Web hosting providers store and serve website content like text, images, and videos. Think of it as renting space on servers where your website lives. Domain hosting, on the other hand, provides the web address (like www.example.com) that visitors use to find your site.

When you build a Squarespace site, they act as your web host by storing your site content on their servers. This is similar to how a physical store rents space in a shopping mall.

Domain hosts manage website addresses (domain names). If you register a domain through providers like GoDaddy or Hover, they become your domain host and handle domain management. Squarespace automatically provides an embedded domain (yoursitename.squarespace.com) for new sites, but you can also:

• Register a new custom domain through Squarespace
• Transfer an existing domain to Squarespace
• Connect a domain from another provider

You can link multiple domains to your Squarespace site. When visitors use any of these domains, they'll see your web content hosted by Squarespace, regardless of where the domain is hosted. All domains redirect to a single primary domain, similar to email forwarding.

Squarespace paid plans include web hosting, with domain registration available for an additional fee. Annual plans include one free custom domain for the first year.

Understanding the distinction:

• Web hosting: Where your website content lives
• Domain hosting: Provides the address visitors use to find your site
• They work together: Domain name points visitors to your hosted content

Both services are essential but serve different purposes in making your website accessible to visitors.

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