How to Password Protect Pages in Squarespace
A note on pricing: all prices mentioned in this post are accurate as of the date this article was written, but can change at any time. This includes Squarespace plans, third-party tools, plugins, templates, and any other services referenced. Always check directly with the provider for the most current pricing before committing.
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How Do You Password Protect a Page in Squarespace?
QUICK ANSWER: You can password protect any page in Squarespace through the page settings panel. Open the Pages panel, hover over the page title, click to open page settings, scroll to the Password field, enter a password, and click Save. The password is case-sensitive and must be 30 characters or fewer. Every visitor uses the same password; it's not possible to give different people different passwords.
KEY FACTS:
Page passwords in Squarespace are set in: Pages panel > page settings > Password field
Passwords are case-sensitive, max 30 characters; don't use your Squarespace account password
Everyone uses the same password; per-person passwords aren't possible
Visitor sessions expire after 4 hours; visitors must re-enter the password at that point
Password-protecting a Squarespace collection page (blog, store, portfolio, calendar) locks all its items too
You can customize the lock screen design in the lock screen panel
For individual per-person logins, use Squarespace Member Sites instead
If you want to keep a page on your Squarespace site out of the public eye, password protection is an easy, quick way to do it. Whether it's a client-only resource, a page you're still building, or content reserved for a specific group; here's how it works:
How to Set a Page Password in Squarespace
Setting a page password takes about 30 seconds total once you're in your dashboard:
Open the Pages panel on the left.
Hover over the page title and click to open page settings.
Scroll down to the Password field and enter your password.
Click Save. A lock icon will appear next to the page title in the Pages panel.
And a few things to know BEFORE you set a password:
Passwords are case-sensitive and must be 30 characters or fewer
Don't use your Squarespace account password as a page password
When visitors type the password, they see dots instead of text. It may look longer than what you typed, which is normal
Contributors with viewer permissions still need the password to access a protected page
Pro Tip: Open the page in a private or incognito browser window after saving. You'll see the default gray lock screen and can confirm everything works before you share the link with anyone. I do this every single time; it takes two seconds and saves you from the "wait, is this actually locked?" question.
How to Change or Remove a Squarespace Page Password
Open the Pages panel and hover over the page title.
Click to open page settings.
Scroll to the Password field and click X to clear it.
Enter a new password if you're changing it, or leave the field blank to remove it.
Click Save.
How to Password Protect Your Entire Squarespace Site
If you want to put your WHOLE site behind a password, that's a separate setting from individual page passwords. This is super common when you're still building and don't want anyone stumbling onto a half-finished site.
On a Computer
Open the Site Availability panel.
Select Password Protected from the drop-down menu.
Enter the password visitors will use.
Click Save.
In the Squarespace App
Tap More, then tap Settings.
Tap Site Availability.
Tap Password Protected and enter a password.
Tap Save.
To remove the site-wide password, go back to Site Availability and select Public or Private.
Important: If you're selling on your site, disable the site-wide password before customers try to check out. Checkout won't work while a site-wide password is active.
Customizing the Lock Screen
The default lock screen is a plain gray page. Not exactly on-brand. You can customize the design in the lock screen panel to match your site's look and feel; this applies to both page-level and site-wide passwords.
And if you don't want locked pages showing up in your navigation, move them to the Not Linked section so they stay out of your menus.
What Password Protection Does to Your SEO
This is worth knowing before you lock down an existing page:
New pages: If you set a password before a page is ever public, search engines won't index it at all. No issues here.
Existing pages: If a page was already public, adding a password stops further indexing but doesn't immediately remove content that's already in search results. That content will drop out over time.
Collection pages: Password-protecting a collection page prevents its individual items (posts, products, projects) from being indexed too.
Note: If you uploaded files to a page before adding a password, those files may still be indexed. Remove and re-upload them after setting the password to fully protect them.
What Happens with Collection Pages (Blog, Store, Portfolio, Calendar)?
When you password-protect a collection page, every item in that collection is protected too. So visitors can't click through to individual posts, products, or projects without entering the password.
You CAN still display items from a protected collection on other pages using summary blocks and archive blocks; but clicking through to the full item still requires the password.
A couple limitations: you can't apply different passwords to different items within one collection, and you can't password-protect individual collection items. It's all or nothing for the collection.
When to Use Member Sites Instead of a Password
Page passwords work well for a single shared code: client preview pages, private resources, a site under construction. I've set these up on probably 50+ client sites over the years for exactly those kinds of situations.
But if you need something more flexible; like individual logins per visitor, paid or gated content, or different access levels for different people; Member Sites is the right tool. You can set up free or paid memberships and control which pages each member can access.
Troubleshooting Page Password Issues
Visitors still prompted after you removed the password? Check whether your homepage has a site-wide password enabled. That one catches people off guard more than you'd think.
Password auto-filling incorrectly? Password managers or extensions like LastPass can interfere with the Password field. Disable the extension before editing.
Pasted password not working? Pasting from another app can carry invisible formatting characters. Type the password manually instead.
Want to start building? Try Squarespace free and test password protection before you go live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Password Protect indivdual Pages on Squarespace?
Yep! You can add a password to any individual page without locking your whole site. Other pages stay publicly accessible. Go to the Pages panel, hover over the page title, click into page settings, scroll down to the Password field, and type in your password. Click Save and you'll see a lock icon appear next to the page title. And if you want to keep the page from showing up in your navigation while it's locked, move it to the Not Linked section so visitors don't stumble onto a lock screen from your menu.
Can Different Visitors Have Different Passwords on Squarespace?
Unfortunately, no. Everyone who accesses a password-protected page uses the same password. There's not a way to create unique logins for different people with this feature. So if you share the password with one person, they could technically share it with anyone else. If you do need individual logins per visitor, or want to control who sees what with different access levels, Squarespace Member Sites is what you want; it supports per-person accounts with free or paid memberships.
Does Password Protecting a Page Affect SEO?
It depends on timing. If you set a password before a page is ever public, search engines won't index it at all; they never knew it existed. But if the page was already live and indexed, adding a password stops Google from crawling it further, though content that's already in search results doesn't disappear immediately. It'll drop out over time as Google recrawls and finds it locked. One other thing worth knowing: if you uploaded files (like PDFs or images) to the page before you set the password, those files might still be indexed separately. If that's a concern, remove and re-upload them after the password is in place.
How Long Does a Squarespace Password Session Last?
Sessions expire after four hours. After that, the page prompts visitors to re-enter the password. There's no way to log out manually or extend the session; it's just a four-hour window every time. So if you're sharing a password-protected page with a client for review, give them a heads up that they might need to enter it again if they step away and come back later.
How Do You Put a Password on Pages?
Open the Pages panel in your Squarespace dashboard, hover over the page you want to protect, and click to open its settings. Scroll down to the Password field, type in your password, and click Save. That's it. You'll see a lock icon show up next to the page title in your Pages panel so you know it's active. To test it, open the page in a private browser window and make sure you see the lock screen. And if you ever want to remove it, go back to the same settings, click the X next to the password, and save.
How to Password Protect Your Squarespace Site?
If you want to lock down your ENTIRE site, that's a different setting: Go to Settings, then Site Availability, and select Password Protected from the dropdown. Enter a password and click Save. Now every page on your site is behind a lock screen until visitors enter that password. This is the most common approach when you're still building and don't want anyone seeing an unfinished site. Just keep in mind: while your site is password protected, search engines can't crawl it, and customers can't check out if you have a shop. When you're ready to go live, go back to Site Availability and switch it to Public.
How to Make a Page Private on Squarespace?
You've got a couple of options depending on what "private" means for your situation. If you want specific people to access it with a shared password, add a page password through the page settings (Pages panel → hover over the page → settings → Password field). If you want NO ONE to see it except you and your site contributors, you can either move it to the Not Linked section and add a password, or set your entire site to Private under Settings → Site Availability. Private is different from Password Protected; Private means only the site owner and contributors can access it, period. No password sharing, no visitor access at all. For most people, a page password is the right move; full Private mode is more for when you're completely taking a site offline.
