Squarespace How To Create A Collection
Pages and Collections in Squarespace: The Beginner's guide
Oh hey fellow go-getter! So you're looking to set up camp on Squarespace and maybe you have a question or two about where to begin? Thankfully the different page layout options you have in Squarespace make getting started super simple for a newbie!
Maybe you have a website already or you're starting from scratch, either way, I want you to feel empowered to create a website that looks and feels just like you so you're no longer just talking the talk but you're strutting down that catwalk too!
A guide to pages + collections in Squarespace 7.1
In this post I'm going to talk you through the different pages and collections in Squarespace so that you can get the basics down and start building your dream online home! Use this post as your starting guidepost to building out all your pages from scratch and we'll go through the purpose for each page type.
So let's get started!
Main navigation vs not linked
When you first login to the backend of Squarespace, head to 'Pages' and you'll notice there are two sections labelled 'main navigation' and 'not linked'.
Pages in the 'main navigation' appear on the navigation bar on your website. Popular pages to put on the main navigation are the blog collection, online store collection, about page, work with me page and contact page. If you want to change the order of the pages on the navigation, you can click and drag the pages to move them around.
The pages in the 'not linked' section do not appear on your website's front end. I have a lot of pages down here and chances are you will too! Popular pages to put in your not linked section include the Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, surveys and the home page.
Our main priority when designing your website is to keep your main navigation as clean and simple as possible. Too many options in your navigation bar can overwhelm your visitors and we want them to be able to make decisions on your website as easily as possible.
Squarespace blank pages
When you click on the plus sign, you'll have a choice between adding a 'blank page' or a 'page layout'. A 'blank page' is an empty page that gives you the freedom to design your page how you want. A 'page layout' gives you different design options where you can swap your content in.
I build all my pages using the blank page as it's the best option for designing a website around your content. You have the option of adding different sections to your page to make your website look more dynamic and within those sections you can add your content.
To add a new section, click on the blue '+' sign and a pop up will appear giving you different layout options for your section. You can either choose a 'blank' section or a pre-designed layout. You can add multiple sections to one page.
To add a blank page: Pages > '+' > Blank Page
To add a section to your blank page > click on the blue '+' sign and insert your section.
Squarespace Page Layout
If however you're a little stuck on how to lay things out or unsure of what content goes on each page, you can use the different 'page layouts' to give you inspiration on how to start creating your desired page. If you decide later it's not for you, it's easy to add blocks or move blocks around whilst designing, so you don't have to feel stuck with a specific layout.
In case you missed it...
To add a Page layout: Pages > '+' > Page Layouts
Squarespace Collections
You can think of Collections in Squarespace as special pages for your website. If you're thinking of engaging with your website visitors using a blog, or adding an online shop to your business, then you'll want to use a Collection page to make this happen.
The Collection pages you can add are Blog, Store, Portfolio and Events. You can change the names to whatever suits you in your business.
There are pros and cons of using Collections on your website. The good news is that it makes it pretty simple to get a Blog or an Online store up and running. The bad news is that unfortunately the Collection sections aren't as customizable and you might feel limited in the layout options.
I'll be covering in a later blog post on how you can use summary blocks to customize your Blog Collection and Online Store Collection. But just to give you a sneak peek...I've used the summary block on client's websites to completely customize an online shop layout. By using a 'Blank page' as your main page for your online shop, you can design a unique layout and use the summary block to display your shop items.
For now, I'll take you through each of the Collections which you can still customize by adding sections above and below the Collection.
Blog Page Collection
Add a Blog Collection if you're looking to create a blog page for your website and publish blog posts.
You'll have to pick a layout as there's no option to start with a blank layout.
Click on Page > + > Blog > choose a layout
You can add a blog post by clicking on the + sign and then edit the blog contents within the blog post.
Store Page Collection
If you're selling products through your website a Store Collection can help you showcase your offerings whether they're digital, physical or online services. You can easily collect online payments every time an item is purchased and automatically send your customers receipts for their purchases.
You need a Store Collection before you can start displaying your products. To do this click on:
Click on Page > + > Store > Choose your layout.
You'll have to pick a layout as there's no option to start with a blank layout.
To add an item, click on the + sign and start adding your products.
You can edit the Store Collection design by clicking on the little pencil icon and selecting different options.
You can also add blank sections above and below the Store Collection by clicking on the blue + sign.
Portfolio Page Collection
If you're a photographer, you can use the Portfolio Collection to display different types of projects you have done with your clients. You can actually create the same layouts using a blank page, but if you're in a rush, choose one of the layout options to get yourself started.
Click on Page > + > Portfolio > Choose your layout
On your Portfolio Collection page you have a summary of all of your projects. Then when you client into a project, you can add more text and photos about the project.
To edit a portfolio piece, click on the three dots (...) next to the Project.
To edit a project, select the project and then click on the edit button on the top left hand corner.
Events Page Collection
If you have a lot of events coming up on your calendar that you'd love visitors to know about, you can use the Events Collection.
Click on Page > + > Events > Choose your layout.
Your events populate down the left hand side. Click on the 'edit' button to edit the events individually.
To edit the design of the Events Collection, click on the Edit button on the top left of the page and hit the pencil icon to edit the design styles.
As with the other Collections you can add blank sections above and below the collection to add extra content to the page.
Folders and links
When you add a new page or collection, under 'More' there are options to add folders and links. These aren't actual pages.
Folders allow you to create a dropdown menu on your navigation like the one below. After adding a Folder, you can drag multiple pages underneath to show up on the dropdown menu.
When you add a link, you can use this option if you are linking to an external website. For example if you have an Etsy shop you want people to take a look at, you can link it here.
When a visitor clicks on this link on the navigation bar, they'll be redirected to the external website.
So there we go!
I hope this blog post cleared up all the different Pages and Collections in Squarespace 7.1 and how to use them. If you have any questions, leave a comment below!
Still, have a zillion site building q's?
Squarespace How To Create A Collection
Source: https://www.creationsbyfaria.com/blog/squarespace-pages-collections
Posted by: sainanderser.blogspot.com
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