How do I add someone to help with my Squarespace site?

Why a contributor invitation is better than sharing your login

Your Squarespace login controls your billing details, your domain and the ownership of the site. Handing it to someone else gives them all of that, and you cannot limit what they do or see which changes were theirs.

A contributor has a separate login tied to their own email address. You decide which parts of the site they can reach, and you can remove them at any time without changing anything on your own account. A reputable designer, developer or support service will ask for a contributor invitation and will not ask for your password.

Inviting a contributor step by step

1. Log in to Squarespace and open the site you want help with.
2. Go to Settings, then open the permissions page. On current accounts it is labelled Permissions and Ownership. On some older accounts it is labelled Permissions.
3. Click the button to invite a contributor.
4. Enter the person’s name and the email address they have asked you to use.
5. Switch on the permission level or levels they need. The next section explains the choices.
6. Send the invitation.
7. Ask them to accept it from the email they receive. Until they do, they appear as a pending invitation on the same page. Invitations expire if they are left unaccepted, so resend it if they tell you the link no longer works.

You need to be the site owner or an administrator to invite people. If you cannot see the option, you are probably logged in as a contributor with a lower level of access.

Which permission level to choose

The exact list depends on your plan and the features you use, but these are the levels most site owners see.

• Administrator: full access to the site, including settings, domains, billing and other contributors. Only the owner can transfer ownership of the site. Choose this for someone fixing a technical problem, connecting a domain, or working across the whole site.
• Website Editor, called Content Editor on some older accounts: can edit pages, blog posts and design, but cannot reach billing or most settings. Choose this for someone updating text, images and layouts.
• Store Manager: can manage orders, products and customers on a site that sells online. Choose this for staff who handle orders.
• Billing: can update payment details and see invoices. Choose this for a bookkeeper or accountant.
• Analytics, called Reporting on some older accounts: can view traffic and sales reports without being able to change anything.

Give the lowest level that allows the work to be done. If you are unsure, ask the person which level they need and why. Many technical fixes, such as custom code, domain settings and form settings, do need Administrator access, and that is a reasonable request from someone you have chosen to trust with the work.

How many contributors you can have

Squarespace limits the number of contributors on its entry level plans, while higher plans allow as many as you need. The permissions page shows if you have reached your limit. If you have, remove someone who no longer needs access to free up a place, which avoids upgrading for the sake of a short piece of work.

Removing someone when the work is finished

1. Go to Settings and open the permissions page again.
2. Click the contributor’s name.
3. Choose the option to remove them, and confirm.
4. If they only need less access rather than none, switch off the levels they no longer need and save.

Removing a contributor does not undo their work or delete any content. It only ends their access. It is good practice to look through the list a couple of times a year and remove former staff, past designers and anyone else who no longer needs to be there.

Related questions

Does a Squarespace contributor see my password or card details?

No. They log in with their own email address and password. They never see your password, and only the Administrator and Billing levels can reach billing settings.

Does it cost extra to add a contributor on Squarespace?

There is no charge per contributor. Entry level plans limit how many you can have, so you would only pay more if you chose to upgrade to a plan with a higher limit.

Does the person need their own Squarespace subscription?

No. They need a free Squarespace account, which they can create when accepting your invitation. Your site’s plan covers their access.

What is the difference between the owner and an administrator?

An administrator can do almost everything on the site. The owner is the one account that holds the site and is the only one that can transfer ownership to someone else.