Image galleries on Squarespace

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Image galleries on Squarespace

Last updated March 10, 2022 22:29

To display a set of images in a single, cohesive layout, you'll use one of Squarespace's gallery options. Which you use will depend what version of Squarespace your site is on and where you want to add the gallery.

This guide covers the primary differences between the gallery types and other things to consider when adding a gallery to your site.

Gallery sections

Gallery sections are a special type of section for showcasing sets of images. This is the primary method for displaying multiple images at once on Squarespace version 7.1. You can:

Add gallery sections to any page. It's not possible to add gallery sections to areas of your site that don't use sections, like blog posts or events.
Upload images or add stock images. Gallery sections don't currently support videos.

Gallery sections support grid and slideshow layouts, which each have three variants:

Grid - Simple, Strips, Masonry
Slideshow - Simple, Full, Reel

To learn more, visit Gallery sections.

gallery sections example

Gallery blocks

Gallery blocks are blocks where you can add images and embed videos. Gallery blocks have built-in layout options, and you can also arrange them in layouts with other blocks. Version 7.1 and version 7.0 both support gallery blocks, but where you can add them varies.

Version 7.1
Version 7.0

You can add a gallery block to any block content area that doesn't use sections, such as blog posts, event descriptions, or additional product information. It's not possible to add gallery blocks to layout pages or the landing page of collections. In those cases, use gallery sections instead.

Circle members can add gallery blocks to all content areas in 7.1. To learn about becoming a Circle member, visit Squarespace Circle.

You can upload images, add stock images, or embed videos with Gallery blocks.

You can add gallery blocks to layout pages, blog posts, and any other block content area. You can upload images, add stock images, embed videos, or display content from an existing gallery page with gallery blocks.

Gallery blocks support four different layouts you can switch between at any time:

Slideshow
Carousel
Grid
Stack

To learn more, visit Gallery blocks.

gallery blocks example

Gallery pages (version 7.0)

Gallery pages are unique to their template and have a specific design intended to work with that template. Like gallery blocks, you can use gallery pages to upload images, add stock images, and embed video. To learn more, visit Gallery pages in version 7.0.

Gallery pages use slideshow, slider (carousel), grid, and stacked designs. Depending on the template, the gallery page will either have a fixed design, an option to change between designs in site styles, or give visitors an option to adjust the gallery design for themselves. See our list of template-specific gallery page designs for more help.

Gallery comparisons

Squarespace's different gallery options offer different possibilities for displaying images.

Version 7.1
Version 7.0

Whether you use a gallery section or gallery block depends on the area of your site where you want to place a gallery. They share the same capabilities with a few minor differences. To get a sense of the features available for each, review the table below.

	Gallery sections	Gallery blocks
Where you can add	Layout pages Landing pages of collections Portfolio sub-pages	Blog posts Event descriptions Additional product information
Displays	In its own section. It's not possible to add other types of content to a gallery section	In the same content area as other blocks. You can place it next to other blocks
Layout options (change at any time)	Grid: Simple Grid: Strips Grid: Masonry Slideshow: Simple Slideshow: Full Slideshow: Reel (similar to the gallery block carousel layout)	Slideshow Carousel Grid Stacked
License stock images	Yes	Yes
Embed video	No. Use animated .gif image files instead	Yes
Display captions	Yes	Yes, except in Carousel layout
Add clickthrough URLs	Yes. Disabled in lightboxes	Yes. Disabled in lightboxes
Enable lightbox	Yes, in most layouts	Yes, in Grid layout
Add animations	Yes, in most layouts. You can set them to match site-wide animations or select a custom option	No

It's not possible to link gallery blocks or summary blocks to gallery sections.

When trying to decide between a gallery block or a gallery page, the answer depends on your site. We recommend browsing the various template-specific gallery pages to find one that appeals to you. If you find a template you love but aren't a fan of its gallery page, using gallery blocks is a great workaround. Or if you love the gallery page, and also want to display its images somewhere else on your site, add a gallery block to a page and link them.

Benefits of gallery blocks

Consistency between templates - All four gallery block layouts can be used on any template. Switching templates doesn't affect gallery blocks.
Work with other content blocks - Gallery blocks can be added in any combination with other blocks. This is ideal if you want to use a mix of images and text.
Can be added anywhere - Gallery blocks can be added to any content area, including layout pages, blog posts, headers, footers, and sidebars (if supported by your template).
Pull images from gallery pages - Gallery blocks can pull images from existing gallery pages on your site. This way, you can use a gallery page as the primary home for your images, then use the gallery blocks to display them elsewhere or try different layouts.

Benefits of gallery pages

Special features - Many template gallery pages have special features not available in gallery blocks. For example, Momentum's gallery pages display full-bleed images.
Sharing images - You can share gallery page images in two ways: deeplink URLs for a direct link to your image if your template supports them, or social sharing to push an image from your Squarespace site to a connected social profile.
Work with index pages - You can add gallery pages to index pages on supported templates. gallery pages often display images differently in index pages for another unique visual option.
Work with summary blocks - You can display existing gallery page content in unique magazine-style layouts with summary blocks. Like with gallery blocks, you can add summary blocks to other content areas, and summary blocks can display extra metadata like tags and categories.

Mobile display

How your galleries display on mobile depends on their format. For gallery pages, it also depends on your template. To learn more, visit How will my site appear on mobile devices?

When using any gallery, pay attention to the amount of content on the page. Large image files or excessive number of images can cause your site to load slowly, especially on mobile.

To avoid these issues, we recommend reviewing our guides on image formatting and keeping your site mobile-friendly. Rather than placing all your images in a single gallery, you can use multiple display your work by project or category.

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