Launched in 2014, Squarespace model 7.0 categorizes its 91 templates(opens in a brand new tab) into sure template “households,” that are teams of equally coded templates alike of their fundamental construction and performance. Every one has its particular guidelines and magnificence choices(opens in a brand new tab), so you could have to swap templates (and danger dropping content material) to entry sure performance. For instance, infinite scroll(opens in a brand new tab) is unique to the Farro(opens in a brand new tab) and Skye(opens in a brand new tab) template households, whereas solely Wells(opens in a brand new tab) and 5(opens in a brand new tab) enable sidebars(opens in a brand new tab) on all of their pages, not simply blogs.
Squarespace scrapped these hard-and-fast classifications with the discharge of model 7.1 in early 2020. All of its 140-plus templates(opens in a brand new tab) now belong to the identical household with the identical underlying construction and design choices, which makes it simpler to alter website kinds in seconds.
Whereas neither model of Squarespace is conclusively “higher” than the opposite, model 7.1 is extra preferrred for people who find themselves new to the platform because it aggressively streamlines the design course of, particularly for the reason that July 2022 rollout of Fluid Engine(opens in a brand new tab). That is Squarespace’s next-gen content material editor for 7.1 websites, which makes use of a grid system and extra block placement choices for improved structure flexibility(opens in a brand new tab) (significantly on cell(opens in a brand new tab)).
Customers who’ve constructed a Squarespace website earlier than should have good purpose to stay with model 7.0 since its templates have some superior model choices that have not been added to the brand new ones but. (See: parallax scrolling, one particularly common function of the beloved Brine template household that is lacking from model 7.1; folks had been fairly salty about that one.)
One caveat: Switching between variations 7.0 and seven.1 requires a full rebuild and might mess together with your website’s search rating, so select properly. On the intense facet, Squarespace gives a free 14-day trial so you may noodle round with each earlier than you commit.