Once a domain is connected, DNS changes can take up to 72 hours to go into effect across the internet and show in your site’s DNS Settings Panel as current data in its Current Data column. In the interim, you can monitor this progress using its Current Data column.
Google Search Console (GSC) may still confirm the previous owner of a Squarespace website when ownership changes hands, creating privacy concerns for new owners.
Domain is already connected
Domain names are unique identifiers on the internet that identify websites. When you create a website on Squarespace, we automatically link it with its respective domain. Once DNS records have been set up and linked up with your site, however, it could take 24 hours before connecting your domain. You can check progress by returning to your Domains panel. Once connected you’ll see a green label next to it!
Manually linking your domain from another provider is also possible. To do this, log onto your domain provider’s website and locate where you can manage your DNS settings – possibly in a separate tab or window called Zone File Settings, DNS Manager or similar – then open that tab/window and locate where CNAME and A records can be added.
Enter the following CNAME and A records as shown. Be sure to include Squarespace’s verification code when populating these records, then save. Please allow up to 72 hours for information to connect with our servers after saving.
Once your data has been synced to our servers, green labels will appear beside each domain in the Domains panel. If using Nameserver Connect or DNS Connect methods to connect, you can monitor its progress by returning to this panel and clicking Refresh Records; this will update our Current Data column with green labels as your records are added into our system.
Domain is not connected
Domain mapping is the process of linking an externally owned domain with your Squarespace site by altering some records in your domain account. Once done, this third-party domain should automatically connect to Squarespace; you can learn more in our guide on domain mapping.
Once you’ve mapped your domain, the DNS settings panel provides an update. As your domain connects to Squarespace, its Current Data column should show green labels as its transition takes place; new domains may take up to 72 hours for their connection. If red labels appear instead, verify that Host, Type and Required data information in your domain account are accurate.
Internet networks are complex networks that require some time for their servers to update with any DNS changes you make for a domain, meaning visitors could experience trouble loading your website or be directed elsewhere until then. If a “Deprecated” label appears in your Current Data column, this indicates that some records for your domain have become outdated; to keep your site secure and available for all visitors you should update these records immediately.
If you’re experiencing difficulty, visit the Google Search Console Connections page and disconnect your account, which will remove any verification tokens used during GSC integration. Alternatively, reach out to Google’s support team for assistance.
Domain is not verified
Domain names serve to uniquely identify websites on the Internet. Squarespace utilizes domain verification processes to check whether each domain linked to its Squarespace site. Although this process is straightforward, it may take up to 72 hours before your updated DNS settings panel reflects these changes – in which case records entered correctly should display as green Correct labels with green checkmarks next to them; otherwise it could indicate issues with your domain provider’s servers or be related to an error with our DNS settings panel.
If you want to connect a third-party domain to your Squarespace site, using TXT records you can verify its association. This will prevent it from being suspended in Search Console and ensure your campaigns are verified appropriately – our Brad Good team are here to assist in this process!
To create a TXT record, log into your domain host’s account and open its DNS Settings. Select “New Record,” “TXT Record Type,” and copy-paste from Squarespace DNS Settings into Points To section; finally set TTL value of 86400 and hit Save Changes.
While Squarespace’s GSC integration makes linking third-party domains with sites relatively straightforward, this process becomes more challenging when businesses change ownership. Prior to 2013, this proved particularly troubling as Google could not verify ownership without accessing an HTML file uploaded by Squarespace onto their domains.
Domain is verified
If your domain is connected and verified successfully with Squarespace, the Domains panel will display it with a Connected label. However, if it has yet to be configured with appropriate DNS records for our platform, a Deprecated label will appear in its Current data section of your Domains panel indicating that its records may no longer support secure connections between our platform and your provider’s provider.
For this issue to be solved, log into your domain provider’s account and create two CNAME records with values from the pop-up window. Each record should also contain its own unique verification code which must then be entered in Squarespace Domains panel before submitting them.
Alternately, an A record can also point directly to your Squarespace site. To do this, locate the area in your DNS settings where A records can be edited and create four A records pointing towards it with each of these values:
At one point this year, we worked on a website that had undergone a change of ownership. Unfortunately, Google Search Console could not verify their previous site owner because Squarespace’s built-in GSC integration uses an HTML file upload method without access. Therefore, the new owner was unable to delete uploaded file as privacy was threatened. Upon reaching out to Squarespace Support they offered assistance by providing their email address in GSC verification details and manually removing file from GSC if needed.
