When switching the URL of a page on your Squarespace site, it’s essential to properly redirect its old address to its new one; otherwise you risk having many broken links and negatively affecting SEO.
Squarespace makes creating a 301 or 302 redirect incredibly straightforward via their URL Mappings panel; this guide demonstrates how you can do so both permanently and temporarily.
What is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is the best way to inform search engines that a page on your website has permanently changed, similar to filing an address change form with the USPS; when someone clicks an old URL they will automatically be directed to its new address. Plus, this strategy preserves ranking power by moving it along.
There may be several instances in which you should employ 301 redirects, such as:
1. When Deleting Pages From Your Website.
When you decide to delete pages from your website, it is imperative that any links that point back to them be redirected towards other relevant pages on your site, maintaining any search engine visibility that the deleted page had while simultaneously creating a seamless user experience.
2. When consolidating pages.
If your site contains multiple articles that cover similar subjects or compete for similar keywords, or simply contain duplicate information, consolidating may be in order. By setting up 301 redirects from each of the outdated pages to one single new one on your site, all relevant link equity and traffic can be transferred across to its new home page with ease.
3. When changing domains
It is essential that any old URLs that no longer belong on your new domain be properly redirected using 301 redirects so as to transfer any search engine visibility that was associated with them into their new counterparts and protect your brand against confusion among visitors.
As Google now treats 302 redirects as equivalent to 404 errors (and therefore detrimental to SEO), creating permanent (301) or temporary (302) redirects is more beneficial for SEO purposes. To set up a 301 redirect in Squarespace, navigate to your Settings menu and find the “URL Mappings” panel – there you can create both temporary (302) and permanent (301) redirects – for more information refer to Squarespace’s official guide on creating Redirects with this Panel.
How to Set Up a 301 Redirect in Squarespace
When changing page URLs, deleting pages, or moving an entire website it’s essential to set up 301 redirects for old URLs so visitors are taken directly to the new one and search engines know your old content has moved so existing SEO value can be transferred over. This ensures search engines know you have moved it while keeping visitors informed.
Squarespace’s URL Mappings feature is simple to use and only takes a few steps. Simply login to your Squarespace dashboard, navigate to Settings > Developer Tools > URL Mappings and create redirects between built-in domains connected with your Squarespace site and another page or post on it within its same website.
To create a 301 redirect, start by identifying the page you want to redirect and writing down its URL slug. Next, visit that page and toggle its Enable Page toggle off (gray it out) so that it no longer functions; once done, make a note of where you would like your redirect page to go next.
Once you’ve selected your new URL, click “Add Redirect” and choose between permanent (301 redirect) or temporary (302 redirect) redirect. When done, save and test your changes for functionality to make sure everything works as expected.
While 301 redirects are the preferred choice for permanent site moves, other forms of server responses may also be appropriate depending on your circumstance. It’s essential that before making significant changes to your site you study URL best practices as the wrong redirect type could hinder SEO rankings. When updating, keep your redirects relevant by not sending users back to your homepage without cause; lastly don’t forget to submit an updated sitemap with Google Search Console so they can crawl and index all your new pages! Good luck!
How to Set Up a 302 Redirect in Squarespace
URL redirects can help visitors and search engines alike access your updated page content seamlessly. Whether changing permanent (301 redirect) or temporary (302 redirect) addresses, Squarespace makes setting these forwarding links straightforward through their Settings > Advanced > URL Mappings panel.
If your redirect is 301, search engines will understand that the old page has permanently moved and transfer all its ranking signals to its new counterpart, making this the optimal solution in most situations. A 302 indicates temporary replacement with plans to change back the old URL later – perfect for seasonal updates or updates that won’t last too long.
When setting up a redirect, ensure you remove the slash (/) from the old URL and include it in the new one to avoid redirect loops that could trap users or search engines in an endless cycle of redirects. Also make sure that when capitalizing URLs within your redirect it matches up with existing page URLs without throwing errors or creating unexpected situations.
Note when creating redirects that your site activates redirects in order of priority – meaning if there are multiple redirects in place, those with higher-ranking will take precedence over those with lower rankings. Therefore it’s advisable to test redirects frequently when making major modifications to your website.
Whenever a redirect loop arises, it is vital that it is detected quickly in order to break the chain and prevent SEO value loss or user frustration. You can do this by visiting the URL that’s giving rise to a redirect loop error and checking where it redirects.
How to Set Up a 404 Redirect in Squarespace
If a page on your website that no longer functions is no longer live, setting up a redirect can prevent visitors from landing on a Page Not Found error and can help pass over SEO value of that old page to its new location. In Squarespace’s URL Mappings panel you can set up redirects that can either be permanent (301 redirects) or temporary (302 redirects).
To set up a 301 redirect in Squarespace, navigate to the old page or domain you want to redirect and copy its address. Next, in your dashboard go to Settings -> Advanced -> URL Mappings and enter both URLs that should redirect together – make sure that Redirect Type is set at 301 instead of 302 to transfer any SEO value over.
Once you’ve entered the new URL and redirect type, save your changes. Next, it is important to test your redirect by visiting the old URL in a private browser to make sure it redirects correctly – be mindful not to create a redirect loop (A > B > A), as this can have detrimental effects on visitor experience and search engine ranking as authority from original page is passed along while never actually arriving at destination page.
Custom 404 pages provide your brand with an opportunity to show its individuality and attract returning visitors to your site. Squarespace provides an uninspiring default 404 page; however, creating your own customized version in minutes using one of many free template builders available online can make the process easy and engaging for visitors who land there. Ideally, keep things clean and straightforward so as to not overwhelm visitors who land there; be sure to include navigation/contact information so visitors can easily return where they were before.
