The migration process requires a structured, step-by-step approach to ensure that no critical data is lost, design remains intact, and SEO rankings are preserved. This guide will walk you through each phase, from auditing your current Squarespace site to launching a fully optimised Framer site migration.

Step 1: Audit & Inventory Your Squarespace Site

Before moving to Framer, you need a complete audit of your existing Squarespace website to ensure that no critical elements are lost in the migration. If you migrate to Framer without proper execution, it can disrupt your site structure, impacting SEO and performance.

List Every Page & Section

Start by documenting all your site’s pages, including the homepage, about, blog, contact pages, and landing pages. Make note of any hidden or archived pages that you may want to carry over.

Conduct a Content & Media Audit

Examine every piece of content, image, video, and downloadable file on your site. Identify assets that need to be updated, removed, or optimised before migration. If you use galleries or portfolios, make sure these can be replicated in Framer’s design system.

Document Functionality & Integrations

Take stock of:

• Forms & Appointment Bookings: Ensure contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, and scheduling tools are accounted for.

• E-commerce Features: If you have an online store, list all product pages, checkout functionalities, and payment gateways.

• Embedded Code Snippets: Identify any custom HTML, CSS, or JavaScript integrations that may need adjustments.

Preserve SEO Elements

Squarespace automatically generates meta titles, descriptions, and URLs, but these must be manually transferred to Framer. Changing URL structures without redirects could result in significant SEO losses. This is one of the most overlooked aspects when businesses switch to Framer, so it’s crucial to document every detail.

Formula Bot’s migration to Framer with Goodspeed is a great example of a successful SEO-led migration. We helped them achieve a 75% faster load time and a jump from 6th to 2nd in Google rankings.

For more tips on ensuring your content remains intact, read Best Practices for Content Migration: Ensuring No Data or Traffic Loss When Moving to Framer.

Step 2: Backup & Export Your Content

Before migrating from Squarespace to Framer, it’s crucial to back up all content to prevent data loss. Squarespace’s export tool only covers blog posts and basic content, so a manual backup ensures you retain everything.

Export Options

• Use Squarespace’s built-in export tool to generate an XML file (this primarily works for blogs and standard pages).

• Check downloaded files for text content, images, and videos to ensure nothing is missing.

Manually Backup Text & Media

• Copy and paste static page content (such as About, Services, and Contact pages) into a document.

• Download images, videos, and PDFs manually, ensuring they are properly labelled.

Create Visual References

• Take screenshots of key pages to replicate layouts in Framer.

• Document font styles, colour schemes, and spacing to maintain design consistency.

Read Optimising Your Framer Template for Speed and Performance for tips on maintaining load times during migration.

Step 3: Plan Your Migration

A successful Framer site migration isn't just about moving content—it’s an opportunity to refine your website's structure, branding, and functionality. Planning ahead ensures your new site performs better than before.

Content Mapping

• Match Squarespace pages to Framer counterparts, keeping navigation intuitive.

• Identify areas for layout improvements—Framer allows for dynamic and responsive sections that were previously restricted in Squarespace.

Design Strategy

• Decide whether to replicate the existing design or take this chance to refresh your brand identity.

• Review Framer’s interactive design capabilities to enhance user engagement.

Need help refining your design? Check out our Guide to Choosing the Right Framer Template for Your Startup.

Step 4: Set Up a Framer Workspace & Staging Environment

Before switching to Framer, create a staging environment where you can test and refine your site before going live. This ensures minimal disruptions to your existing Squarespace site.

Create a New Framer Project

• Choose between a blank canvas or a pre-built Framer template.

• Set up global styles (fonts, colours, button designs) to maintain consistency.

Establish a Staging Domain

• Host your work-in-progress site on a temporary URL.

• Use password protection to prevent search engines from indexing an incomplete site.

Map Site Structure

• Recreate navigation, menus, and page hierarchy based on your content audit.

• Ensure URLs follow SEO-friendly structures to match your previous Squarespace links.

Framer’s pre-rendered pages cut load times, making it an ideal choice for performance-driven websites.

Step 5: Rebuild Your Site Design in Framer

Now that your Framer site migration is underway, it’s time to reconstruct the design. Framer provides unparalleled flexibility, allowing you to refine layouts, optimise user experience, and add dynamic interactions that were previously limited on Squarespace.

Design Layout & Global Styles

• Import brand assets such as logos, fonts, and colour palettes to ensure brand consistency.

• Use Framer’s drag-and-drop editor to replicate or enhance your existing layout.

• Define global styles for typography, buttons, and spacing to maintain uniformity across the site.

Recreate Interactive Elements

• If your Squarespace site featured image galleries, sliders, or hover effects, Framer allows you to rebuild these elements with more advanced animations and micro-interactions.

• Enhance user engagement by integrating scroll-based animations, dynamic content sections, and hover-triggered effects.

94% of a website’s first impressions are design-related, making the rebuilding phase crucial for user retention and credibility.

Need help selecting the right framework? Read Exploring Advanced Features in Framer Templates.

Step 6: Migrate & Rebuild Content

A flawless Framer migration requires careful content transfer and formatting to ensure everything looks and functions correctly. Framer does not support direct Squarespace imports, so you will need to manually add your content.

Transfer Text & Media

• Copy and paste text content from your backups into Framer’s text blocks.

• Re-upload images, videos, and media assets, ensuring file names and alt text remain intact for SEO benefits.

• Adjust content spacing and layout to ensure optimal readability on both desktop and mobile screens.

Recreate Custom Blocks

• If your original site had testimonials, pricing tables, or dynamic sections, Framer provides built-in components to recreate and enhance these features.

• Embed third-party widgets where necessary to maintain the same level of functionality.

Since Squarespace’s export tool only transfers blog posts and limited content, migrating a website manually to Framer requires a high level of accuracy and a systematic approach. Without careful handling, missing assets, incorrect text formatting, and lost page structures could create a frustrating rebuilding process. Formula Bot switched to Framer with Goodspeed and saw firsthand how a structured content transfer process eliminates delays, confusion and performance issues. We were able to help them achieve 2nd rank on Google through meticulous content migration.

Step 7: Implement SEO Elements & URL Structure

One of the biggest risks during migrating from Squarespace to Framer is SEO loss, which can significantly impact search rankings. Properly setting up metadata, redirects, and structured data ensures your site maintains its search visibility.

Set Up Meta Data & Header Tags

• Manually input meta titles, descriptions, and header tags (H1, H2, H3) for each page.

• Maintain keyword consistency between your old and new pages to avoid search ranking drops.

URL Planning & Redirects

• Recreate your URL structure in Framer as closely as possible to match your Squarespace site.

• Set up 301 redirects for any URL changes to prevent traffic loss. Sites that fail to implement proper redirects can experience a 10–30% traffic drop in the first month after migration.

Structured Data & Schema Markup

• Insert structured data for key pages (articles, products, services) to help search engines understand your content better.

• Use JSON-LD schema markup for improved search engine indexing.

Learn more about How to Ensure SEO Best Practices When Using Framer Templates before you switch to Framer.

Step 8: Reintegrate Third-Party Tools & Functionalities

Rebuilding your website in Framer is only part of the Framer site migration process—you also need to reintegrate essential tools to maintain functionality. Whether it’s forms, analytics, e-commerce tools, or booking systems, ensuring everything works smoothly post-migration is crucial.

Rebuild Forms & Widgets

• Use Framer’s native form builder to recreate contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, and lead capture pages.

• If you were using Squarespace’s built-in booking tools, consider third-party alternatives like Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, or OpenTable.

Embed Integrations

• Reconnect Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Facebook Pixel to track user behaviour and marketing performance.

• If your old site had chatbots or CRM tools, ensure smooth integration with platforms like HubSpot, Intercom, or Salesloft.

For more details on advanced integrations, read Integrating Third-Party Tools with Your Framer Template.

Step 9: Testing & Optimisation

Before launching your new Framer migration, thorough testing and optimisation are essential to catch any issues that could affect performance, design consistency, or SEO rankings.

Cross-Device & Browser Testing

• Ensure your website is responsive across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

• Test in multiple browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge to identify compatibility issues.

Performance Audit

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Framer’s built-in performance tools to optimise site speed.

• Compress images, minify code, and leverage Framer’s pre-rendering to enhance loading times.

• 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load, making speed optimisation a priority.

Content & Functionality Review

• Click through every page to check for broken links, misaligned sections, or missing content.

• Ensure forms, buttons, and interactive elements function as expected.

Once the website is rebuilt, testing and optimisation are crucial before launching. This process involves multiple revisions, layout refinements, and performance testing to ensure that the new Framer site functions perfectly. A slow or unresponsive team can cause delays, affecting the launch timeline.

Step 10: Final Launch Preparation

After testing, the final step before you switch to Framer is preparing for the official launch. A structured launch plan ensures minimal downtime and a seamless transition.

DNS & Domain Setup

• Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to Framer’s hosting environment.

• Keep your Squarespace site live temporarily until the Framer version is fully functional.

Schedule the Launch

• Choose a low-traffic period to launch, reducing disruption for users.

• Communicate changes to your audience via email, social media, or a blog announcement.

Final Walkthrough

• Conduct a last-minute check for mobile responsiveness, SEO settings, and third-party integrations.

• Monitor Google Search Console and analytics tools for early signs of traffic or ranking shifts.

Step 11: Post-Launch Monitoring & Maintenance

Even after successfully migrating from Squarespace to Framer, your work isn’t done. Post-launch monitoring ensures your new website performs optimally, maintains SEO rankings, and continues to provide a seamless user experience.

Monitor Performance & SEO Metrics

• Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track traffic, bounce rates, and search visibility.

• If you notice ranking drops, check for redirect issues, metadata discrepancies, or crawl errors.

• 4–12 weeks is the average recovery time for domain authority post-migration, so ongoing monitoring is essential.

Immediate Issue Resolution

• Regularly test forms, links, interactive elements, and mobile responsiveness to catch any post-launch issues.

• Address loading speed concerns by compressing images and minimising unused code.

Ongoing Optimisation

• Update your website with fresh content, blog posts, and landing pages to stay relevant in search rankings.

• Use A/B testing to refine CTAs, layouts, and conversion funnels.

A migration doesn’t end at launch—ongoing monitoring, technical support, and SEO tracking are necessary to maintain performance. Without proper post-migration support, bugs may go unnoticed, SEO rankings can drop, and new website features might not function as intended.

A stealth AI company that worked with Goodspeed needed structured project management to ensure a smooth experience. Their CEO highlighted how Goodspeed’s attention to post-launch details made a significant difference: "Their project management played a huge role in the successful delivery of our MVP."

This highlights why long-term post-migration support and structured monitoring are just as important as the migration itself.

Need long-term support? Read How Our Agency Supports Clients Post-Migration: Ongoing Services and Training.