How To Change Your Domain Name On Squarespace

A domain name is your website's address on the internet. It's what people will type in to find your site, and it's a big part of your brand identity. That’s why it’s crucial that before registering your domain name, you are 100% satisfied with it. 

If you're unhappy with your current domain name or need to change it for any reason, you can do so easily on Squarespace. 

Things You Need To Know Before Changing Your Domain Name

You may want to change your Squarespace domain name for many reasons. It can be misspelled, or it’s not the right name to reflect your business. Whatever your reasons are, you need to keep these factors in mind before changing your domain name. 

• You can only change the domain name five days after registration. After this period, the domain name is permanent.
• You cannot change the primary domain. You need to set a new environment as primary first.
• Renaming a domain name involves canceling the existing one and then registering the new domain name. 
• If your domain extension is a country code top-level domain like .us, .uk, or similar, you can’t change it. 

Steps To Change Domain Name On Squarespace

1. Log in to Squarespace and go to Home. Click on Settings > Domains. Cancel the domain immediately. 
2. Look for the domain you want to rename. 
3. Click Cancel Domain. 
4. Wait for the refund to arrive. According to Squarespace’s refund policy, you can get a refund if you cancel the domain within the five-day grace period. If you cancel a free domain that came with the subscription, you won’t get a refund, but you can register another free domain.
5. Register for a new domain. Go to Home > Settings > Domains > Get Domain.
6. Type the domain name you want on the search field. Depending on the availability, you will see the following results:
   • Free - you can get the domain as part of the free one-year domain for new accounts
   • $20 to $70 - you can purchase the domain for the specified price
   • Unavailable - the domain is not available to be used
7. Add the domain name to your cart once you’ve verified its availability. 
8. Go to your cart and click checkout. 
9. Squarespace protects your privacy by automatically including Whois/Domain Privacy with your subscription. Enter your contact information. This will be used as the registered information for the domain. 
10. Check that everything is correct, and click Save and continue. 
11. Review the Terms of Services. 
12. Click confirm and purchase. 
13. Check your email. Your bank may ask you to verify the purchase, and Squarespace may ask you to verify your account. Complete the verification within 24 hours. 
14. Once everything is complete, wait for the confirmation email. You know that your new domain has been registered because it will appear in the Domains panel.

What To Do After Renaming Your Domain Name

Once the new domain name is registered successfully, you need to update the name servers and DNS settings to point to your site. You should also set it as your website's primary or connected domain. 

Remember that changing domain name has implications for web traffic. You need to make sure that there are redirects to help drive traffic from your old domain to the new one. However, if you change the name of a newly registered part, you don’t need to worry about losing visitors and redirecting site traffic. 

Ensure everything is correct before purchasing it. Domain names are serious matters; always double-check the spelling when registering them. If you accidentally registered a wrong domain, change it quickly before you start promoting it or before it attracts site visitors. 

However, if you are changing an old domain name, ensure you’ve considered all the possibilities and consequences of doing so. Only change the domain name if you are sure that you understand the ramifications and are prepared to deal with it. 

A domain's backlinks and site authority should be considered when choosing a new domain. If you cancel the domain name, you will stop being the owner. The domain can be bought by someone else. 

Domain names are our unique addresses on the web. Specialized domain names increase in value over time so before changing or canceling one, make sure you no longer need it. Retrieving a discarded domain is tough; if you change a domain name by mistake, it will be harder to return. 

To learn more about managing Squarespace websites, visit the Page Kits blog.