Private sites are only visible to site owners and collaborators by default. You can control visibility through Site Availability settings in the Home Menu.

Trial Sites:

• Automatically set to private
• Not indexed by search engines
• Only accessible via direct link
• Can add password protection for select visitors

Paid Sites:

• Can be made fully public after upgrading
• Check status: Home Menu > Settings > Site Availability
• Must be set to "Public" to be visible to all visitors

Online Store Activation:

• Requires connected payment processor
• Without payment setup, checkout shows "closed" banner
• Store becomes fully functional after payment integration

Publishing Changes: Immediate updates:

• Image galleries
• Audio tracks
• Navigation menu changes

Requires saving to publish:

• Design page edits
• Blog posts, events, products
• Page descriptions
• Style/design settings
• Content block modifications

Privacy Management:

• Use password protection temporarily
• Remove indexed content via Google Search Console
• Set visibility preferences before launch

Changes take effect when visitors refresh the page. To maintain privacy after upgrading, either keep the site private or use password protection until ready for public launch.

For search engine removal:

1. Use Google Search Console for indexed content
2. Hide pages to prevent future indexing
3. Note that Squarespace cannot assist with search engine removal

Keep monitoring your site's visibility settings to ensure it aligns with your launch strategy and privacy needs.

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