MODULE ONE: LESSON THREE
Finding Your Photos & Graphics
Images and graphics are a key part of your website’s look and feel. When you purchased your template, you saw beautiful photos and design elements used throughout the demo site.
However, due to copyright restrictions, some images are not included when you are set up with your template. But don’t worry, I’ve made it easy for you to find and download every image and graphic used in your template.
How to Get Your Template’s Images
When you access the Resources Vault, you’ll find a folder named exactly for the template you purchased. Use the password provided in your welcome PDF to open it.
Inside, you’ll see direct links to all the images and graphics used in your template — most are available on free stock image sites.
Important Notes About Image Licenses
Even though many images are free to download, you are still licensing them yourself by downloading and using them.
This means you are agreeing to the terms of use on each site.
Because of this, I cannot legally provide paid images directly, but I guide you exactly where to get them in the resources vault.
Paid vs. Free Photos in Your Template
When you’re customizing your template, you may notice two different types of images:
Free Photos:
If the photo looks completely normal, it’s a free image and can stay as-is in your template.
Paid Photos:
If a photo has a banner over that says it requires a license, it means the image is a paid stock photo (most often from Adobe Stock). You won’t be able to remove that banner without purchasing a license and reuploading.
If you love the photo, you can head to the resources vault to find the link to purchase a license
If you’d rather not pay, you can replace it with a free stock image.
Tip: Don’t worry if you see these banners in your template. it doesn’t mean anything is broken. It just lets you know that some images are placeholders and need to be swapped out or licensed before you launch.
*Adobe stock typically has a free trial period, so you can always start a trial and download the photo before being charged.
What’s Next?
Download and save the images linked in your template’s Resources Vault.
Keep your files organized so you can easily upload them to your website later.
Don’t worry if you haven’t accessed your Squarespace site yet — you can start gathering and organizing your images now!
Photos: Make It Yours!
While your template comes with instructions on how to access the images shown in the demo, photos are the one thing we highly recommend you customize. Unique, relevant images will make your website feel more personal, authentic, and aligned with your brand.
Here are my favorite places to find high-quality stock images:
DupePhotos.com (free)
Pexels.com (free)
Unsplash.com (free)
Pixabay.com (free)
Adobe Stock (paid, but usually has options for a free trial)
How to Find the Perfect Photos
Start broad. Begin with a simple keyword like “couple” to see a wide range of options.
Add details. Narrow your search by adding colors from your palette or specific vibes, like “couple blue” or “couple in forest.”
Match your genre. Tailor your search to your book’s mood or subgenre. for example, a dark mafia romance might call for “tattooed man with woman.”
just keep scrolling. Each time you tweak your keywords, scroll through what comes up — you’ll often find hidden gems this way.
Pro tip: If you’re looking for images with a little more heat, try adding “sensual” to your search terms. I find this word gives good results for spicy pics too spicy. unless you’re into that and in that case, get it!
action steps
Open your Resources Vault and enter your template’s password.
Navigate to the folder with your template’s name.
Click each link to download your template’s images and graphics.
Save all images in a folder on your computer for easy access.
consider choosing your own photos not included with the tempalte to make your website truly unique.
