1

Select a Starting Point

Squarespace Template

Working from an existing Squarespace template allows you to easily change styles, markup or scripts. If you like an existing template but just want to make a few changes, starting with a template could beat starting from scratch.

Blank Slate

If you're looking to create a website from the ground up, or just want to see what the Developer Platform can do, start with our Base Template. This is a template with minimal code design for use as a foundation or learning tool.

2

Create a Trial Account

Create an account just like you would on the consumer platform. Click "Create a Site Like This" on a template demo site, or select an option from our template store.

3

Register as a Developer

Once you’ve logged in, go to the Site Manager and click the Squarespace logo in the lower left. In the pop-up, click “Edit Profile” next to your name. In the “Profile” dialog box, go to the “Developer” tab, and click on the “Register as a Developer” button. Once you’ve registered as a developer, you’ll have access to Developer Mode on all Squarespace sites.

4

Enable Developer Mode

Go to the Developer tab in your Settings in the Site Manager. In the top right corner, you’ll find a toggle. Click on it to turn on Developer Mode.

5

Set Up Your File Management

SFTP

Enter the following information into your SFTP client to connect.

protocol: sftp
port: 2030

host/server: dev.squarespace.com
remote path (initial folder): /site-name/

username: your account email address
password: your account password

Git

Open your terminal and type in the command below. Substitute “site-name” with your site’s unique identifier. For more in-depth instructions, see our guide:

Using Git

git clone https://site-name.squarespace.com/template.git site name
6

You're good to go!

Your Developer trial account will not expire, so take the time you need to experiment and develop your site.