Squarespace isn’t doing enough for developers (your editor can’t do it all)
TL;DR: Squarespace’s visual editor is great for simple sites—but as soon as you need performance tuning, custom content types, or serious workflows, you hit hard limits: no Developer Mode on 7.1, strict code-injection constraints, and a reliance on community workarounds. If Squarespace wants to keep power-users and agencies, it needs to double-down on its developer ecosystem.
The signal from Squarespace’s own community
If you spend five minutes on Squarespace’s forum, one trend jumps off the page: “Customize with code” dwarfs everything else. At the time of writing there are thousands of pages of threads in that category—over 2,100+ pages—all focused on HTML/CSS/JS tweaks because the editor alone isn’t enough for many real-world needs. (Squarespace Forum)
That activity is a flashing indicator of unmet developer needs. People are constantly bending templates, injecting CSS/JS, and swapping snippets to overcome platform limits. A healthy WYSIWYG is great—but the conversation volume around code shows how often users need to go beyond it.
From my video: performance & control still matter
In my video, “What features should Squarespace add,” I call out better speed scores by default and more options for developers to improve performance. Visual builders can unintentionally add weight; we need ways to measure and optimize—without fighting the platform. (YouTube)
What currently blocks developers
1) No Developer Mode on 7.1
Squarespace 7.1 removed Developer Mode, which previously let us build truly custom templates and collections. Community leaders have confirmed 7.1 doesn’t—and won’t—support Developer Mode. That forces many advanced builds to stay on 7.0 or accept compromises. (Squarespace Forum)
2) Code-injection limits and special-case pages
Even when you inject code, there are sharp edges. Custom CSS caps at ~128,000 characters, and certain areas (like checkout pages) don’t support injected code at all. These constraints make larger design systems and robust site-wide enhancements tough. (Squarespace Forum)
3) Editor-first UX, workflow-second reality
Forum threads routinely ask for basic programmatic controls—from post counts and counters to pagination and collection queries—because the editor doesn’t expose them. Devs end up stitching JS hacks, which are fragile and hard to maintain. (Squarespace Forum)
“But Squarespace has a Developer Platform…” (and it should go further)
Squarespace does provide a Developer Platform with docs, Git workflows, and APIs, and their own FAQ describes it as the path for advanced customization. That’s a good foundation—but it’s uneven between 7.0 and 7.1, and many modern developer expectations (staging, richer APIs, extension points) are still limited. (Squarespace)
If Squarespace wants to keep agencies and power-users, it should deliver first-class tools that match how we actually build:
Bring back full-fidelity developer capabilities on 7.1+
Ship a modern successor to 7.0’s Developer Mode for current versions—custom templates, collections, and deeper theme control. (Squarespace Forum)Richer, consistent APIs
A comprehensive content API (GraphQL/REST) for entries, taxonomies, media, and search; stronger webhooks; and service accounts for CI/CD. (Squarespace)Real environments
Staging/preview environments, versioned deployments, and a CLI with logs make professional workflows sane (and safer) at scale. (Squarespace)Performance tooling
Expose per-page performance budgets, lazy-load controls, image hints, and a simple “ship-nothing” mode for pages that need to be extremely lean—so builders aren’t punished for using the platform. (This directly addresses the video’s speed concerns.) (YouTube)Extensible Editor
Allow devs to build custom blocks/components with configuration UIs, not just code injection. This reduces forum-snippet dependency and makes custom features upgradable. (Squarespace Forum)Fewer injection gotchas
Relax limits where safe, and document edge cases more clearly (e.g., pages that don’t accept injection) so agencies can plan avoidable rework. (Squarespace Help)
Why this matters for Squarespace’s business
Power users and agencies bring larger, longer-lived sites—and they influence many smaller accounts. When those builders feel boxed in, they migrate to platforms with stronger dev stories. The forum’s huge “Customize with code” footprint shows sustained demand for deeper tools today, not someday. (Squarespace Forum)
A constructive path forward
Squarespace already has the ingredients: an elegant editor, a passionate community, and a developer platform. Now’s the time to close the gap with a modern, 7.1-native developer experience:
A unified dev mode for 7.1+
Stable, well-documented APIs that cover everyday needs
Staging + CI/CD that respects professional workflows
Performance-first options so sites score well out of the box
Official extension points for custom blocks and UI
Do this, and the “Customize with code” forum will shift from troubleshooting to innovation—which is exactly where a thriving platform wants its builder community to be. (Squarespace Forum)