Select a primary domain to build your brand and audience.

If your site has multiple custom domains, you’ll need to pick one to act as your primary domain. The primary domain is the main address for your site. To find which domain is your primary, open the Domains panel and look for the Primary label next to a domain.

All custom domains redirect to the primary, meaning that domain always displays in the browser address bar no matter which domain visitors use to access the site.

The first custom domain you add to your site is automatically set as your primary domain. If you add more custom domains, that first domain remains as your primary. To set a new primary domain, follow the steps below.

Note: If a visitor accesses your site from your built-in domain rather than a custom domain, such as your-site-name.squarespace.com, it won't redirect to your custom primary domain.

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Before you begin

• If you’re setting a Squarespace domain as the primary, ensure you’ve verified ownership.
• If you’re setting a third-party domain as the primary, it needs to be connected correctly. The connection and propagation process may take up to 48 hours to complete. For help, visit Connecting a domain to your Squarespace site.
• Only one domain can be set as the primary domain. All pages on your site show that domain. It’s not possible to use a different domain for specific pages of your site.

Set the primary domain

1. Open the Domains panel.
2. Click ... next to the domain you want to set as your primary domain.
3. Click Set as primary domain.
4. In the pop-up message, use the Select domain or subdomain dropdown to choose which domain or subdomain you would like to set as primary.
5. Click Set.
6. Your new primary domain displays a Primary label in the Domains panel.

Tip: If you're setting a new primary domain as a part of renaming your site or brand, follow our steps for maintaining your online following after changing your domain.

Set a subdomain as the primary domain

Note: Subdomains of Squarespace-hosted domains that share billing and permission settings with a website can't be set as the primary domain of that site.

If you have a connected third-party subdomain or a connected Squarespace-hosted subdomain:

1. In the Domains panel, click Domains.
2. Under Domains managed by third-party, click the subdomain.
3. Click Set as primary domain.
4. Return to the Domains panel.
5. Switch the Use "www" prefix toggle off. This ensures that the subdomain appears in the browser bar when viewing the site.

FAQ

Can I hide my built-in .squarespace.com domain?

Adding a custom domain automatically hides your built-in domain from visitors. However, for security purposes, your built-in domain always displays in your browser's address bar when you're logged in.

Why is my built-in domain showing when I'm logged in?

For security purposes, your built-in domain (ending in .squarespace.com) always shows when you're logged into your site, even if you have a custom primary domain.

If I add a second custom domain, does it automatically become my primary?

Not automatically. The first custom domain you add is set as your primary. If you add more custom domains, that first domain stays as your primary domain until you set the new domain as your primary domain.

Can I set my built-in .squarespace.com domain as my primary?

No. Only custom domains can be set as the primary domain. If you remove all custom domains, your built-in domain automatically defaults to the primary.

Do I need to remove the primary status from one domain before choosing another domain?

No. Setting a new domain as the primary automatically removes the primary status from the previous domain.

What type of redirect is used to direct secondary domains to the primary domain?

If you have multiple domains associated with your Squarespace site, all secondary domains automatically redirect to the primary domain using a 301 redirect. This only redirects to the root domain (examplesite.com), not anything else in the URL (/blog, for example). To set up more exact URL forwarding, visit Forwarding a Squarespace domain.

Do all of my custom domains appear in search engines?

No. Search engines only show your primary custom domain.

If you’re noticing the wrong domain in Google search results, you can use their Search Console to specify the domain you want to show.

My built-in domain is appearing in search results.

If you've set a primary custom domain and your built-in domain is still appearing in search results, you can use Google Search Console to request a reindex. To learn more, visit Hiding your built-in domain from search results.

Can analytics show me which domains were used to access my site?

No. Squarespace analytics measures all combined traffic to your site from all active domains.