Fix Broken Links: Squarespace Redirect Setup Guide (301 & 302)
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What Are Website Redirects?
Here's the thing: a redirect is basically a forwarding address for your website pages.
When you change a page URL, delete a page, or restructure your site, redirects tell browsers and search engines where to send visitors instead. Without them, people (and Google) hit a dead end.
Think of it like moving your business to a new location. You'd put a sign on your old storefront saying "We've moved to 123 Main Street," right? That's what a redirect does for your website.
Want the official technical details? Check out Squarespace's URL mappings guide for their documentation.
Why Redirects Actually Matter for Your Business
Let's be honest: broken links are costing you money.
Here's what happens when you don't set up redirects:
You lose customers. Someone clicks a link to your services page from Google, and they get a 404 error instead. They're not going to hunt around your site to find what they need. They're gone.
Your SEO takes a hit. Google doesn't like broken links. When pages disappear without redirects, you lose the ranking power those pages built up over time. All that work you did to get your website showing up in search results? Gone.
You look unprofessional. Error pages make your business look careless. Not the impression you want to give potential customers.
Your rankings drop. When Google finds broken links on your site, it assumes your website isn't well-maintained. That affects how high you show up in search results.
The good news? Redirects fix all of this. And in Squarespace, they're actually pretty straightforward to set up.
301 vs 302 Redirects: What's the Difference?
There are two main types of redirects, and knowing which one to use matters.
301 Redirect: "This Page Has Permanently Moved"
A 301 redirect tells Google and browsers that a page has moved permanently and isn't coming back.
Use a 301 redirect when:
You're deleting a page for good
You're changing a URL structure permanently
You're combining two similar pages into one
You're moving content to a new location
This is the redirect you'll use 90% of the time. It transfers the SEO value from the old page to the new one, so you don't lose your search rankings.
302 Redirect: "This Page Has Temporarily Moved"
A 302 redirect says the page is temporarily somewhere else but will be back.
Use a 302 redirect when:
You're running a short-term promotion on a different page
You're A/B testing different page layouts
A page is temporarily unavailable
Here's the catch: 302 redirects don't pass SEO value to the new page. Google keeps the old page indexed because it thinks the page is coming back.
Bottom line: If you're not sure which one to use, go with a 301. Unless you're genuinely planning to bring that exact page back, permanent is the right choice.
When You Need to Set Up Redirects
You need redirects anytime you change or remove a page URL. Here are the most common situations:
Changing a page URL. Maybe you renamed your services or restructured your site. Redirect the old URL to the new one so existing links still work.
Deleting a page. If you're removing a page entirely, redirect it to the most relevant page on your site. Don't just let it 404.
Fixing duplicate content. If you have two pages about the same thing, combine them into one strong page and redirect the other.
Moving from another platform to Squarespace. If you're switching to Squarespace from WordPress or another platform, you'll need to map your old URLs to your new ones.
Updating your site structure. Reorganizing your navigation? Make sure old links still work by setting up redirects.
How to Set Up Redirects in Squarespace
Squarespace makes redirects easier than most platforms. Here's how to do it.
Important: Squarespace only applies redirect rules when no actual page exists at that URL. You need to delete or disable the old page first, then set up the redirect. If you have a real page at the old URL, the redirect won't work.
You can disable a page in your page settings if you want to keep it for reference. Or delete it entirely if you're sure you don't need it.
Step 1: Open Your URL Mappings Panel
Log into your Squarespace site
Go to Settings > Developer Tools > URL Mappings
This is where all your redirects live.
Step 2: Add Your Redirect
In the URL Mappings panel, you'll add redirects using this format:
<original url> -> <new url> <redirect type>
For a 301 redirect (permanent):
/old-services-page -> /services 301
For a 302 redirect (temporary):
/old-services-page -> /services 302
You need to specify either 301 or 302 at the end. Don't leave it blank—tell Squarespace which type of redirect you want.
Step 3: Get the Format Right
Here's what trips people up: the formatting has to be exact.
DO include:
The forward slash at the start of each URL
The arrow (->) between the old and new URLs
Either 301 or 302 at the end (you must specify which type)
Each redirect on its own line
DON'T include:
Your full domain name (just /page-name, not https://yoursite.com/page-name)
Any extra spaces around the arrow
Quotation marks
Special characters like ?, &, or # (these interfere with redirects and prevent you from redirecting to things like anchor links or category pages)
Example of correct formatting:
/about-us -> /about 301
/old-blog-post -> /blog/new-blog-post 301
/services-page -> /what-we-do 302
Redirecting Multiple Pages with Patterns
Here's something useful: Squarespace lets you redirect groups of similar URLs using bracket patterns.
Use [name] for text-based URL slugs:
/journal/[name] -> /blog/[name] 301
This redirects all your journal posts to your blog. So /journal/my-first-post automatically goes to /blog/my-first-post.
Use [id] for numeric portions:
/old-products/[id] -> /shop/product/[id] 301
This is helpful when you're restructuring but keeping the same content—you don't have to write a redirect for every single page.
When to use patterns:
Moving a blog or collection to a new URL structure
Renaming a section of your site
Migrating content from another platform with consistent URL patterns
When NOT to use patterns:
If your URLs are changing completely (different names, different structure)
When you're consolidating content and need specific redirects
Special note for store pages: In Squarespace version 7.1, store page URLs include /p/ before the product slug. So if you're redirecting products, your pattern looks like this:
/old-store/p/[name] -> /new-store/p/[name] 301
Step 4: Save and Test
After you've added your redirects, click Save at the top of the URL Mappings panel.
Then test them. Type the old URL into your browser and make sure it takes you to the right place.
A few things to know:
The URL mappings field has a 400KB limit, which is usually around 2,500 redirects. If you're getting close to this, delete old redirects you don't need anymore.
Squarespace reads redirects from top to bottom. If you have specific redirects (like individual blog posts), put them above broader redirects that might conflict with them.
If someone clicks a redirect link more than once within two minutes, Squarespace sends them to a 404 page. This is a security feature to prevent redirect loops. If your redirect works except when clicked multiple times quickly, it's set up correctly.
Redirecting to External Sites
You can also redirect Squarespace pages to external websites. The format is the same, but you include the full URL:
/old-page -> https://externalwebsite.com 301
When you might do this:
You're moving your blog to a different platform
You're sending people to a booking page on another site
You've moved part of your business to a new domain
Common Redirect Mistakes to Avoid
Redirect chains. Don't redirect page A to page B to page C. Each extra hop slows things down and confuses search engines. Redirect directly from A to C.
Redirecting to your homepage. Unless the page truly has no relevant replacement, don't just send everything to your homepage. It's a bad user experience and doesn't help your SEO.
Trying to redirect your homepage. You can't redirect away from / (your homepage) in Squarespace. It's reserved.
Not testing your redirects. Always test. Type the old URL in and make sure you land where you're supposed to.
How to Find Broken Links on Your Site
Before you set up redirects, you need to know what's broken. Here's how to find out:
Use Google Search Console. Go to Coverage > Errors and look for 404 errors. Google will show you which pages are broken.
Check your site manually. Click through your navigation and test links. It's tedious, but it works.
Use a broken link checker. Tools like Dead Link Checker or Screaming Frog will crawl your site and find broken links for you.
Once you know what's broken, you can fix it with redirects.
FAQs About Website Redirects
How many redirects can I add in Squarespace?
Technically, a lot. But keep your list organized. If you have hundreds of redirects, something's probably wrong with your site structure.
Do redirects slow down my website?
One or two hops won't hurt, but redirect chains (A to B to C) definitely slow things down. Keep it simple.
Can I remove a redirect after I set it up?
Yes. Just delete the line from your URL Mappings panel and save. But think carefully before you do—if that old link is still out there somewhere, you'll break it.
What if I redirect the wrong page?
Just go back to URL Mappings, fix the redirect, and save. Changes take effect immediately.
Do I need redirects if I'm just changing page titles?
If the URL stays the same, no. But if the URL changes when you update the title, then yes, you need a redirect.
Do I have to specify 301 or 302?
Yes. Squarespace requires you to include either 301 or 302 at the end of each redirect. If you don't specify, the redirect won't work properly.
How many redirects can I add in Squarespace?
The URL mappings field has a 400KB limit, which usually works out to around 2,500 redirects. If you're getting close to this limit, clean up old redirects you don't need anymore.
The Bottom Line on Redirects
Redirects aren't exciting, but they're important. They keep your visitors from hitting dead ends, protect your search rankings, and make your site look professional.
If you're changing URLs, deleting pages, or restructuring your site, set up redirects. It takes five minutes in Squarespace and saves you from losing customers and SEO value.
For complete technical details and troubleshooting, check out Squarespace's official URL mappings documentation.
Not sure if your site needs redirects or want help cleaning up broken links? That's exactly what we help small businesses with. Send us a message and we'll figure it out together.
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About Chasing Honey Consulting
We help small business owners build websites that actually work—without the tech overwhelm or corporate jargon. Based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, we specialize in Squarespace websites, marketing strategy, and making digital marketing accessible to real businesses.
