How To Cancel Squarespace Subscription (2024 Guide)

There are all sorts of reasons why someone might want to pull the plug on their Squarespace site. 

Whatever the case, Squarespace makes it fairly straightforward to cancel your subscription with a couple of options. If you act fast (within the first 14 days after signing up), you can even score a full refund on your annual subscription. 

Since all this talk of cancellations, expirations, and refunds can be a tad overwhelming, in this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from start to finish.

Sound good? Great, let’s jump right in.

Things To Know Before Canceling A Squarespace Subscription

Before you cancel your Squarespace subscription, know that you can either cancel the subscription immediately, which takes the site offline, or disable auto-renew to let the site expire naturally.

There are a few essential things to keep in mind:

• Export Your Content: Be sure to export all of your website content before canceling, as Squarespace will permanently delete your site 30 days after cancellation.
• No Refunds After 14 Days: If you cancel after the initial 14-day period, you will not be eligible for a refund, even if you paid annually.
• Other Subscriptions Remain Active: Cancelling your Squarespace site does not automatically cancel any other active subscriptions you have, like domains, email, scheduling, etc. You’ll need to cancel those separately.

How To Cancel Squarespace – Step-By-Step

To break down the process of canceling, here are two ways for you to cancel Squarespace: 

A. By Canceling A Subscription Immediately

To cancel your Squarespace subscription:

Step 1: Log into your Squarespace account, select a website from your dashboard, and go to the Billing panel.

Step 2: Next, click on “Subscriptions” to manage your active subscriptions.

Step 3: Now, towards the bottom, you will see a “cancel subscription” button. Click that to cancel your active Squarespace subscription.

Step 4:  Select the reason for your cancellation of the subscription. 

At the end of it, Squarespace would remind you about the other active subscriptions such as a domain. Remember to cancel it, too if that’s in your plans. 

That’s it. You have canceled your subscription, effective immediately. 

B. By Deselecting Auto-renewal

However, there’s another way to cancel your Squarespace subscription after the end of your billing period. 

For this, repeat the same steps as above till “Step 3.” Once you reach the step, instead of clicking on “Cancel Your Subscription,” you need to unselect the “renews automatically” button to cancel your subscription gradually.

If you have canceled your subscription within the first 14 days of your Squarespace free trial, you are eligible to get a refund on your purchase. 

How To Cancel Squarespace Domain

Now, as canceling a subscription does not automatically cancel a purchased domain, you need to cancel it separately within 5 days of the purchase. 

To cancel a Squarespace-registered domain:

Step 1: Go back to the Billing panel, click on Domains, and select the domain you want to cancel. 

Step 2: Now, to the bottom of the domain profile, click on the “Delete Domain” button, and click on “Confirm.”

This is all you need to do to cancel the acquired domain within the five-day grace period and get a refund. But remember, once you cancel a purchased domain, you may not be able to buy it again.

If you want to cancel your domain after the first 5 days of purchase, you cannot do so directly. Instead, you must turn off the auto-renew option and let the domain expire naturally.  If you haven’t bought a Squarespace subscription and want to try its features first, you can try a 14-day trial of Squarespace and use all its features for free.

Important Note: If you do not wish your domain to be loaded until it expires, you may disconnect it from DNS records to prevent people from reaching it. 

What Happens When You Cancel Squarespace?

After you cancel Squarespace, here are a few changes that you may notice:

1. Refunds

You’ll receive a full refund if you cancel an annual subscription within 14 days of your first payment. Refunds are unavailable after 14 days or for monthly plans, and renewal payments are non-refundable.

2. Domain

You can cancel, let it expire for domains registered through Squarespace, or transfer it to another provider. Domains you’ve connected from another registrar will need to be disconnected and moved to your new provider.

3. Digital Products or E-Commerce stores

If you have a Digital Products plan, it will enter a 30-day “pause” state after your site cancellation. During this period, you can reactivate it to reinstate your customers’ subscriptions.

Your customers will need to sign up again after 30 days, and their previous subscriptions will no longer be valid. 

4. Content

Your website content will be permanently deleted 30 days after your Squarespace subscription is canceled, as canceling does not guarantee it will go offline.

After canceling, ensure to export all of your content before canceling to keep it for reference. 

Methods To Consider Instead Of Canceling Squarespace

Rather than canceling your Squarespace subscription entirely, you may also consider these alternatives:

1. Change Your Website Plan: Downgrade to a lower-cost plan or switch to a monthly billing cycle to reduce costs.
2. Optimize for SEO: Complete Squarespace’s SEO checklist to improve your site’s visibility and performance.
3. Hire a Squarespace Expert: Work with a professional to make design and functionality improvements to your site.

Squarespace Alternatives 

If you do decide to switch platforms, here are some Squarespace alternatives to consider:

1. Hostinger: An affordable web hosting provider with easy-to-use site-building tools.
2. Shopify: A popular and effective e-commerce platform for building aesthetic online stores.
3. GoDaddy: Offers website building, hosting, and domain services in one integrated platform.

Conclusion: Canceling Squarespace Is Easy

Canceling a Squarespace subscription is straightforward, but it’s important to understand the potential consequences. 

Before proceeding, be sure to export your content, cancel any additional subscriptions, and review refund policies. If you fall under the criteria for receiving a refund,

While cancellation may be the right choice in some cases, it’s worth exploring alternatives that could help you optimize or scale back your Squarespace site instead. 

Ultimately, the decision is yours, and Squarespace provides the flexibility to adapt your online presence as your needs change.

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