Register your domain and manage it before building a website.
With Squarespace domains, you can start your web-building journey with a domain instead of a website. Purchase a domain name, and we’ll link it to a parking page until you build a site to go with it.
Unlike a full Squarespace website, which you can customize, your parking page is a simple, pre-designed placeholder for other Squarespace subscriptions. Squarespace parking pages aren’t monetized, meaning visitors won’t see ads or content unrelated to your domain.
This guide reviews how to purchase a domain, log into your parking page, and covers some frequently asked questions.
Tip: If you have a third-party domain to move to Squarespace, you can start with a domain transfer and parking page.
Before you begin
- Squarespace domains and parking pages work best as a first step before building a site. To add a Squarespace domain to an active website, log into your site and register a domain in the Domains panel.
- Squarespace domains are private by default, so your personal information won't appear in the domain’s Whois record. If you prefer, you can disable your Whois privacy after registration.
- Squarespace domains are billed annually.
- All domains have an additional built-in Squarespace domain name, such as your-site.squarespace.com. The built-in domain won't display on the parking page.
- You can move a domain to any site under the same account.
- You can invite contributors with Admin permissions to change ownership of the domain.
- You can rename most domains within five days of registration.
Pricing
Domain pricing is based on the TLD. For example, common TLDs like .com and .org are $20 per year, and other TLDs like .photography or .media are $30 and $50 per year. To find a domain's price, you can search for it on our domain name search page or your Domains panel.
All domains are billed annually and are set to renew automatically.
Note: You can link your domain to an eligible Squarespace site on an annual plan to receive the first year of domain service for free. Visit Free Squarespace domain offer for details.
Purchase a domain
- Go to www.squarespace.com/domain-name-search.
- Search for the domain names you want, or enter any words related to your idea. Possible domains will generate in the results below with their prices.
- Click the domain you want to purchase and add it to your cart. To purchase multiple domain names at once, click additional domains in the search results.
- Follow the prompts to verify and complete your registration.
- Review the automatic renewal date and our terms and conditions, then complete your purchase.
Verify your domain
After your purchase is complete, you'll receive an email within 24 hours from customercare@squarespace.com or no-reply@squarespace.com asking you to verify your domain purchase. Click the link in this email to validate your contact information for the domain.
You must verify your domain from this email within 15 days of registration or it will be suspended. If your domain is suspended, unsuspend it by validating your domain via the link in the email. You can also resend the verification email if necessary.
After verifying your domain, you'll receive a receipt email. Depending on your registrar, you may also receive a data sharing email:
- One email is sent from no-reply@squarespace.com with the subject "Thank you for choosing Squarespace domains." This summarizes your domain purchase and acts as the receipt for your domain(s).
- If your domain registrar is Tucows, a second email is sent from customercare@squarespace.com with the subject "Set your data sharing settings for your domain." This email asks you to set your data sharing preferences. Tucows requires us to send this email to comply with data regulations like GDPR. Sharing your data is optional and you don't need to take any action.
Note: If you don't see these emails, but see an email from no-reply@squarespace.com with the subject "We were unable to complete purchasing your domain(s)," follow the troubleshooting steps below.
Your new domain will display in the parking page menu with a notification that it's almost ready. Most domains will resolve within an hour, though it may take up to 72 hours to process.
While your domain is pending, it will have a yellow label and a Registration In Progress note. Squarespace periodically checks your domain status, but you can click the domain and then click the Refresh button to check it manually.
When the domain is fully resolved and connected, it will appear in your parking page menu with a green label and the renewal date and price.
Troubleshooting registration errors
Error: "Verify your purchase"
If your bank requires you to verify your domain purchase, your domain will have a red label in your parking page menu and a Verify your purchase note. You'll also receive an email from no-reply@squarespace.com explaining the error and your next steps.
To fully register the domain, ensure that you verify the purchase within two hours from the parking page or from the email:
- In the Home menu, click your domain, click Verify, then follow the prompts to complete your purchase.
- In the email, click Authorize Payment, then follow the prompts to complete your purchase.
This process is part of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), and only applies to credit cards issued in the European Economic Area (EEA).
Error: "Registration Failed"
If we weren't able to complete your domain registration, your domain will have a red label in your parking page menu and a Registration Failed note. Click the domain to learn more, then click Retry to restart registration for that domain. You'll also receive an email from no-reply@squarespace.com explaining the error.
Before retrying, ensure that your payment information is correct and ensure that the domain meets our naming requirements.
If the domain is no longer available, you won't see a Retry button. Instead, restart the process and search for a different TLD or a variation of the domain.
Log in
Once your domain is connected, it’s linked to your parking page. Log into this page to manage your domain, billing information, and more.
There are a few ways to log in:
- Use the Login option on Squarespace.com.
- Visit your parking page's URL and press Esc on your keyboard.
- Visit your parking page’s URL, followed by /config. For example, https://your-page.squarespace.com/config
On the login page, enter your email address and password, or click a social icon if you used a social account to sign up. For more help, visit Logging in and out of Squarespace.
Next steps
Your parking page is the beginning of your domain's place on the web. While logged in, you can add email with Google Workspace or switch to a full site when you're ready.
While the guides linked below are written for users with full Squarespace sites, they also apply to parking pages:
- To start a trial site connected to your domain, click Build A Site. We recommend exploring our different products and plans. If you sign up for an annual billing plan within one year of creating your parking page, at checkout you’ll see credit for any eligible domain linked to your parking page.
- To get custom Google Workspace email for this domain, click Email.
Billing
Renewal
All Squarespace domains are set to auto-renew annually. The renewal date displays with each domain in the Domains panel. You'll receive an email 15 days before the renewal date letting you know you'll soon be charged for your domain subscription. If you don't want your domain to renew automatically, disable auto-renew:
- In your parking page settings, click your domain name.
- Uncheck Auto-renew.
If you disable auto-renew and let your domain expire, someone else can register it. Even if you're not using your domain or site now, you may want to hold onto your domain for later.
What happens if my renewal fails?
If we can't charge the credit card on file for your site, your domain will remain active and past-due for 15 days. We'll make additional attempts to charge your card every five days. After the third attempt, 15 days after the payment was due, the parking page will be deactivated.
After 15 days, you'll have a 40-day grace period to renew your domain and reactivate your parking page. After 40 days (55 days total after the renewal date), the domain will be released.
Can I cancel my domain immediately and get a refund?
Yes. If you registered the domain within the last five days, you can cancel your domain immediately in the domain's panel:
- Log into your parking page and click the domain name.
- Click Cancel Domain, then click Confirm. This can't be undone.
To learn more about refunds, visit Refund policies.
Note: There's no five-day grace period or refund for most ccTLDs, such as .com.au or .eu. For more information on specific ccTLDs, visit Domain TLD list.
FAQ
I’ve never used Squarespace before. Can I still start with a Squarespace domain?
Yes, a Squarespace domain is a great way to get started with Squarespace. With a parking page, you’ll get the benefits of Squarespace’s streamlined design and an introduction to the basic back-end interface. When you’re ready to build a site, we have a whole series of videos and guides to help.
Parking pages also come with 24/7 support from our Customer Support team. If you can’t find the answer in our guides, we’re always here to help.
The domain I want isn't available.
There are a few reasons why the domain might not be available. The domain you entered could already be taken, it could be a premium domain, or it might contain too many characters. Learn about our domain name restrictions in the Limitations section of our Squarespace domains overview.
Can I use an offer code towards my domain purchase?
Yes. Apply any offer code on the Review Order page before clicking Confirm and purchase to finalize your purchase. To learn more about how offer codes work, visit Redeeming an offer code for Squarespace.
What happens if I register multiple domains?
If you purchase multiple domains at checkout, they will all redirect to one parking page. One of your domains will be set as your parking page's primary domain, which you can change at any time. Your other domains will redirect to the primary domain, or you can move them to other sites on your account.
To have each domain point to its own parking page, go through the full registration process for each domain separately.
Can I add other subscriptions to a parking page?
Yes. If you have a parking page, you can purchase more domains or add a custom email address through Google Workspace. To use Email Campaigns or Squarespace Scheduling, you need to upgrade to a full site.
I’m ready to build a full site.
To turn your parking page into a website, click Build a Site in the Home menu. Follow the prompts to select a plan and start a free 14-day website trial. Before you get started, we recommend learning how trials work and reviewing our current billing plans. When you’re ready to make your site live, upgrade to paid service.
Can I use Squarespace Email Campaigns with a parking page?
No. You need an active website to sign up for Email Campaigns.