What Happens After Your Squarespace Free Trial Ends? (And Other Things You’ll Be Glad You Know)

Squarespace

Jun 12

So you’ve taken the plunge and started building your dream site on Squarespace 7.1? 🎉

You picked a stunning template (after 3 hours of scrolling), added some sassy copy, and maybe even figured out how to change the font without rage-quitting. Go you!

But now you’re staring at that "Your trial ends in 1 day!” banner like… wait, what actually happens after Squarespace free trial ends? Will your site disappear into the void? Do you get charged automatically? Can you keep working on it? Do they send a cake?

Let’s break it down (spoiler: no cake, but there is good news).

The Squarespace Free Trial Guide

First things first: How long is the Squarespace free trial for version 7.1?

You get 14 glorious days to play around and build your site on Squarespace — totally free, no credit card required.

During that time, you can do everything (yep, even use those fancy premium features), preview your site, and pretend you’re a full-blown web designer.

👉 Pro tip: When the 14 days are up, Squarespace will usually offer you a free 7-day extension via email. Just click “extend” and bam — 21 days of website magic. (It’s like getting a little bonus level in a game.)

Unless… you buy a template from a Gold Circle member like me.

When you buy one of my templates, the site you receive comes with a

What are the limitations of the Squarespace free trial?

Honestly? Not many. You get full access to the platform, which is pretty generous.

But here’s the fine print:

✓ You can build your full site, add blog posts, play with design, and test integrations

✗ You can’t connect a custom domain (like yourname.com) until you upgrade to a paid plan

✗ Your site won’t be indexed by Google or show up in search results

✗ You can’t publish your site to the public — it’s private until you hit upgrade and toggle the visibility settings

Oh, and if you use features that are part of a premium plan (like ecommerce tools or member areas), you’ll need to choose a Business or Commerce plan later on. But Squarespace won’t block you from using them in the trial — they’ll just kindly remind you when it’s time to upgrade.

Can people see my site while I’m building it?

Yes — but only if you want them to. 👀

When you start your Squarespace free trial, you get a temporary Squarespace domain (like random-words-1234.squarespace.com). That link works only if you share it with someone.

So if you want your business bestie or your design-savvy cousin to give you feedback, go ahead and send them that link. They'll be able to preview your work-in-progress.

Random internet people? Google? Your nosy neighbor?

Nope.

Your site isn’t public, it’s not searchable, and unless someone has that exact link, it’s like it doesn’t exist. Private, cozy, and judgment-free.

So, what happens after Squarespace free trial ends?

Let’s say you let the timer run out without choosing a paid plan. Do sirens go off? Does your site vanish?

Nope.
Squarespace simply “pauses” your site. You won’t be able to edit it anymore, but everything you created stays saved exactly how you left it.

When you log back in, you’ll see a banner that says something like:
“Upgrade your site to continue editing.”

Once you pick a plan and pay, you can jump right back into editing — and nothing goes live until you say so. You’re still in control, boss.

Can I still preview or share my site during/after the trial?

During the trial, your site is visible via that private Squarespace link (random-words-1234.squarespace.com). You can send that to friends, biz mentors, or your entire group chat for design feedback.

But once your trial ends, that link stops working. To make your site viewable again (or finally launch it to the public), you’ll need to upgrade.

Can I cancel my Squarespace trial?

Technically, you don’t need to!
Since you didn’t put in any payment info when signing up for the trial, there’s nothing to cancel. If you decide Squarespace isn’t for you, just… walk away. 😅 No awkward goodbyes. No break-up emails.

If you did enter a credit card early (maybe when you were feeling bold and clicked “Upgrade” prematurely), then just make sure to cancel before your trial ends to avoid being charged. Head to Billing & Account Settings, click on your plan, and hit Cancel Site or Downgrade.

Is there a way to get a Squarespace discount when you upgrade?

Yessir.

Every one of my Squarespace templates comes with a 20% off your first year of annual subscription.

Bonus tip: If you’re a student with a .edu email, you can get 50% off your first year instead. Student life finally paying off!

TL;DR – Here’s what to remember:

Squarespace free trial = 14 days (with an optional 7-day extension)… unless you grab one of my Squarespace templates - they come with a 6 months trial.
Full access to features, but no domain or public launch until you upgrade
You don’t need to cancel unless you added payment info
When the trial ends, your site is paused, not deleted
You can still upgrade later and pick up where you left off
My Squarespace templates come with a 20% discount for annual subscriptions.