You can format text in the same editor where you add text, like in text blocks or image block captions.
This guide reviews the different ways to format text, including setting header or paragraph text, creating lists, adding indents, and bolding or italicizing.
Tip: To learn about styling text — including fonts, colors, sizes, and spacing — visit Styling text.
Format text
You can apply formatting to text while you’re editing or adding it.
To format your text:
- In text editors like the text block and image block caption, highlight the text you want to format.
- Use the icons in the toolbar to apply formatting to the text.
After opening a text toolbar once, it collapses into a condensed version the next time you open it. Click … to expand it.
Use the sections below to see the specific steps for each type of formatting.
Note that certain text areas, like in panels and page settings, have different formatting options. For example, you may not see the clipboard icon for pasting as plain text because these areas automatically strip formatting when you paste text.
Align
In the text toolbar, click the paragraph align icon to align text to the left, center, or right.
Bold
In the text toolbar, click the B to bold.
Note: If your font package doesn't include heavier font weights, the bold text may appear differently across browsers. To improve the consistency of bold text on different browsers, choose a font with more styles.
Code
The way that you display code depends on your site's version.
The text toolbar doesn't format text as code. To display examples of code in your text, use the Display source option in a code block.
In the text toolbar, use the Format drop-down menu to select Code. This prevents code from rendering in the text block so you can display examples of code.
Depending on your needs, you may want to use the Display source option in a code block instead, since the code block automatically formats code snippets for readability.
Headings
In the text toolbar, use the Format drop-down menu to create headings. The heading options are different depending on your site's version.
Choose from four levels of headings:
- Heading 1 (h1)
- Heading 2 (h2)
- Heading 3 (h3)
- Heading 4 (h4)
Choose from three levels of headings:
- Heading 1 (h1)
- Heading 2 (h2)
- Heading 3 (h3)
Tip: Create a pull quote by mixing heading styles and wrapping one text block around another.
Indent
In the text toolbar, click the increase or decrease indent icons to indent text to the left or right. Indenting will always indent the entire paragraph. It's not possible to only indent a single line.
Italics
In the text toolbar, click the I to italicize.
Link
In the text toolbar, click the link icon. You can link to:
- An external page
- An internal page
- A file
- An email address
- A phone number
For detailed steps, visit Adding links to your site.
List
In the text toolbar, click the numbered and bulleted list icons to create lists.
Monospace or code text
Monospace text has the same amount of horizontal space between each character. What we call this text depends on your site’s version.
In the text toolbar, click the Format drop-down menu and select Monospace.
To learn about the size, font, and color options for monospace text, visit Styling text.
In the text toolbar, click the Format drop-down menu and select Code.
To learn about the size and color options for code text, visit Styling text. It's not possible to change the font style.
Paragraph or normal text
Format the primary body text on your site using the text toolbar. What we call this text depends on your site's version.
In the text toolbar, use the drop-down menu to choose a Paragraph option and add regular body text. Choose from three levels of paragraph text:
- Paragraph 1
- Paragraph 2
- Paragraph 3
To learn about the size, font, and color options for paragraph text, visit Styling text.
In the text toolbar, select Normal from the drop-down menu to add regular body text.
To see which style tweaks change the font, size, and color of body text, visit Styling text.
Paste as plain text
If you copied text from an external program, paste it into the block as plain text by clicking the clipboard icon in the text block toolbar.
Quote
In the text toolbar, click the quote icon to add quote formatting.
Remove formatting
In the text toolbar, click the remove formatting icon to strip the text of formatting. This can be useful if you paste text from other sources, or to start over.
Strikethrough
In the text toolbar, click the strikethrough icon to add strikethrough formatting.
Underline
Underline options vary depending on your site's version.
Certain areas, such as lock screens and promotional pop-ups, have underline options, but text blocks don't support underlining text with the text toolbar.
Alternatively, you can highlight text and use the keyboard shortcut ⌘ + U on a Mac or Ctrl + U on Windows to add an underline.
Consider your underline placement carefully, as visitors will often assume underlined text is a link, and may attempt to click it.
Some templates have options in site styles for underlining specific types of text. To learn more, visit Styling text.
Alternatively, you can highlight text and use the keyboard shortcut ⌘ + U on a Mac or Ctrl + U on Windows to add an underline.
Consider your underline placement carefully, as visitors will often assume underlined text is a link, and may attempt to click it.
Troubleshooting
If you copy and paste content from programs like Microsoft Word or Google Drive, the text might carry over hidden styling that interferes with how it's formatted in Squarespace. If you see issues with spacing or headings in pasted text, visit Fixing text formatting for help.
Tip: Hire a Squarespace Expert to help you customize your site's text. Learn more about the expert services available through Squarespace Marketplace.