Before you start any Squarespace project, open your settings panel and check: Is this site 7.0 or 7.1? The answer will determine your template choices, editing experience, and how easily you can grow your site in the years ahead. Choose 7.1 unless you have a very specific, legacy reason not to.
For over a decade, Squarespace has been a leading all-in-one website building platform, prized for its elegant design and ease of use. However, beneath its polished surface lies a critical distinction that every user—from hobbyist to agency—must understand: the version of Squarespace they are using. squarespace versions
Unlike software that auto-updates universally, Squarespace operates on a "generational" model. Knowing which version you are on dictates everything from template selection and editing flexibility to available features and future upgrade paths. Squarespace does not use semantic versioning (e.g., 7.2, 7.3). Instead, it has two active major versions: Version 7.0 (legacy) and Version 7.1 (current). A third, more recent evolution is the Fluid Engine —a drag-and-drop editor that, crucially, is available on both some 7.0 templates and all of 7.1. Before you start any Squarespace project, open your
Confusingly, you can have a 7.1 site without Fluid Engine (using classic sections) or a 7.0 site with Fluid Engine. The real distinction lies in architecture and template philosophy. Version 7.0 is the older, more fragmented system. Its defining characteristic is template families . Each template (Brine, Bedford, Pacific, etc.) came with unique, hard-coded features and a specific set of style tweaks. For over a decade, Squarespace has been a