Skip to content

Guide, checked November 2026

Squarespace domain forwarding: setup and what it leaves out

Squarespace will forward a domain you registered there, or one that moved there from Google Domains, to any address. It can keep the path. It drops query strings, and it locks the domain’s DNS records while the forward is active. This page covers the setup, a test with a real link, and what to use when you need more.

Start free trialTest a redirect now
olddomain.com, forwarded by SquarespaceResult
  • olddomain.com/blog/blog keptWorks
  • olddomain.com/?utm_source=xQuery droppedLimit
  • DNS recordsLocked while forwardingLimit

Short version

Squarespace forwarding is fine for a spare domain that should point at your main site, and path forwarding covers a move where the page addresses stay the same. It is the wrong tool when links carry tracking parameters, when old and new addresses differ page by page, or when you look after redirects for many domains and need to see what each one receives.

Written by the SiteDetour team. Checked on 10 November 2026 against the Squarespace Help Center article "Forwarding a domain" (last updated 12 October 2026).

Trusted by universities, government agencies, credit unions and brands since 2019

  • Hard Rock Hotels
  • UNIQLO
  • Major League Baseball
  • Whole Foods
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of Illinois Chicago
  • NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
  • Florida Today
  • British Rail Engineering
  • IR Energy Systems

Set up forwarding in Squarespace

For domains registered at Squarespace and domains connected with nameserver connect. Changes can take up to 48 hours.

  1. Open the forwarding rules

    Open your domains dashboard, click the domain, click Website, and scroll down to Domain Forwarding Rules.

  2. Add a rule

    Click Add rule. Squarespace asks for your password or two factor code first. Enter @ in the Subdomain field for the bare domain, then click Add subdomain and enter www to cover both.

  3. Enter the destination

    Type the address without http:// or https:// in front. A full page address, such as www.newsite.com/blog, is allowed.

  4. Choose the type and the path setting

    Under Advanced settings, pick Permanent Redirect (301) or Temporary Redirect (302). Under Path Forwarding, Maintain paths sends /blog/post to /blog/post on the new site. Remove paths sends everything to the one address you typed.

  5. Save, and clear conflicts if asked

    Click Save. If Squarespace says it cannot save the rule, delete any A, AAAA, ALIAS or CNAME record on the same host in DNS Settings and create the rule again.

If the domain came over from Google Domains, your forwarding rules were migrated with it, but Squarespace says they only work once you add some DNS records. Open each migrated rule and check it.

What Squarespace forwarding covers

Taken from the Squarespace Help Center, next to a hosted redirect on SiteDetour.

Through Squarespace forwardingMaintain paths is on. Query strings are dropped.
  • olddomain.com/blogworks:newsite.com/blog
  • olddomain.com/blog?utm_source=maillimit:newsite.com/blog, tag lost
  • DNS recordslimit:locked while forwarding
Through SiteDetourQuery strings are forwarded and each old path can have its own destination
  • olddomain.com/blog?utm_source=mailworks:newsite.com/blog?utm_source=mail
http:// requests
Squarespace forwardingRedirected
SiteDetourRedirected
https:// requests
Squarespace forwardingEach rule has an SSL setting, on by default
SiteDetourCertificate issued and renewed for every domain
Redirect types
Squarespace forwarding301, 302
SiteDetour301, 302, 307
Destinations
Squarespace forwardingOne per rule. Paths kept or removed. Query strings are dropped.
SiteDetourRules per path, with path and query forwarding
Where DNS lives
Squarespace forwardingSquarespace nameservers, or extra records at your own provider. Records cannot be edited while forwarding.
SiteDetourAny provider. You add an A record or a CNAME.
Traffic reports
Squarespace forwardingNot mentioned in the help article
SiteDetourHits, countries, referrers and devices, live
Cost
Squarespace forwardingIncluded with the domain
SiteDetourFrom $12 a month for 5 domains

Test it with a real link

Run these from any terminal. Replace olddomain.com with yours.

Terminal
$ curl -sI http://olddomain.com | head -3HTTP/1.1 301 Moved PermanentlyLocation: https://www.newsite.com/$ curl -sI "https://olddomain.com/blog?utm_source=mail" | head -3HTTP/1.1 301 Moved PermanentlyLocation: https://www.newsite.com/blog

The second command asks for a page with a tracking parameter. With Maintain paths on, /blog should survive. The ?utm_source part will not: Squarespace’s help page says query parameters are not included when URLs are forwarded. If you have no terminal handy, paste the address into the free redirect checker and read the chain.

That matters for email and ad links that still point at the old domain. The visitor arrives, but the tag that tells your analytics where they came from is gone.

When Squarespace forwarding is not enough

Three routes, depending on how many domains you have and who has to manage them.

  • Stay on Squarespace forwarding

    A spare domain, or a move where the page addresses match. Turn on Maintain paths, keep the domain on auto renew, and test it again after any change to the site.

    Fits: one or two domains with simple needs.

  • Cloudflare, free

    Move the domain’s nameservers to Cloudflare, add proxied A records to 192.0.2.1 for @ and www, and create a Redirect Rule. Cloudflare issues the certificate and can keep the path and query string. Each domain is its own zone with its own rule.

    Fits: a few domains and someone at home in the Cloudflare dashboard.

  • SiteDetour

    Keep the domain registered at Squarespace. Add it in SiteDetour and point its records at us. Query strings are forwarded, each old path can have its own destination, and every domain’s traffic shows up in one report.

    Fits: many domains, non technical colleagues, or redirects you have to report on.

Move a Squarespace forward to SiteDetour

About ten minutes per domain, most of it waiting for DNS.

  1. Create the redirect

    In SiteDetour, open Redirects and click Create New. Enter olddomain.com as the domain, set the destination, and tick Include www subdomain.

  2. Copy the DNS values

    Click View DNS Instructions. The panel lists the A records for the bare domain and the CNAME target for subdomains. Keep it open.

  3. Swap the records in Squarespace

    Remove the forwarding rule first, because Squarespace locks DNS records while a forward is active. Then open the domain’s DNS settings and add the records from the panel.

  4. Issue the certificate

    Back in SiteDetour, click Acquire SSL certificate once DNS has updated. Subdomains usually update within five minutes. Bare domains can take up to 24 hours, depending on the old TTL.

  5. Run the test again

    Run the command with the tracking parameter again. The Location line should now include it. Renewals happen on their own after that.

Start free trialRead the full setup article

Questions that come up

Does Squarespace domain forwarding keep the path?
Yes, if you choose Maintain paths on the rule. It only helps when the new site uses the same page addresses. If /blog/my-post became /blog/2026/my-post, the visitor lands on a page that does not exist.
Does it keep query strings such as UTM tags?
No. Squarespace’s help page says that if a URL uses query parameters, they are not included when the URL is forwarded. Campaign tags, coupon codes and search terms in the old link are lost.
Why can’t I edit DNS records on a forwarded domain?
Squarespace does not allow DNS edits on a domain that is actively forwarding. Its own workaround is to remove the forward, edit the records, save, and add the forward again.
My Google Domains forwards stopped working after the move. Why?
The rules were copied to Squarespace, but Squarespace says they need some DNS records added to the domain before they work. Open the domain, go to Website, and follow the instructions shown on the forwarding rule.
Can I forward a domain that is registered somewhere else?
Only if it is connected to Squarespace with nameserver connect, where a Forward Domain preset is available in DNS Settings. For a domain connected with DNS connect, Squarespace sends you back to your registrar’s own forwarding.
How long does Squarespace forwarding take to work?
Up to 48 hours, according to Squarespace. Browsers also remember old answers, so check from a private window or a terminal before you decide it is broken.

Squarespace forwarding is fine for a spare domain that should point at your main site. It is the wrong tool when links carry tracking parameters.

Redirect your first domain in about ten minutes

Add the domain, copy the DNS records, and the certificate is issued for you. 14 days free, no credit card.

Start free trialSee pricing
  • 14 day free trial
  • No credit card
  • No traffic metering