MODULE EIGHT: LESSON TWO

Written By Hannah Weathers

Connecting Your Domain & Key Backend Settings

Before you hit publish, there are a few important steps to take behind the scenes to make sure your website is fully connected, branded, and ready to show up properly when people visit. In this lesson, we’ll walk through connecting your domain and adjusting the key backend settings that shape your site’s presence online.

Step 1: Connecting Your Domain

If you purchased your domain directly through Squarespace, good news: it’s already connected for you!

But if you bought your domain through a third-party provider like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains, you’ll need to connect it to your Squarespace site.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. In your Squarespace dashboard, go to Settings > Domains.

  2. Click Use a domain I own.

  3. Enter your domain name and follow the step-by-step prompts.

  4. You’ll need to log in to your domain provider and update your DNS settings as instructed by Squarespace.

Tip: Once connected, domain updates can take up to 72 hours to fully propagate, but it usually happens much sooner.

Step 2: Update Your Site Title and Description

Your Site Title is what appears in the browser tab when someone visits your site, and the Site Description is used by search engines to understand what your site is about.

To update them:

  1. In your site preview, click Edit in the upper-left corner to open the editor.

  2. Move your cursor over the header and select Edit Site Header when the option appears.

  3. Click on your site title or logo, then choose the small pencil icon to adjust it.

  4. Type your new site title in the text box that opens. this is usually your author name.(You can use up to 120 characters.)

  5. When you're done, click Save to apply the update — or choose Exit, then Save, if you're finished editing.

Step 3: Upload Your Favicon (Browser Icon)

Your favicon is the tiny icon that appears in the browser tab next to your site title. Without one, a generic Squarespace icon will display instead.

To add yours:

  1. Go to settings > website > favicon.

  2. Upload a simple, square image. ideally 512 x 512 px. This could be your logo, your initials, or a small symbol that represents your brand.

Don’t have a favicon yet?

If you purchased a branding package from Billie Grace Studio, I’ve already designed this for you!

If not, but you’d like a professionally designed favicon to match your brand, reach out anytime to inquire about adding this service. A polished, cohesive look is just a message away.

Step 4: Set Your Social Sharing Logo

This is the image that shows up when someone shares your website on social media or in messaging apps. Without this, a random or blank image may show up instead.

To set it:

  1. Go to settings > website > Social Sharing Logo.

  2. Upload a clean, high-quality image that represents your brand like your logo, a professional author photo, or your latest book cover.

Step 5: Set Your 404 Page

Your 404 page is what visitors see if they try to visit a page on your site that doesn’t exist (like a broken or mistyped link). You can personalize this so it’s still on-brand and helpful. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE A CUTE, ON BRAND 404 PAGE THAT CLEARLY REDIRECTS TO OTHER PARTS OF YOUR SITE WILL KEEP READERS ON YOUR SITE INSTEAD OF MOVING AWAY.

To set your 404 page:

  1. Create a simple unlinked page with a message like:
    “Oops! That page doesn’t exist. Let’s get you back to the [Home Page].”

  2. Then go to pages > system pages> 404 Page and select the page you just created.

Step 6: Confirm Business Information (Optional but Recommended)

While you’re in Settings > Business Information, you can also fill out:

  • Business Name: Your author name or pen name

  • Email and Phone: Optional, but useful if you want to display contact info

  • Address: Optional unless you’re selling physical products (like signed books or merch)

Action Steps

✓ Connect your domain under Settings > Domains
✓ Update your Site Title and Site Description in Settings > Business Information
✓ Upload your favicon under Design > Browser Icon
✓ Set your Social Sharing Logo under Design > Social Sharing Logo
✓ Create and assign a 404 Page in Settings > 404 Page
✓ Review and update your Business Information (name, email, optional contact info)

What’s Next

Once your domain is connected and your site settings are updated, your site is almost ready to go live — but don’t skip the next step!

In Lesson Three, we’ll cover SEO basics, social links, and confirming your contact forms so your site is functional and discoverable.

Hannah Weathers
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MODULE EIGHT: LESSON THREE
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MODULE EIGHT: LESSON ONE