301 Redirect Squarespace

How to Set Up 301 Redirects in Squarespace

Step 1: Access URL Mappings

Go to Settings > Advanced > URL Mappings in your Squarespace dashboard. This opens a text field where you enter redirect rules. Each rule goes on its own line.

Step 2: Write the Redirect Rule

The syntax for a 301 redirect in Squarespace is: /old-url -> /new-url 301

For example: /about-us -> /about 301

This tells Squarespace that when someone visits yourdomain.com/about-us, they should be permanently redirected to yourdomain.com/about. The 301 at the end specifies a permanent redirect.

Step 3: Save and Test

Click Save after adding your redirect rules. Test by visiting the old URL in your browser - you should be automatically redirected to the new URL. Check the browser's address bar to confirm the URL changes to the new one. Test in incognito mode to avoid cached redirects.

URL Mapping Syntax and Examples

Basic Page Redirect

/old-page-name -> /new-page-name 301

Redirects a single page to a new URL. Use this when you rename a page's URL slug.

Blog Post Redirect

/blog/old-post-title -> /blog/new-post-title 301

Redirects a blog post to a new URL. Include the full path including the blog collection prefix.

Redirect to External URL

/old-page -> https://www.newdomain.com/page 301

Redirects a Squarespace page to a URL on a different domain. Use this during site migrations when content moves to a new platform.

Redirect with Wildcard

/old-section/* -> /new-section/* 301

Redirects all pages under a URL path to a new path. Use this when you restructure an entire section of your site. The wildcard (*) matches any URL segment after the specified path.

Redirect to Homepage

/deleted-page -> / 301

Redirects a deleted page to the homepage. Use this when a page is removed and there is no direct equivalent to redirect to. Redirecting to the homepage is better than letting visitors hit a 404 error.

When to Use 301 Redirects on Squarespace

Renaming Page URLs

When you change a page's URL slug in the page settings, the old URL stops working. Set up a 301 redirect from the old slug to the new one so existing links (bookmarks, search results, external links, social media posts) continue to work.

Restructuring Your Site

When you reorganize your site structure - moving pages to different sections, combining pages, or changing the blog collection URL - set up redirects for every URL that changes. Map each old URL to its new equivalent.

Migrating from Another Platform

When migrating content from WordPress, Wix, or another platform to Squarespace, the URL structure typically changes. Map every old URL to its Squarespace equivalent with 301 redirects. This preserves the SEO value your pages earned on the previous platform. For SEO migration strategies, our Squarespace SEO guide covers redirect planning and ranking preservation.

Deleting Pages

When you remove a page that had search engine rankings or inbound links, redirect its URL to the most relevant remaining page. This prevents 404 errors and preserves whatever SEO value the deleted page had.

Fixing Broken Links

If you discover broken links on your site (through Google Search Console or a broken link checker), set up redirects for the broken URLs to the correct destinations. For 404 error management, our guide to fixing 404 errors on Squarespace covers identification and resolution.

301 Redirect Best Practices

Redirect to the most relevant page. A redirect from /services/web-design should go to the new web design page, not to the homepage. Specific redirects preserve more SEO value than generic homepage redirects.

Use lowercase URLs. Squarespace URLs are case-sensitive in URL mappings. Use lowercase for both old and new URLs to match how Squarespace generates slugs by default.

Include the leading slash. Every URL in the mapping must start with a forward slash: /old-url -> /new-url 301. Missing the slash causes the redirect to fail.

Do not create redirect chains. If page A redirects to page B, and then you change page B's URL to page C, update the redirect to go directly from A to C. Redirect chains (A → B → C) slow down page loading and dilute SEO value. Keep redirects one hop.

Document your redirects. Maintain a spreadsheet of all your redirect rules with the old URL, new URL, date created, and reason. This makes future URL changes easier to manage and prevents duplicate or conflicting rules. For broader site management, our guide to customizing your Squarespace website covers maintenance workflows.

Common 301 Redirect Mistakes

Forgetting to redirect after URL changes. Every time you change a page's URL slug, set up a redirect immediately. Search engines and external links still point to the old URL - without a redirect, those visitors hit a 404.

Redirecting to 404 pages. If the destination URL in your redirect does not exist, visitors get redirected to a page that does not load. Verify every destination URL is live before saving the redirect rule.

Using 302 instead of 301. A 302 redirect is temporary - search engines do not transfer ranking authority. For permanent URL changes (which most are), always use 301. Only use 302 for genuinely temporary redirects (maintenance pages, A/B tests).

Not handling trailing slashes. Some URLs have a trailing slash (/about/) and some do not (/about). If you are unsure which version external links use, create redirects for both versions. For design and technical best practices, our Squarespace design tips guide covers clean URL structure.

Checking and Monitoring Redirects

Testing Redirects

After creating a redirect, visit the old URL in an incognito browser window. Verify it redirects to the correct destination. Check the HTTP status code using a redirect checker tool (like httpstatus.io) to confirm it returns a 301, not a 302 or 404.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console's Coverage report shows 404 errors and redirect issues on your site. Check this report monthly to catch broken URLs and redirect problems. Fix any 404 errors by adding appropriate redirects. For CSS customization alongside redirect management, our guide to adding custom CSS to Squarespace covers maintaining site quality during structural changes.

Redirect Audit

Periodically review your URL Mappings for outdated redirects. Redirects for pages that have been deleted from search engine indexes for months are no longer serving a purpose. Keep the list lean and relevant.

Common Squarespace Redirect Mistakes to Avoid

Even with correct syntax, redirects can fail or cause problems if set up incorrectly. These are the mistakes that trip up most Squarespace users.

Redirect Chains

A redirect chain occurs when page A redirects to page B, which redirects to page C. Each hop passes less SEO value and slows down the user experience. Audit your URL Mappings periodically to ensure you are redirecting directly to the final destination, not through an intermediary URL that has itself been redirected.

Redirect Loops

A redirect loop is when page A redirects to page B, and page B redirects back to page A. This causes an infinite loop that results in a browser error ("too many redirects"). If a redirect is not working and the browser shows this error, check that the destination URL is not itself pointing back to the source.

Forgetting the Leading Slash

Squarespace URL Mappings require a leading slash on relative URLs. Writing old-page -> /new-page 301 instead of /old-page -> /new-page 301 will cause the redirect to fail silently. Both the source and destination paths (when relative) must start with /.

Using 302 When You Mean 301

A 302 (temporary) redirect does not pass SEO value. If you are permanently moving a page, always use 301. Only use 302 for truly temporary situations - like a page under maintenance that will return to the original URL within days.

Protect Your URLs and Your Rankings

301 redirects are the safety net that preserves your SEO investment and visitor experience when URLs change. Every renamed page, restructured section, and deleted post should have a redirect pointing to the right destination.

Set up redirects immediately when you change URLs. Test them in incognito. Monitor Google Search Console for 404 errors. Keep your URL Mappings documented and organized. A few minutes of redirect management saves months of lost rankings and frustrated visitors.