Squarespace just dropped its biggest update of the year – here’s what you need to know

Squarespace announces its annual Refresh update event
There are over 60 new tools, features, and updates across the platform
AI takes center stage with impressive new website design and management features

Squarespace has dropped its biggest update of the year, with a host of new tools and features for everyone from solopreneurs to website building professionals.

Unlike many of the other best website builder platforms, Squarespace tends to introduce a major new feature drop once a year, making my life exciting all at once.

In this year’s Refresh event, I’ve counted a total of 63 new tools and features, including several essential improvements, features that bring Squarespace in line with leading competitors such as Wix, and some innovative new tools that set it apart from the crowd.

Here are the most exciting updates from the announcement:

Blueprint AI

Blueprint AI, Squarespace’s AI website builder, has received an impressive update that will make website building even easier.

In my opinion, the most exciting is the ability to build a site directly in ChatGPT. This could be good news for businesses that want to run multiple projects or systems through one central AI-powered interface.

If ChatGPT isn’t your thing, Blueprint AI’s own interface is also getting an upgrade. You will now be able to build a site through simple conversational flows. This is a welcome change to what felt like a slightly outdated interface that Blueprint has historically offered.

Oh, and you can now add AI generated images and video to your website designs.

screenshot of squarespace finish layer options — (Image credit: Squarespace)

Squarespace has doubled down on its commitment to website building professionals with a set of new, dedicated features. These include the ability to animate and transform blocks, create different layouts for mobile, and import external font styles.

Squarespace Circle members can also save and reuse section layouts across multiple projects, helping web creatives drastically speed up the design process.

Beacon AI

Squarespace describes Beacon AI as “your new business partner across the Squarespace platform”.

Think of it as a little helper you can ask to do website tasks for you.

Need product descriptions written? Beacon AI can do that. Want to generate a discount code? Ask Beacon AI. Building a FAQ page? Outsource it to your AI helper.

Where Blueprint AI deals with design, Beacon AI deals with everything else.

With AI-driven traffic becoming increasingly important to websites, Beacon AI can give you insights into how and where your site shows up, helping you boost visibility. It offers similar insights for search engines, scanning your page titles, descriptions, and alt text, allowing you to optimize them in one click.

Finally, Beacon AI can work behind the scenes to scan your site, helping catch issues before they impact visitors or your search engine rankings.

Other noteworthy updates

Squarespace has also updated its tools for selling services. You can now sell and promote retreats, group trips, and camps with improved product listings and built in forms, helping you gather crucial information quickly and easily.

There are more financial solutions available, too. US users will be able to access Squarespace Balance, an all-in-one financial account for same-day earnings, rewards, and business spending cards. US and UK users will also be able to access business growth funding through Squarespace Capital. The platform has also added new ways to get paid and manage your money.