What Squarespace Template + Version am I Using?
When you first start a website with Squarespace, you have lots of different choices to make. Should you start straight away with the new version (Squarespace 7.1) and the new Fluid Engine Editor? Should you go back to basics and start with a Squarespace 7.0 template using the Classic editor?
Either way, it can get a little tricky keeping track of all the decisions you make, especially since Squarespace continues to introduce new features.
So, how do you know which version you're in or which editor you're using? What about which template you're using? There may come a time when you need to know all of this info, which is why we're diving into the specifics below!
What Squarespace Version am I using?
First things first, let’s go over how to figure out which version of Squarespace your website is built on.
As a quick refresher - 7.0 is the older version of Squarespace. If you started your website before 2020, you’ll definitely be familiar with this version and its Classic editor. 7.1 is the newest version of Squarespace and has brought a ton of brand new features to the platform like a new template structure and the Fluid Engine editor.
Knowing which version you’re using will already tell you so much about your website, so it’s a good idea to start there!
Login to your Squarespace site
Navigate to your Pages panel by going to Website > Pages
Scroll to the very bottom of your Pages panel and you should see small text in the bottom left corner that says either “Version 7.0” or “Version 7.1”
What Squarespace Template are you using?
Now that you know which version you’re in, let’s go one step further by specifying which template you’re actually using.
One of the biggest differences between Squarespace version 7.0 and 7.1 is the way templates are used.
Squarespace 7.0
All templates are different functionally, meaning the design capabilities differ from template to template.
Templates are grouped into “families” to indicate which templates have the same design abilities. You can switch to a template within the same family without losing the underlying structure and design functions of your site.
If you switch to a template outside of your family, you risk losing key features, functions, and design abilities.
Because 7.0 templates are different from one another, it’s important to know which template you’re using just in case you need to look up some information or follow one of Squarespace’s guides. To do this:
Login to your Squarespace site
Navigate to your Pages panel by going to Website > Pages
Scroll to the very bottom of your Pages panel and you should see small text in the bottom left corner that tells you which template you are using
You’ll also be able to see which family your template is a part of
If you ever decided that you did want to switch your 7.0 website over to a different template (either within the same family or not), you can easily do so by:
Going to Website > Design
Clicking Template
Clicking on Install New Template
See a full list of 7.0 templates here
Squarespace 7.1
All templates are, functionally, the same.
You don’t need to worry about picking the exact right template because they all have the same design functions and elements.
The only difference between templates are the initial stylistic choices (colors, fonts, images, etc.) which can always be customized.
Because all 7.1 templates are functionally the same there’s, technically, no reason to switch once you’ve begun. In fact, Squarespace doesn’t even tell you which template you’re using after you’ve started designing with it.
Our advice? To be safe, you might consider simply writing down the name of your chosen 7.1 template and filing it away. This way, if you ever need to start from scratch or want to give a recommendation to someone else, you’ll have the name on hand!
Are you using Classic Editor or Fluid Engine?
While you’re checking which version and template you’re using, you might also be interested to know whether you’re using Squarespace’s Classic Editor or the newer Fluid Engine Editor.
If you are using Squarespace 7.0, you are definitely editing with Classic Editor, as Fluid Engine is not available for 7.0 websites.
If you are using Squarespace 7.1:
Head to a page on your website.
Click EDIT in the top left corner to enter editing mode, as though you are going to make a change.
Find the section you want to check out. You can have Classic Editor and Fluid Engine sections living together on one page, so this might not apply to every section.
If you see the option to "UPGRADE" in the top left corner (see screenshot below), this means that your section is currently in the Classic Editor. You can click this upgrade button to transfer over to Fluid Engine.
If your content is being built on a grid (refer to screenshot below), you are utilizing the Fluid Engine Editor for that specific section.
Tip! You can click ‘G’ on your keyboard while in editing mode to bring up the Fluid Engine grid.
How to upgrade your 7.0 website to 7.1 and the Fluid Engine Editor
If your website is currently built in Squarespace 7.0, but you would like to move over to 7.1, Squarespace now has an "upgrade" button that helps you make the switch!
Here’s a quick step-by-step:
First, you'll want to make sure that your website is compatible with the upgrade. Currently, the new upgrade tool is only available to websites using a Brine or Bedford Family Template.
Create a backup of your original website just in case something gets lost or messed up while upgrading.
Use Squarespace's new upgrade tool by going to Website > Design > Update to Version 7.1.
You'll then follow the prompts to make the transfer!
You can view your site in preview mode first before confirming the upgrade and publishing your site.
Important! Transferring your website from Squarespace 7.0 to Squarespace 7.1 is irreversible. Once you upgrade, you cannot go back to version 7.0.
When you switch over to 7.1, each pre-existing section of your new website will remain with the Classic Editor, so you’ll need to complete an additional step to use Fluid Engine! You have the option to upgrade each section of your site to the Fluid Engine Editor individually by clicking the “Upgrade” button located in the top left corner of the section (refer to the screenshot below).
This change is also permanent. Once you upgrade a section from Classic Editor to Fluid Engine, you can't revert back.
f you're a little nervous about fully committing to Fluid Engine, don't worry! Because each section is upgraded separately, you have the ability to try one out while keeping the others safe in the Classic Editor. Take some time to play around with one section in Fluid Engine to make sure it's something you enjoy and are comfortable using. You even have the flexibility to pick and choose which sections you want to upgrade to Fluid Engine and which you want to keep classic.
All in all, figuring out which Squarespace template you’re using is pretty easy! Of course, there are always going to be new versions introduced and features added, which is why we hope this guide has simplified the process even more for you.
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