How to Use Squarespace Member Sites to Sell Memberships & Exclusive Content
Creating an online community around your brand, course, or content is easier than ever—especially on Squarespace. Member Sites give you the tools to create a password-protected hub for your audience, where you can share exclusive content, courses, downloads, and more.
Whether you’re running a paid membership, sharing premium client resources, or building a private learning portal, Squarespace’s Member Site feature makes it all possible. You don’t need extra tools or software—everything lives right inside your Squarespace dashboard.
This guide walks you through what Member Sites are, how they work, and how to set up a member site from scratch. We’ll also share best practices and tips to make your community easy to use, professional, and built to grow.
What Are Squarespace Member Sites?
Squarespace Member Sites let you create gated areas of your website that only members can access. Think of a member site as a private section of your site that can be unlocked through free sign-ups, paid subscriptions, or invite-only access.
With a member site you can:
Offer exclusive content like videos, blog posts, downloads, or tutorials
Charge a subscription fee for access (or keep it free for your community)
Organize members into groups with different permissions and access levels
Build a membership-based business model entirely within Squarespace
This makes Member Sites perfect for coaches, course creators, artists, fitness instructors, content creators, and small business owners who want to offer something extra to their biggest fans or most engaged customers.
Some real-world examples:
A yoga instructor offering members-only live class replays and pose tutorials.
A copywriter sharing swipe files, templates, and monthly workshops with paying subscribers.
A nonprofit creating a private resource hub for volunteers and donors.
A photographer offering premium editing tutorials and behind-the-scenes content.
A quilt shop offering exclusive quilt patterns and tutorials. We recently helped a client migrate from MemberSpace to Squarespace and improve their member experience. Check out Material Girl Quilts to see how we transformed their member area.
No matter the niche, a well-structured member site gives you a professional way to share your most valuable content while keeping everything on-brand.
How Member Sites Work
Here’s the basic flow for creating a member site on Squarespace:
You create a Member Site (this acts as a private section of your site).
You add content pages to that area.
You set up membership plans (free or paid).
Visitors sign up and pay (if applicable) to gain access to the member pages.
Once someone subscribes, they’ll receive a member account to log in and view your exclusive content. Squarespace handles account creation, logins, and payment processing, which reduces friction for membership programs—like we did for our quilt shop client.
Setting Up Your First Member Site
Let’s walk through the steps from start to finish.
Step 1: Enable Member Sites on Your Squarespace Plan
Member Sites are available on all Squarespace plans, but you’ll need to activate the feature:
Go to Pages > scroll to the Not Linked section > click the + icon > select Member Site
Select a page template for your Member Site home page (you can change this later)
After selecting the template, a new section titled Member Sites will appear in your Pages navigation between Main Navigation and Not Linked
Pro tip: You can experiment with a free trial before committing to paid access.
Step 2: Create Your Member Site
Next, create the container for your exclusive content:
In the dashboard, go to the Member Sites section and click the settings gear icon to edit the name of your member site (this will appear to members at sign-up).
Click on the name of the member site you just created to enter the member site area. Here, you can add pages just like in Main Navigation or Not Linked, but these pages will only be accessible to members.
Choose which existing pages to include or create new pages.
Each Member Site can hold multiple pages—like lesson modules, download libraries, or video galleries. For a course-based member site, structure the area with a Welcome page followed by Module 1, Module 2, etc.
Pro tip: Keep your naming structure clear and intuitive. If members can’t easily find what they need, engagement drops quickly.
Step 3: Add Content to Your Member Site
Now, add the content members will access:
Upload videos or PDFs for tutorials and resources
Publish text-based guides or member-only blog posts
Add image galleries or embed media (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
Organize content into sections or modules using folders or index layouts
Pro tip: Use a clean, consistent layout so content is easy to navigate. Consider a modular structure for courses—short, chunked lessons keep members engaged. Also think about a content drip strategy: release a new lesson weekly to give people a reason to return.
Step 4: Set Up Membership Plans
Decide how people will access your member site:
In your Member Site, click Add a Pricing Plan under Selling Tools
Click Create Pricing Plan
Add your membership details and choose free or paid access
Set the price, billing frequency (monthly/yearly), and any trial period
Choose which Member Site the plan unlocks (if you have multiple sites)
Optionally, set an enrollment date for memberships that are only open for limited periods—this can create a sense of exclusivity
You can create multiple plans at different price points: a Free Plan for a teaser library and a Premium Plan that unlocks full courses, downloads, and live events. Squarespace integrates with Stripe for secure payment processing.
Step 5: Customize the Member Experience
Make the experience welcoming and on-brand:
Write a clear welcome message or onboarding guide for new members
Add member login blocks in your header or footer so members can log in from anywhere
Customize email notifications (welcome emails, payment confirmations, renewal reminders) to match your tone
These touches make the experience intentional, not an afterthought.
Step 6: Launch and Promote Your Member Site
Once everything is set up:
Test the sign-up process from a member’s perspective
Add clear call-to-action buttons on your homepage and navigation
Promote on social media, via your email list, and in blog posts
Offer a limited-time discount or free trial to encourage signups
Tell the story behind your member site: why you created it, who it’s for, and what members can expect. Storytelling helps convert curious visitors into engaged members.
How to Know if a Squarespace Member Site Is Right for You
A Squarespace Member Site may be a smart move if:
You have educational content or structured courses to share
You want to create recurring income from your expertise
You have a loyal audience ready for deeper engagement
You want to offer premium content without managing multiple platforms
If you already have a Squarespace site, adding a member site is one of the simplest ways to expand your offerings without migrating or juggling multiple tools.
Final Thoughts
Squarespace Member Sites let you turn your website into a powerful hub for exclusive content, courses, or community—without extra plugins or complicated tools. A well-planned member site can deepen relationships, create recurring revenue, and give your audience a reason to keep coming back.
If you’ve been dreaming about creating an online community or building a membership business, this is your sign to get started. Start small, keep it simple, and iterate based on member feedback—you’ll be surprised how quickly your community can grow.
FAQ
What if I don’t have a large audience?
Start with a focused offer and promote to your existing contacts—early members can become evangelists.
Can I migrate members from another platform?
It may be possible to export and import member details, depending on the platforms involved. We helped a client move from MemberSpace to Squarespace. Payment info cannot be transferred, so each member needed to re-sign up manually. We offered a free month to ease the transition.
Do member sites support gated downloads or files?
Yes—upload PDFs, templates, and other assets for members to access.
Can I host video directly on Squarespace?
Squarespace supports video hosting, but to keep your site load times fast, we recommend embedding videos hosted on a video-streaming platform like YouTube or Vimeo).