No matter whether you are a therapist, coach or business looking to add forms for clients to download documents quickly or a business looking to increase accessibility on its website, this guide will show you how.
Squarespace doesn’t support file uploads directly in its Form Builder; however, workarounds exist by using third-party tools like Wufoo embedded with code blocks.
Uploading Files
Squarespace is a software as a service website builder that enables users to quickly create and edit websites without having to know how to code. It offers form blocks to easily collect visitor and customer data; however, its forms don’t support file uploads directly – though users may use third-party services or embed forms with code blocks instead. Ultimately, creating and editing Squarespace sites takes no coding knowledge at all!
If you want to incorporate a file upload field in your Squarespace form, a third-party service will be necessary. While there are various options available, some require subscription fees; Wufoo provides one such free plan but has a maximum file limit per upload of 5 files per upload; alternatively you could integrate Squarespace with Dropbox so visitors can upload directly into their accounts.
One option for adding file upload fields in Squarespace forms is custom CSS; however, this requires advanced coding knowledge and may not be feasible for some users. Another method would be using a plugin available both with Basic and Business plans that adds an upload field for forms.
Add a download link to your Squarespace form is simple. First, create a form with an upload field using the Pages Panel’s Form option, selecting an available template from there and choosing “Form”. Customize settings and fields such as submit button labeling, alignment and behavior before editing submission URL by adding Redirect fields.
Customize the appearance of your file upload button by changing its color, size or icon. Additionally, text and images can be added directly onto it for an aesthetically pleasing touch. However, note that file download links do not provide security measures and accepting user-generated content can expose your website to security risks.
Linking Files
Squarespace provides plenty of form building tools (form blocks, submissions and templates). But for file uploads or more advanced functionality such as file attachments, sometimes more advanced functionality may be required. A third-party service like Getform may be the answer. In this article we’ll show how Getform can help create forms with file attachments to embed on Squarespace pages.
Locate where people should click to initiate your downloadable forms. Place this text hyperlink somewhere on your site such as your contact page, sidebar widget or paragraph of text.
Note: Renaming the link for downloadable file to something more memorable (such as “download_file”) could make it easier for visitors to remember and download them. While this step is optional, we highly suggest it for an optimal visitor experience.
As well as setting which information gets collected in Form Blocks by default, the Storage tab in your Form Block settings offers you options to collect information to send to email, Google Drive, Mailchimp or Zapier (more on each below).
Once your downloadable file link is in place, it’s time to create an action button or link that people will click in order to receive it. To do this, head over to your Page Editor, select your page element of choice, and click “Add link”; this opens a pop-up window where you can enter both title and URL information for your link.
Once complete, click the Save button to create your link. Depending on which options were selected in your form settings, you may need to tweak either the link text or URL so it points to the correct file.
If your file type changes, updating it in the Link Editor is simple. Just locate the relevant file and click its ellipses (…) next to it. Or if you prefer, you can fully delete them by visiting Page Editor and choosing “Delete from Ellipsis Menu”, though Squarespace still retains a copy for future reference as a static asset linked with its URL.
Managing Files
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder, offering users numerous templates from which to select. Using blocks for arranging content on each page and its user-friendly interface, the platform makes content management simple for site owners. Unfortunately, Squarespace lacks a feature allowing site owners to create form upload pages for visitors; however, workarounds or scripts exist that enable file uploads with Squarespace forms.
For ease, the easiest way to create a file-uploading Squarespace form is with an online form builder compatible with CMS such as Wufoo or JotForm that works seamlessly with it. There are various such services, each having different advantages and disadvantages; Wufoo and JotForm both allow users to store submissions in cloud storage services while their built-in form widgets do not allow users to add multiple file upload fields or select multiple files at the same time.
These services can also be prohibitively costly for Squarespace website owners. While storing submissions themselves might sound ideal, this requires programming or IT experience and expertise in most cases.
File Request Pro forms allow you to host submissions directly on your own site while also linking the files received directly back into pages within your website – an invaluable feature when providing customers with documentation or additional details regarding products or services you offer.
If you need to rename a file link, accessing the ellipses (…) next to its name allows for this task. Once edited, simply save. Note: this won’t delete or delist your link from Linked Files menu, though anyone with direct link can still download file.
If you need to use a hosted service for file uploads, consider embedding the Form Request Pro plugin into a Squarespace form. This allows visitors to choose multiple files simultaneously while also specifying where they would like them stored.
Creating a Download Link
Squarespace makes creating forms with download files simple for new clients or email opt-ins alike, whether that means downloading practice policies before their intake session or offering free eBooks as email opt-ins. Use its built-in contact page templates or a third-party solution like Getform to build one yourself or integrate one directly with Squarespace.
Squarespace provides four locations where submissions and data may be saved when creating a contact page or form section, so when collecting submissions it can be stored – these options can be seen under the Storage tab in Settings panel:
One of the available destinations is email. By selecting this option, submitted files and their associated form responses will be delivered directly to your administrator email address for your account.
If you need different responses or processes from submissions, or would like a custom workflow implemented, Zapier apps provide automated workflows to connect with Squarespace site forms. Zapier offers pre-made workflows for collecting and storing form data on Squarespace sites like creating entries in Pipedrive or sending you Slack notifications when someone fills out one.
Option for form submissions that need to be stored securely: Dropbox folder. This gives visitors an easy way to access their own file download links while providing you with one central repository for them all.
Once linked, files appear as click-able buttons or text hyperlinks on your website. To change their names, visit their home pages and use Link Editor.
When editing text, look for the ellipses (…) beside file names to rename. Or you can delete files by visiting your link editor, hovering over them and selecting “Delete.” Squarespace will still keep a copy for backup purposes.
