How to Add Users to Squarespace
To add users to Squarespace, click Settings in the left panel, then Permissions and Ownership. From there you can Invite Contributor, which gives someone editing access, or Add Basic Author, which lets them write and publish blog posts only.
Inviting someone
Log in and open the site you want to share, then scroll down the left panel and click Settings.
Find Permissions and Ownership. This is where all access is managed.
You'll see two options. Invite Contributor sends an invitation with a permission level you choose. Add Basic Author is a lighter option for someone who only needs to write posts.
Enter their email and pick the permission level. They get an invitation and set up their own login, which is exactly what you want, because they get their own account rather than sharing yours.
What each permission level can do
The levels matter, and giving everyone full access by default is the common mistake.
Administrator can do nearly everything, including billing and settings. Reserve it for you and anyone you'd trust with your bank details.
Website Editor can edit content and design but not touch billing. This is the right level for a designer or an agency.
Content Editor can edit existing content but not change the site's structure or design. Good for a marketing person or a virtual assistant.
Basic Author can write and publish blog posts and nothing else. Right for a freelance writer.
There are also commerce-specific roles for stores, letting someone manage orders and inventory without access to the site design.
Give the least access that lets someone do their job. It's not about trust, it's about limiting how much can go wrong by accident.
Don't just share your login
The shortcut everyone takes, and it causes real problems.
Sharing your password means you can't tell who changed what, you can't remove one person's access without changing the password for everyone, and two people editing under the same account can overwrite each other's work.
It also breaks two-factor authentication, since the code goes to your phone and your contractor is left messaging you for it.
Invitations take thirty seconds and solve all of that. When someone stops working with you, remove their access from the same panel and nothing else changes.
Transferring ownership
Different from adding a contributor, and worth knowing if you're handing a site over.
Ownership is a single role held by one account, and it controls billing. To transfer it, the new owner needs to be an Administrator first, then you can transfer ownership to them from the same Permissions panel.
This comes up when a designer built your site on their own account, and it's the correct fix. If someone else owns your site, ask for ownership to be transferred rather than accepting contributor access on your own business's website.
For the record, every site I build is transferred to the client's own account at handoff, along with video training on running it.
Reviewing who still has access
Worth doing once a year. Open Permissions and Ownership and look at the list.
Old contractors, former staff and agencies you no longer work with often still have full editing access to a business's website years later, purely because nobody ever removed them.
Removing someone takes one click and doesn't affect anything they made while they were there.
Frequently asked questions
How many users can I add to a Squarespace site?
Squarespace doesn't limit contributors on standard plans, so you can add as many as you need with different permission levels.
What's the difference between a contributor and an owner?
Contributors have permissions you assign and can be removed at any time. The owner is a single account that controls billing, and ownership has to be transferred deliberately.
Should I give my designer admin access?
Website Editor is usually the right level, since it allows full design and content work without access to billing. Administrator is only needed for account-level changes.
How do I remove someone from my Squarespace site?
Open Settings, then Permissions and Ownership, find the person and remove them. Their previous work stays in place.
Handing a site over, or taking one back from a previous designer? Book a free call and I will tell you what needs to happen.
I'm Dylan, the designer behind Highr Labs and a Squarespace Circle Platinum Partner. I build custom Squarespace sites for businesses in Utah and across the US. More about me, or book a free call if you want to talk through a project.
