Squarespace Speed Optimisation: How to Improve Your PageSpeed Score

Squarespace sites frequently score below 60 on PageSpeed Insights. Here is what is causing it and the specific settings you can change to improve.

Why Squarespace scores low on PageSpeed Insights

Squarespace is a hosted platform, which means you cannot modify the server, the build process, or how assets are bundled. Squarespace controls all of that. The result is that Squarespace sites carry a performance overhead that you cannot eliminate entirely.

The platform has improved significantly in recent years — Squarespace 7.1 with Fluid Engine is faster than 7.0 — but it still tends to generate large JavaScript bundles and load assets that are not always needed.

The good news: there is still a meaningful performance gap between a well-built Squarespace site and a poorly built one, and the fixes are within your control.

What you can fix on Squarespace

1. Compress and resize images before uploading

Squarespace's image CDN will serve images at the correct display size, but only if you upload reasonably sized originals. Uploading a 6MB RAW export will result in large file transfers even after CDN processing.

Compress images before upload. Target under 200kb for hero images, under 100kb for smaller images.

Use WebP format where possible. Squarespace's CDN will serve WebP to browsers that support it.

Use Squoosh (free, browser-based) to compress and convert images without quality loss.

2. Avoid video backgrounds in hero sections

Squarespace's video background feature is heavily used in popular templates, but it forces a large video download on every page visit. On mobile, this is the primary cause of poor scores.

Replace video backgrounds with a high-quality static image. Use a cinematic still frame from your video at the correct aspect ratio, compressed to under 150kb.

3. Reduce the number of sections per page

Squarespace pages with 10+ sections load more assets than pages with 3–4 sections. Each gallery block, portfolio section, and summary block adds its own JavaScript.

Remove sections that are not directly serving a conversion goal.

Paginate content rather than loading everything on one scroll.

4. Use the built-in lazy loading for images

Squarespace 7.1 enables lazy loading for images by default. If you are on 7.0, images load eagerly. This is one of the stronger reasons to upgrade to 7.1 if you have not already.

5. Limit third-party code injections

Squarespace allows code injection in Settings → Advanced → Code Injection. Every tracking pixel, chat widget, and analytics script you inject adds to your page weight and can delay rendering.

Audit what is in your header and footer injection.

Remove anything you are not actively using.

Load non-critical scripts at the end of rather than in .

6. Choose a minimal template

Not all Squarespace templates perform equally. Templates with full-page scrolling, parallax animations, and built-in video sections are slower than minimal editorial templates. If your site is new, start with a minimal template.

What you cannot fix on Squarespace

Squarespace loads a substantial JavaScript bundle on every page for its editor, interactions, and commerce functionality. You cannot remove this. A well-optimised Squarespace site in 2026 typically scores 55–75 on PageSpeed Insights for mobile. If you need consistently above 80, you will need a different platform.

Checking your score

Run a free check with Loadzen on your homepage and your most important landing page. You will see your PageSpeed score, Core Web Vitals, and a prioritised list of what to fix first.