Spotting which Squarespace template a website runs takes about ten seconds with the right method, and a couple of minutes if you want to confirm it by hand. The catch is that Squarespace has two template systems, 7.0 and 7.1, and they behave very differently when you try to identify them. This guide covers the fast way, the manual way, and what to do when a site is on 7.1 and refuses to give up a clean template name.
Whether you're researching a competitor, trying to buy the same look for your own site, or just curious, the steps below work on any public Squarespace site. You don't need access to the site's account, only its public pages.
First, Know Which Squarespace Version You're Dealing With
Squarespace has shipped two generations of templates, and the difference decides whether template detection is even possible. Version 7.0 launched dozens of named templates grouped into families (Brine, Brine's siblings like Wells and Hayden, plus Bedford, Pacific, York, and others). Each 7.0 template has a distinct codebase, so the name is baked into the site and findable.
Version 7.1, the current default for new sites, threw out the named-template model. Every 7.1 site is built on a single flexible system where layout, fonts, and colours are set per-page rather than chosen from a fixed template. That means a 7.1 site doesn't really "have" a template name in the old sense, it has a starting style pack that the owner then customised. Knowing which version you're looking at saves you from hunting for a name that doesn't exist.
The Fast Way: Use a Squarespace Template Detector
The quickest route is to paste the site's URL into a detector built for the job. Our Squarespace template detector reads the page and returns the template name (for 7.0 sites) or confirms the site is on 7.1, without you having to touch the source code. It handles the version check for you, so you don't have to guess which generation the site is on first.
This is the method to reach for when you just want the answer. Type or paste the address, run the check, and read the result. If the site is on 7.0, you get the template name you can then look up in the Squarespace template gallery. If it's on 7.1, the detector tells you so, which is your signal to switch to matching the style rather than the template.
The Manual Way: Read the Page Source
If you want to confirm the detector's answer or you enjoy looking under the hood, the page source holds the clues. Open the site, right-click anywhere, and choose "View Page Source" (or press Ctrl+U on Windows, Cmd+Option+U on a Mac). Then search the source with Ctrl+F or Cmd+F.
Search for the word squarespace first to confirm the platform. You'll see references to static1.squarespace.com in the asset URLs and a Squarespace.afterBodyLoad script near the bottom. That confirms you're on Squarespace before you go looking for the template.
Next, search for templateId or template-id. On 7.0 sites, the source includes a template identifier and often the template name in the body class or the config block. The body tag frequently carries a class like template-brine or a similar name, which maps directly to the template family. That body class is the single most reliable manual signal on a 7.0 site.
How to Read a Squarespace Template ID
The templateId value in the source is a long alphanumeric string, not a human-readable name, so on its own it won't tell you "this is Brine." What it does is uniquely fingerprint the template version the site was built from. If you're comparing two sites to see whether they share a template, matching template IDs is proof they do. To turn an ID into a name, cross-reference it against a template-ID lookup, or just rely on the body class name, which is far easier to read.
On 7.1 sites the template ID points to the single shared 7.1 base, so every 7.1 site returns a value from the same small set. That's the technical reason a 7.1 site can't be matched to a unique named template: the ID is shared by design.
Why Squarespace 7.1 Makes Detection Harder
Squarespace 7.1 introduced the Fluid Engine, a drag-and-drop layout system that lets owners arrange sections freely on any page. Because the layout is no longer tied to a fixed template, two 7.1 sites that started from completely different style packs can be edited until they look identical, or one style pack can be customised into something unrecognisable. There's no fixed template name to recover because the design is assembled rather than inherited.
So when a detector reports "Squarespace 7.1" instead of a template name, that's the correct and complete answer, not a failure. The practical move at that point is to stop hunting for a name and start matching the visible design: fonts, section layouts, colour palette, and button styles. All of those are reproducible on any 7.1 site through the style editor.
When to Detect vs Just Browse the Gallery
Detection is the right tool when you've found a specific live site whose look you want to copy or research. It tells you exactly what that site is built on so you can replicate it precisely (on 7.0) or approximate it (on 7.1).
If you don't have a particular site in mind and just want a good starting point, skip detection and browse the template gallery directly. Squarespace groups templates by use case (portfolios, online stores, restaurants, blogs), and starting from a close-fit template is faster than reverse-engineering someone else's. Our roundup of the best Squarespace templates is a shortcut to the strongest options, and the broader how to use Squarespace guide walks through picking and customising one.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
The detector says "not Squarespace." Double-check the URL and make sure you're testing the live public site, not a staging link or a parked domain. Some sites sit behind Cloudflare or a reverse proxy that masks platform signals; in that case, the page-source method (searching for static1.squarespace.com) is more reliable.
You found a template ID but no name. That site is almost certainly on 7.1, where IDs are shared and names don't apply. Switch to matching the design rather than the template.
The body class shows a template name you can't find in the gallery. Older 7.0 templates get retired from the public gallery over time even though live sites keep running them. The name is still valid, the template just isn't sold to new users anymore. Search the template name plus "Squarespace 7.0" to find documentation or a similar current template.
Conclusion: How to Check What Squarespace Template a Website Uses
Identifying a Squarespace template comes down to one question: which version is the site running? On the older generation, the template name sits right in the page source, and a detector pulls it out in seconds. On the current generation, there's no unique name to find, so you match the design instead.
A detector handles the version check and the name in a single step, while the manual source-code method confirms it whenever you want a second opinion.
If you are switching from Wix and found a Squarespace design you like, our Wix to Squarespace migration guide walks through every step of the move, including how to preserve your SEO rankings.
For the same approach applied to other platforms like WordPress and Shopify, see our pillar guide on how to find what theme a website is using.
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