Squarespace Terms of Service: Five Clauses Worth Reading Before You Build
This page is general information, not legal advice.
If you live in or run your business from the US, the Squarespace Terms of Service are a contract with Squarespace, Inc. Everyone else contracts with Squarespace Ireland Limited. The terms also bring in the Product Specific Terms, the Acceptable Use Policy and the Data Processing Addendum. This page reviews the version with an Effective Date of March 27, 2025. Five clauses in it shift cost or risk onto you. For each one, you get the exact wording, why it matters and what to ask for instead. Most site owners can't negotiate standard terms, so treat this as a checklist. Some provisions work differently for EU Consumers, and the rules vary by jurisdiction.
1. The license over your content
When you provide User Content via the Services, you grant Squarespace (including our third party hosting providers acting on our behalf) a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable right and license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works of ... communicate, publish, publicly display, publicly perform and distribute User Content for the limited purposes of allowing us to provide, improve, promote and protect the Services.
Source: https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, retrieved 2026-10-30.
Why it works against you
Your content stays yours, but the license is perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable and transferable. "User Content" is broad. It covers text, photos, music, videos, logos and code, and it also includes your End User Data, such as what visitors submit through your forms. The license is limited to providing, improving, promoting and protecting the Services, but "improve" and "promote" are flexible words. The Your Content section also survives termination. See perpetual content licenses explained.
What to ask for instead
Sample wording to propose: "The license ends when the user deletes the content or closes their account, except for backup copies kept for a limited period. Content will not be used for promotion without the user's opt-in consent."
2. Featuring your site, with a moral rights waiver
You grant us a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive right and license to use any version of Your Sites, or any portion of Your Sites, including without limitation names, trademarks, service marks or logos on Your Sites, for the limited purpose of Squarespace marketing and promotional activities. ... You waive any claims against us relating to any moral rights, artists’ rights or any other similar rights worldwide that you may have in or to Your Sites or names, trademarks, service marks or logos on Your Sites and any right of inspection or approval of any such use.
Source: https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, retrieved 2026-10-30.
Why it works against you
Squarespace may show your site, brand name and logo in its own marketing, including on social media. The license is perpetual and covers "any version" of your site, so an old design could keep turning up. You also give up any right to approve how your work is shown. You can opt out of being featured through your Account, but you're opted in until you do. If you build sites for clients, check whether you can grant these rights at all. See moral rights waivers explained.
What to ask for instead
Sample wording to propose: "We will feature a user's site only with their prior consent, and we will stop using it in new marketing within a reasonable period after they withdraw consent."
3. Suspension and termination at Squarespace's sole discretion
We reserve these rights, which we may exercise at any time and in our sole discretion, and without liability or notice to you (except where prohibited by applicable law): ... (c) we may terminate, suspend, restrict or disable your access to or use of parts or all of the Services; (d) we may terminate, suspend, restrict or disable access to your Accounts or parts or all of Your Sites or your User Content;
Source: https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, retrieved 2026-10-30.
Why it works against you
If your business runs on your site, store or booking pages, losing access can cut off your income. Section 11 says Squarespace "will endeavor to provide you reasonable notice," but that's a soft promise, not a fixed notice period. The limitation of liability section also excludes losses tied to your "inability to access or use" your Account or sites. In an Ownership Dispute, for example between a web designer and a client, Squarespace can decide who owns the account, and "Our decision in that respect is final".
What to ask for instead
Sample wording to propose: "Except for urgent security or legal reasons, we will give written notice of the specific violation and a reasonable period to fix it before suspension, and allow the user to export their content."
4. Auto-renewal with no refunds
We’ll automatically charge you the applicable amount using the payment method you have on file with us and by agreeing to this Agreement, you authorize us to do this. ... While you may cancel any Paid Services at any time, you won't be issued a refund except in our sole discretion, or if legally required.
Source: https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, retrieved 2026-10-30.
Why it works against you
Subscriptions renew for the same length as your current period, so an annual plan renews for another year. If you forget to cancel, getting a refund is up to Squarespace. Canceling one Paid Service "may not cancel all your Paid Services," and domains renew separately. Squarespace "may change our fees at any time" with advance notice, and your only option is to cancel before the next payment. If you file a chargeback, "we may automatically terminate your Account." See auto-renewal clauses explained.
What to ask for instead
Sample wording to propose: "We will email a reminder before any annual renewal. Users who cancel within a set period after an annual renewal receive a prorated refund."
5. Arbitration, a class action waiver and one year to file
Unless you opt out during the Opt-Out Period in accordance with Section 15.4, you and Squarespace agree to resolve any claims, disputes and matters arising out of or in connection with this Agreement ... through final and binding arbitration and you and Squarespace expressly waive the right to formal court proceedings (including without limitation trial by jury), except to the extent set forth in this Section.
Source: https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, retrieved 2026-10-30.
Why it works against you
Before arbitration, you must go through an informal dispute process that can take sixty days. Claims must be brought "in an individual capacity only and not as a class or other representative action." Arbitration claims must be filed "within one (1) year after the date the party asserting the claim first knows or reasonably should know" of the problem. One fair point: the deadline applies to both sides, and US hearings take place in the county where you live. You can opt out by emailing within thirty days of first agreeing, but opting out does not remove the class action waiver. See mandatory arbitration clauses explained and class action waivers explained. Whether these limits apply to you is a question for a qualified lawyer.
What to ask for instead
Sample wording to propose: "Either party may bring claims in court within the period allowed by applicable law, and the class action waiver will not apply to users who opt out of arbitration."
Also worth a look
Squarespace's total liability is capped at "the greater of twenty US dollars ($20) or the amounts paid by you to Squarespace in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event that gave rise to such claim" (Source: https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, retrieved 2026-10-30). See limitation of liability clauses explained. You also agree to indemnify Squarespace for claims tied to your content, your sites, your End Users and tax authorities' claims about your eCommerce, "including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees and costs." See indemnification clauses explained. Squarespace only promises to notify you of changes that "meaningfully reduces your rights." If you disagree, "you must stop using the Services and cancel all Paid Services."
Scan your own document free
Squarespace's Product Specific Terms, Payments Terms and AI Terms add rules of their own. Upload your terms or contract as a PDF, DOCX, TXT or MD file, or photograph it, using the ScanMyTerms Terms of Service checker. In about a minute, you get a list of clauses that work against you, with the risk level, the exact wording, why each one hurts and how to change it. The free preview needs no sign-up and shows the risk count and the first two findings. The full report is $5. ScanMyTerms does not use your documents to train AI models, and reports are deleted after 7 days.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Squarespace Terms of Service, https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service, Effective Date March 27, 2025, retrieved 2026-10-30.