted.com. This record connects all of your Google services associated with your domain. Deleting the record could interfere with your domain’s connection to Google services. 

Squarespace doesn't support my domain's features or TLD. Will my domain still migrate?

Squarespace and Google are collaborating every step of the way to ensure the best possible experience during the transition. Squarespace Domains already supports most of the same features as Google, and we’re making significant upgrades over the next few months to add new functionality and update interfaces to prepare for each batch of domains that we migrate.

We won't migrate your domain until we support the features your domain currently uses. If we don't support a feature your domain uses (like Dynamic DNS or ACME DNS), you'll receive a notification prior to your domain's migration so you can understand the impact and, if needed, look for an alternate service from another provider.

Does Squarespace support dynamic DNS (DDNS)?

No, Squarespace doesn't support dynamic DNS.  After your domain migrates, any active DDNS records will remain as A or AAAA records pointing to the last IP addresses provided prior to migration, but they'll no longer update automatically.

Does Squarespace support ACME TLS/SSL certificates?

No, Squarespace doesn't support ACME TLS/SSL certificates. Active SSL certificates will continue to work until they expire, but new certificates won't be issued following your domain’s migration.  

Where do I manage my Squarespace account?

After your domain moves to Squarespace, you can manage your Squarespace account from your account dashboard. 

You can take basic account actions in your dashboard including:

• Changing your account email or password
• Enabling two-factor authentication
• Updating notifications to manage your email preferences

To learn more about managing your Squarespace account, visit Managing your Squarespace account. To learn more about your account dashboard, visit Your account dashboard.

More help

To learn more about Squarespace domains, the purchase agreement, or the migration process, explore these other resources:

• About the Squarespace purchase of Google Domains registration
• Squarespace Domains FAQ
• Squarespace domains overview

We plan to support Google Domain’s features, like their available TLDs, email forwarding, and others. To learn about what we currently offer with Squarespace Domains, browse through our domains guides.