Works with · Squarespace
Squarespace · Website builder
Client feedback on Squarespace sites
Let clients mark up a published Squarespace site in the browser. They click the block they mean and type, with separate notes for Desktop, Tablet and Mobile, and no contributor seat.
Free for 3 projects. Reviewers never need an account.
Why Squarespace teams use HTMLAnnotate
Squarespace is a favorite for designers building sites for small businesses, and the client review is often the slowest part. You share the site, the client looks at it on their phone, and the feedback comes back as a text message, a screenshot or a phone call. Matching "the photo near the bottom" to the right block on the right page takes longer than the fix itself.
Squarespace doesn't have a built-in way for clients to leave notes on the page. You can invite them as contributors, but that gives them access to the editor, which is more than most clients want and more than you may want to give. Emailed screenshots lose the layout around the problem, and long feedback emails are easy to misread when the same block appears on several pages.
With HTMLAnnotate, your client opens one link to the published site and clicks the exact block, image or button they mean. Each note is pinned there, tagged with the page, the view and their browser and screen size. You keep one list to reply to, label and resolve, and the client never needs a Squarespace login or a contributor seat.
How it works with Squarespace
Three steps, about a minute.
Make the site public
In the Site Availability panel, set the site to Public while you collect feedback. Squarespace needs a paid plan for this, and its password lock screen can't be imported.
Paste the address
Paste your squarespace.com address or custom domain into HTMLAnnotate. You get a review link back in a few seconds, covering every page.
Send the review link
Clients comment on blocks, images and buttons on every page, with no Squarespace login. You reply and resolve from one list.
A full review round, start to finish
What a typical round looks like on Squarespace.
Check availability
Open the Site Availability panel. All Squarespace sites start Private, and trial sites can only be shared behind a site-wide password, which HTMLAnnotate can't import. Once the site is on a paid plan, set it to Public for the round.
Create the review link
Paste the public address into HTMLAnnotate. Sign in so the link lasts up to 14 days on Free, or forever on Pro and Team, which suits clients who review in stages. Reviewers can move between pages from that one link.
Brief the client
Ask them to browse each page first, then switch to Comment mode to click on anything they want changed. Point them to the Mobile view, since Squarespace rearranges blocks on phones and that layout often needs its own fixes.
Sort the notes
Label comments as Copy, Design or Question and set a priority. When the client types new wording as a suggested text change, open it to preview the words in place before you edit the block.
Make the changes
Use Copy for AI to get every open comment with the element, view and page path in one brief. Work through it in the Squarespace editor, page by page, and save as you go. Check the mobile layout after each change.
Get sign-off
The review fetches the site fresh, so your client sees the updated blocks. Resolve comments as you confirm them. When they press Approve, switch comments off on the link and export the list as CSV if you keep records.
Squarespace's own tools and HTMLAnnotate
Use both. Here is what each is good at.
| What you need | Squarespace contributors and passwords | HTMLAnnotate |
|---|---|---|
| Leave notes on the page | No built-in client comments | Pinned comments on any block or image |
| Share a site privately | Private for contributors, or a site-wide password | Public sites only, no password page |
| Share a trial site | Yes, behind a site-wide password | Not possible, trial sites can't be public |
| Reviewer access needed | Contributor invite for Private sites | Just the link, name and email once |
| Editor access given | Contributors get access to the site | None, reviewers only see the site |
What works
- No contributor invites or Squarespace logins for clients
- Mobile notes for the phone layout Squarespace generates
- Every page of the site from one review link
- Labels and priority so you can sort copy changes from design ones
- Suggested wording previews in place before you edit the block
- Nothing is added to the site, and no code injection needed
Good to know
- Squarespace's site-wide password uses a form, so a password-protected site can't be imported. Set it to Public for the round.
- Trial sites can only be shared behind a site-wide password, so they can't be reviewed until the site is on a paid plan.
- Forms and checkout on the reviewed copy can't be submitted, so test those on the live site.
Tips for better Squarespace reviews
Upgrade before the review
Since a trial site can't go Public, plan the client review for after the paid plan starts. If the client is paying for the plan, ask them to subscribe before you send the review link.
Link every page you want reviewed
Reviewers move between pages by following the site's own links. If a page isn't in the navigation or linked from another page, send its full address as a separate review link.
Look at Mobile yourself first
Squarespace stacks blocks differently on phones. Open the review in the Mobile view before you send it, so you catch obvious stacking issues before the client spends a comment on them.
Use labels for content
Clients often mix copy edits with design opinions. Label each note as Copy or Design so you can batch the text changes and do them in one pass through the editor.
Questions about Squarespace
Do clients need to be added as contributors?
No. They comment through the review link without any Squarespace access. They give their name and email once, then click any block to leave a note.
Can I review a site that is still on a trial?
Not yet. Squarespace trial sites can only be shared behind a site-wide password, which shows a form HTMLAnnotate can't import. Once the site is on a paid plan, set it to Public and paste the address.
Can I review a password-protected Squarespace site?
No. The site-wide password shows a lock screen form, which can't be imported. Set the site to Public in the Site Availability panel for the review round, then lock it again if needed.
Can clients comment on the phone layout?
Yes. They switch to Mobile in the review bar, and their notes stay in that view. Tablet and Desktop keep their own comments, so you know which layout a note is about.
Will it change my site?
No. Reviewers see a live copy through HTMLAnnotate, fetched fresh each time, and nothing is installed. You don't add code injection or change any settings apart from making the site public.
Does it work on a custom domain?
Yes. Paste either the squarespace.com address or your connected custom domain. Both work as long as the site is public. Reviewers can move between pages of the site, and each page keeps its own comments.
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HTMLAnnotate works with any page anyone can open in a browser.
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