As a business owner using Squarespace, there will likely come a time when you need outside help to manage your website. Whether it’s a web designer updating the layout, a marketing specialist optimizing for search engines, or a developer adjusting technical settings, giving others access to your site is often necessary. Instead of sharing your personal login details, Squarespace allows you to provide contributor access, assigning different levels of control based on the role someone plays.
However, granting access isn’t just about convenience—it’s about security and control. You need to ensure that the right people have the right permissions without risking accidental or unwanted changes. This is especially important when working with professionals who need access to Squarespace Domains, which is separate from the main site and requires different permissions to modify DNS settings, set up email, or connect external services.
What Contributor Access Means in Squarespace
Contributor access in Squarespace allows you to invite others to work on your site while limiting what they can do. Instead of giving full administrative control, you can assign roles that match a person’s responsibilities.
A content manager might need to update blog posts and edit pages but doesn’t need access to billing or backend settings. A web designer may require permissions to adjust templates and styles but doesn’t need the ability to delete pages or change ownership details.
This level of control helps you maintain security while still allowing your team or hired professionals to manage the parts of the site relevant to their work.
The Difference Between Contributor Access & Domain Access
Many business owners assume that giving someone access to their website automatically allows them to manage domain settings. However, Squarespace separates website access from domain access, and these require different permissions.
Contributor access applies to the website itself—content, design, settings, and store management. Someone with contributor permissions can make changes within Squarespace’s editor but cannot modify domain records, email configurations, or anything related to the domain’s connectivity.
Domain access is entirely separate and applies only to Squarespace Domains, which controls settings such as DNS records, email forwarding, and domain redirections. If a web developer or IT professional needs to update DNS records to connect a third-party service or set up business email, they need access to the domain, not just the website.
This distinction is important because failing to grant domain access when needed can cause unnecessary delays, while granting it to the wrong person could result in accidental changes that affect your website’s accessibility.
When & Why You Might Need to Grant Access
As a budget-friendly DIY website platform, Squarespace is designed to be user-friendly. However, certain tasks require specialized expertise. Depending on your needs, different professionals may require access to your site for different reasons.
A web designer might need contributor access to update the look and feel of your site, customize layouts, or refine branding. They’ll need permissions to edit pages and templates but likely won’t need control over site ownership or billing.
A marketing professional may require access to install tracking codes, optimize content for SEO, or manage email marketing integrations. They don’t need to alter the structure of your site but do need permission to work with analytics and promotional tools.
A store manager needs access to e-commerce features, handling inventory updates, order processing, and customer interactions. They won’t require design or domain access but must be able to manage products and sales settings.
Lastly, a developer or IT specialist may need access to domain settings to configure email, connect third-party services, or troubleshoot technical issues. They don’t need to edit your website’s content but must be able to access Squarespace Domains to make adjustments to DNS records.
By assigning access based on specific roles, you ensure that each person can do their job without compromising the security of your website or domain settings.
How to Grant Contributor Access in Squarespace
To provide access to your site, Squarespace allows you to invite contributors through your account settings. You’ll enter the email address of the person you’re granting access to and select a role that aligns with their responsibilities. Once they accept the invitation, they can log in with their own account and begin working on the areas they’ve been granted permission to edit.
Squarespace offers several predefined roles:
- Administrator: Full control over the website, including content, design, and settings.
- Content Editor: Permission to edit pages, blog posts, and images but no access to backend settings.
- Billing Manager: Can handle invoices and payments but cannot edit site content.
- Store Manager: Manages products, orders, and customer interactions within an online store.
Each role has specific limitations to ensure that contributors only have access to the tools they need. A business owner can change or revoke these permissions at any time, maintaining control over who can make changes to the site.
How to Grant Access to Squarespace Domains
If a developer or IT professional needs to make domain-related changes, you must grant them domain access separately. Unlike contributor permissions, domain access is managed through the Domains section of Squarespace.
To allow someone to update DNS settings, point a domain to another web hosting platform, set up email, or transfer a domain, go to the Domains tab in your Squarespace settings and invite them as a domain manager. This will give them the ability to configure domain-related settings without access to the website itself.
This process ensures that only qualified professionals can make adjustments to your domain while preventing unnecessary changes to your site’s design, content, or business operations.
Keeping Control While Delegating Access
Granting access is a necessary part of running a website, but it’s also important to regularly review who has permission to make changes. Whether you’re working with an external agency, an internal team, or freelancers, keeping track of who has access and adjusting permissions when necessary is a key part of maintaining security.
If you stop working with a designer, developer, or marketing agency, their access should be removed immediately to prevent accidental or unauthorized changes. Contributor roles should be periodically reviewed, ensuring that only active team members have control over your site.
Likewise, domain access should be granted only when necessary and revoked once the required updates have been completed. Since improper DNS settings can cause site downtime or email issues, keeping domain permissions restricted to trusted professionals is essential.
Why Properly Managing Access Matters
Your website is one of the most valuable assets of your business, and controlling access is about more than just security—it’s about efficiency and peace of mind. Squarespace’s contributor system allows you to delegate work while ensuring that no one has more control than they need.
By understanding the differences between website contributor access and domain access, you can provide the right permissions to the right people without unnecessary risks. Whether you’re working with designers, marketers, or developers, managing access properly ensures your site remains functional, secure, and optimized for success.
If you’re having trouble with Squarespace, let’s have a conversation. We can assist with Squarespace Domains or re-platforming your website to something other than Squarespace, like WordPress or Shopify.
