How to Move Your Squarespace Site to Astro

Squarespace lets you take some of your site with you. It makes one file with your basic pages and one blog. A free tool can turn that file into posts for Astro. The rest you rebuild. Here’s how, from start to finish.

What the export holds

We read Squarespace’s export guide on November 8, 2026. Here’s what it says the file holds, and what it leaves out:

Comes in the file	Stays behind
Basic pages	Store, portfolio, album and calendar pages
One blog, with posts and comments	Any other blogs
Text blocks and image blocks	Video, audio and product blocks
Text from embed blocks	Headers, footers and sidebars on a page
	Drafts, your design and custom CSS

The file is in a WordPress format. It’s called a WXR file. You don’t need WordPress to use it.

Step 1: List every page

Open your site the way a visitor sees it. Click every page and every blog post. Write down each address from the address bar, like yoursite.com/about.

This list does two jobs. It shows you what the export missed. And you’ll use it in Step 5 to keep old links working.

Step 2: Export the file

Squarespace’s guide gives these steps:

1. Make sure your site is published and set to Public.
2. Open the Import & export content panel.
3. Click Export, then click the WordPress icon.
4. If you have more than one blog, pick the one to export, then click Export.
5. Wait. Then click Download.

You get a file that ends in .xml. Rename it export.xml and put it in an empty folder.

Step 3: Turn the file into Markdown

Astro blogs use Markdown files. Markdown is plain text with a few marks for bold and headings. A free tool called wordpress-export-to-markdown turns your file into Markdown. The Astro docs suggest it.

Open a terminal in the folder with export.xml, and run:

npx wordpress-export-to-markdown

It asks a few questions. The defaults are fine. When it asks which images to save, pick all. Its README says it downloads the images and fixes the links to them.

Step 4: Build the new site

Now make the Astro site. You have two ways.

Build it yourself. Make a blog with our guide on how to add a blog to Astro. Copy your new Markdown files into the blog folder. Check that each file has the fields your blog expects, like a title and a date. Then rebuild the pages the export missed. Copy their words from your live site.

Or build it with AI. Give Claude Code your Markdown files, your images and your list of pages. Ask it to build an Astro site with all of them. Our Claude course shows you how.

Step 5: Keep your old links working

Some addresses will change. A redirect sends people from an old address to the new one. Add a list to astro.config.mjs. Old address on the left, new one on the right:

import { defineConfig } from 'astro/config';

export default defineConfig({
  redirects: {
    '/about-us': '/about',
    '/blog/old-post-name': '/blog/new-post-name',
  },
});

We tested a redirect list like this on Astro 7.4. When you build, Astro makes a small page at each old address. That page sends the visitor on right away.

Step 6: Put the site online

Put your Astro site on a host first. Leave your domain alone for now. Our two picks are Spacefast and Cloudflare, and both have free plans. See the best hosting for Astro.

Open the free address your host gives you. Click every page on your list. Try a few old addresses too.

Step 7: Move your domain

Your domain, like yoursite.com, is separate from your site.

• Bought it somewhere else? Log in there and point it at your new host. Our domain guide shows how.
• Bought it from Squarespace? You can point it at your new site from Squarespace. Or move it to another seller. Squarespace’s help center has a guide called “Transferring a Squarespace domain to another provider.”

Step 8: Save your pictures, then cancel

Squarespace warns that picture links in the export can stop working after you cancel. So before you cancel, check that every picture is on your new site. Keep your plan for a few weeks to be safe.

Where to go next

• Astro vs Squarespace, if you’re still deciding.
• How to move a WordPress site to Astro. The Markdown step works the same way.
• How to change your domain without losing rankings.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export my Squarespace site?

Part of it. Squarespace exports basic pages, one blog and text and image blocks to a WordPress-style file. Store pages, portfolio pages, extra blogs, video blocks and your design don't come with it.

Do I need WordPress to use the export file?

No. Squarespace says the file is in a WordPress format, but you don't need WordPress. A free tool can turn it into Markdown files for Astro.

Will my pictures come with me?

Not inside the file. Squarespace warns the picture links can stop working after you cancel. Download your pictures before you cancel your plan.

Can I export from a free trial site?

No. Squarespace says you can't export from a trial site.