Squarespace runs the servers, so you can't break the hosting yourself. When a Squarespace site fails, it's either a Squarespace incident (check its status page) or your domain. If your domain is registered elsewhere, it needs the exact DNS records Squarespace gives you, including a CNAME record with a unique code that proves you own it. If the site works on its .squarespace.com address but not your domain, it's the domain.
What's the problem
Your Squarespace site won't load, shows an error, shows a "domain not connected" message, or works on the built-in address but not your own domain.
Why it happens
- A Squarespace incident.
- DNS records missing or wrong at your third-party registrar.
- The domain expired at the registrar.
- Extra records (old A records, registrar parking pages) conflicting with Squarespace's.
- A code injection or custom code block breaking part of the page.
- The site or subscription is unpublished or expired.
How to fix it
- Check Squarespace's status page.
- Try the built-in
.squarespace.comaddress. If it works, the problem is your domain. - Compare your registrar's DNS records with the ones in Squarespace's domain settings, and remove conflicting ones (but not your email records).
- Check the domain hasn't expired.
- If a part of the page broke after adding custom code, remove that code injection or block.
- Contact Squarespace support with the error and when it started.
What Preventionlabs checks
One click runs the full report on your domain. For this problem it shows whether your site loads, how fast, and where its redirects go; uptime checked every 5 minutes, with an email when the site goes down and when it is back; up to 50 pages from your sitemap, listing any that fail or are slow, plus broken links on them; your DNS: nameservers, addresses, DNSSEC, and records pointing at services that no longer exist; whether HTTPS works and http visitors are sent to it. It has no connection to your site builder, so check its status page as well.
Run your free reportYour first report is free, no card needed. Then A$50 a month, up to 10 domains. Read-only: it never changes anything.
Sources
- Squarespace: Squarespace Statusstatus page
Get email notifications whenever Squarespace creates , updates or resolves an incident.
- Squarespace: Connect a third-party domain to your Squarespace sitehelp center
The first CNAME record verifies you own the domain using a unique code.
Preventionlabs is independent and not affiliated with Squarespace. Product names are used only to describe the problem.
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