15 Squarespace plugins to upgrade your website
Squarespace make beautiful websites. And you can do a lot with their sites, but sometimes you need something extra in the design or function. That’s where Squarespace plugins come in.
What are Squarespace plugins?
Squarespace plugins are code, usually CSS and/or JavaScript that you add to your website. You generally don’t need to know how to code to use them. You just copy and paste the code (the plugins will tell you where it goes). If you do know some CSS though, you can customize some of these great plugins even further.
You will need to have a Squarespace Business Plan or higher in order to add code to your site.
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This plugin from SQSP Themes makes it really easy to add your related posts at the end of each blog. You simply install it once. Then it automatically sorts your posts by category and/or tags and adds the related posts at the bottom of all your blog pages. It also makes sure not to include the current blog page to those related posts.
You can see an example of this plugin in use at the bottom of this blog page.
2 - Lightbox Anything*
When this plugin says it can create a lightbox or popup of anything, it means anything. You can use it to create pop up links to your newsletter forms, price charts, video block and more. You can lightbox basically any page or block on Squarespace. You can even lightbox a page from another website.
It also comes with 3 really useful extra features: Gate, Upsell and Promo. Gate lets you add an age verification pop up to your website. Upsell opens a lightbox after your client clicks “Add to Cart”. Promo lets you add a promotional pop up to your site.
3 - Squarespace Sidebar Plugin*
Looking for a sidebar for your blog? With Squarespace 7.1 there were no longer any templates with blog sidebars. So, some bloggers kept their 7.0 sites or moved to WordPress.
The Squarespace Sidebar Plugin lets you add a sidebar to any page on your website – with any template.
The Accordion-Tabs plugin is really helpful when you have a lot of information that needs to go on a page, but you still want your web page to look clean and uncluttered. You have the option of using tabs, accordions or even tabs to accordions.
Squarespace does have its own accordion block, but you can only add text to it. So, it’s perfect for a FAQ section, but doesn’t work if you need it to display other kinds of blocks.
Accordion-Tabs allows you to show any kind of information in the dropdown or tab. You can display images, video or even another accordion.
5 - Vertical Timeline
The Vertical Timeline Plugin provides an interesting way to show your company history, process or anything else that has a stages or steps. This one allows you to add dates, images and links to the timeline. It even has optional slide-in animation.
6 - Before / After Image Slider
Do you do renovations, interior design or home staging? This plugin is perfect for you.
The Before / After Image Slider is an cool, interactive way to show a comparison between 2 images.
7 - Image Zoom & Follow
How many of us like to zoom in and see the details of a product when we’re buying something online (raises hand)? The Image Zoom & Follow Plugin allows us to do just that. It not only works with product images, but with regular image blocks, gallery blocks and gallery sections. It also lets you customize your cursor (size and colour) to use in the zoom and follow.
8 - Automatic Table of Contents
It’s always important to think about your website’s user experience. With so many of us writing long form blog posts these days, a table of contents can really help with that, making our blogs easier to navigate and read.
The Automatic Table of Contents Plugin makes it easy by automatically making a table of contents from your headings. You can add it to specific blogs or pages, so it only goes where you need and want it.
9 - Automatic Dark Mode
Some people find reading in dark mode to be easier on the eyes. Dark mode also helps to reduce harmful blue light. And, it can also look really cool!
The Automatic Dark Mode Plugin lets your visitors switch to dark mode with the click of a button. There are 2 button styles, 4 button placement options and an animated transition.
10 - Expand 2.0
The subtitle for the Expand 2.0 Plugin is, “Magically Show and Hide Multiple Squarespace Sections on One Page”, and I have to say, it does really seem like magic!
With Expand 2.0 you can hide sections on your page until you open them with a link. You can have your hidden section slide out, fade in or pop up.
11 - Social Icons Everywhere
Auto layout sections are the great for displaying your team’s pictures and bios, but they’d be even better if they could show icons for your team’s socials and email. The Social Icons Everywhere Plugin lets you add custom icons to all list blocks (or auto layouts), summary blocks or image blocks.
12 - Lazy Load Summaries
This plugin lets you add overrule Squarespace’s 30 item limit for summary blocks, so you can go from 30 to an unlimited number of items. It also has great features that you don’t get on the Squarespace summary blocks, like alternative images on hover and setting different widths on tablets and phones.
13 - Gallery Title + Link Rollover
The Gallery title + link rollover from Beatriz Caraballo is a really useful plugin for photographers, artists or designers. It shows off your images but lets you add an overlay with a description and link on hover. Fonts and colours are all editable so you can have it match your branding.
14 - Mega Menu
This Mega Menu plugin creates a beautiful menu on desktop, complete with images. It’s easy to use and comes with updates (which really helps when Squarespace makes a change).
15 - Logo Loading Screen
This plugin makes a nice introduction to your website, and makes sure your visitors aren’t bored while your site loads.
Bonus Plugin – Confetti Pop! Form
This plugin from Ghost Plugins was just so fun I couldn’t resist adding in an extra one. Add a celebration to your form submissions with a little confetti! You can even customize the confetti colours. Have fun!
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