Squarespace 301 redirects: the URL mappings syntax that works

Why Squarespace redirects matter more than you think

Squarespace does not redirect anything for you. When you change a page's URL slug, rename a blog post's URL, or delete a product, the old address starts returning a 404 error. Google keeps that old address in its index for a while, people keep clicking old links in emails and on other sites, and all of them land on an error page.

A 301 tells browsers and Google that the page moved for good. Google treats a permanent redirect as a strong signal that the new URL should be the one shown in results (Google Search Central). Without it, the new page starts from zero.

Where URL mappings live

1. Open the Settings panel.
2. Click Developer tools. (Older Squarespace menus called this Advanced. Many guides still say Settings > Advanced > URL mappings.)
3. Click URL mappings.
4. Type or paste your lines, one per line.
5. Click Save.

Source: Squarespace Help: URL mappings.

The syntax, part by part

Every line has four parts, separated by spaces:

Full examples:

/services/whitening -> /teeth-whitening-austin 301
/about-us -> /about 301
/fundraiser -> https://brightsmile-dental.com/event 301

Move a whole section with one line

Squarespace supports a [name] variable for collection items (blog posts, products, events). It copies the item's slug from the old URL into the new one.

/blog/[name] -> /journal/[name] 301
/store/p/[name] -> /shop/p/[name] 301

The first line moves every post from /blog/ to /journal/ while keeping each post's slug. The second does the same for a version 7.1 store page renamed from "store" to "shop". One line can replace hundreds.

The 6 mistakes that break Squarespace redirects

1. Order is wrong. Squarespace reads URL mappings from top to bottom and stops at the first match. If /blog/[name] -> /journal/[name] 301 sits above /blog/old-post -> /guides/new-guide 301, the specific rule never runs. Put single-page rules first, pattern rules after.
2. The old page still exists. A redirect only works when nothing lives at the old URL. If you duplicated a page and changed the copy's slug, delete or disable the original.
3. ?, & or # in the line. Squarespace cannot use these in redirects (RSS feed URLs aside). That means you cannot redirect /shop?category=tents or link to /faq#shipping. Redirect to the clean page instead.
4. Wrong capitals. Keep the same case as your real URLs. Squarespace slugs are lowercase, so a line with /About-Us will not match what people visit.
5. Chains. If /a -> /b 301 and later /b -> /c 301, visitors bounce twice. Point every old URL straight at the final page: /a -> /c 301.
6. Loops. /a -> /b 301 plus /b -> /a 301 sends the browser in circles and the page never loads.

The URL Mapping Builder sheet in our checklist catches the line-level mistakes (3 to 6, plus missing slashes and duplicate old paths). You type old and new paths in two columns, and it writes the exact line, marking each one OK or naming the problem. Mistakes 1 and 2 you check by hand: order, and whether the old page still exists.

How many redirects can you add?

The URL mappings box holds 400 KB of text, which Squarespace says is about 2,500 lines. If you are near the limit, replace runs of single-post lines with one [name] rule, and remove redirects for URLs that have had no clicks and no links for a long time.

Redirects when moving to Squarespace

Moving from WordPress, Wix or Shopify almost always changes URLs. WordPress posts at /2024/05/my-post/ become /blog/my-post on Squarespace. Before you switch the domain:

1. Export every URL that got clicks in the last 16 months from Google Search Console (Performance > Pages > Export).
2. Add the URLs other sites link to (Search Console > Links > Top linked pages).
3. Map each old URL to its closest new page. Avoid sending everything to the homepage: people and Google expect the page that matches the old one.
4. Paste the lines in URL mappings the day the domain points to Squarespace.
5. Test 20 old URLs in a private window.

For the full launch plan, use our site migration SEO checklist.

How to test a redirect

Open the old URL in a private window. The address bar should change to the new URL. To confirm it is a 301 and not a 302, paste the old URL into any HTTP status checker, or in Search Console use URL inspection on the new URL after Google recrawls. If you still see the old page, the original page is still live. If you see a 404, check the slash, the spelling and the case.

Domain redirects are different

URL mappings move paths on one site. To send a whole other domain (for example an old brand name) to your site, connect that domain in Settings > Domains. Squarespace automatically redirects every extra domain to your primary one.