Squarespace Affiliate Program: How It Works, Payment Details & More

Creating a functional and professional-looking website has never been easier.

With platforms like Squarespace, users can rely on templates, built-in eCommerce features, and third-party extensions to launch an appealing website in no time.

As an affiliate marketer, promoting a site-building platform like Squarespace can be a lucrative activity due to the high demand for this type of product.

Here’s what you need to know about the Squarespace affiliate program and whether it’s worth joining.

Does Squarespace Have an Affiliate Program?

When doing research for our Squarespace review, we found that Squarespace has two affiliate marketing programs.

The first program is a classic affiliate marketing program where you earn a flat fee for each new customer who purchases a Squarespace subscription.

The second program, or Circle program, uses a similar structure, but you need to meet a few requirements to qualify.

What Is the Squarespace Affiliate Program?

The Squarespace affiliate program provides its members with an opportunity to earn $100 to $200 per new subscription that users purchase after following a referral link.

Squarespace works with the affiliate marketing platform Impact to manage both programs. You’ll have to sign up and manage your affiliate account through Impact.

How Does the Squarespace Affiliate Program Work?

Once you become a Squarespace affiliate, you’ll receive a unique referral link that you can share with your audience.

If a user clicks on your link and purchases a Squarespace membership within the next 45 days, Squarespace will give you a commission.

As a Squarespace Circle member, you can join the Circle affiliate program to earn commissions when you help enroll a new customer into a Squarespace membership, along with other perks.

Is the Squarespace Affiliate Program Free?

Yes, you can join the program for free. If you want to join the Circle program, you’ll need to have three active Squarespace websites associated with your account, but joining the Circle affiliate program is free.

What Products Can You Promote for the Squarespace Affiliate Program?

As a Squarespace affiliate, you can promote different plans with a monthly or yearly subscription. Note that pricing can vary since Squarespace often offers discounts and promotions on its plans.

Personal Plan

A Personal Plan gives you access to a library of templates, a domain name, some SEO features, a drag-and-drop website editor, and more.

For $16 a month with the annual plan, it’s a budget-friendly option that you can recommend to freelancers and small business owners.

Business Plan

With a monthly price tag of $23 if paid annually, Squarespace’s Business Plan is an affordable way to extend your business’ digital footprint.

This plan comes with more features, including analytics tools and everything you need to launch an eCommerce store.

It’s ideal for existing businesses looking to start selling their products online and new businesses in the process of growing their audience.

Commerce Basic Plan

A Commerce Basic Plan costs $27 a month with the annual billing option. The features are similar to the Business Plan, but Squarespace waves the 3% transaction fee on eCommerce sales.

This plan also supports integration with selling on Facebook and Instagram as well as additional features that support inventory management and more.

Commerce Advanced Plan

A Commerce Advanced subscription costs $49 a month with the annual billing option. This plan includes some advanced eCommerce features, such as the ability to sell subscriptions, offer discounts, or re-engage customers with an abandoned shopping cart.

Other Things You Can Promote With This Program

As a Squarespace Circle member, you can unlock more opportunities to earn commissions on add-ons like member areas or email campaigns.

What Products Are Excluded From the Squarespace Affiliate Program?

The Squarespace affiliate program excludes add-ons that users can purchase once they have an active subscription.

Depending on their needs, users might purchase a domain name, deploy paid third-party extensions, or opt for a premium template. You won’t earn anything on these add-ons.

You should also know that Squarespace pays out a commission if a referral meets a few requirements. A qualifying subscription is a plan that the user keeps beyond the initial free trial.

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial to new users. If a user cancels their plan before the end of this free trial, you won’t earn a commission and the purchase will not even show up in your affiliate account.

How Much Do Squarespace Affiliates Make?

You can earn $100 or $200 per subscription, depending on the plan the user picks. The Squarespace affiliate program has a high potential in terms of earnings. Commissions of $100 to $200 can add up quickly if you’re able to generate a steady stream of referrals.

For instance, an affiliate marketer with a YouTube channel that counts 2,000 subscribers can generate 20 subscriptions a month with a conversion rate of 1%.

If 20% of these users cancel before the end of the free trial, this YouTuber can earn $1,600 a month with 16 qualifying subscriptions that pay out the base rate of $100.

Squarespace Affiliate Program Commission Rates

Squarespace doesn’t use a payout structure based on percentages. Instead, affiliate partners earn a flat rate per referral.

Note that you’ll earn a one-time commission on subscriptions. If a user renews their subscription at the end of the year, you won’t earn anything.

• Personal and Business Plans: The commission for qualifying personal and business plans is $100. With personal plans costing $192 a year, it roughly translates to a 50% commission rate.
• Commerce Plans: You can earn $200 per qualifying referral by promoting Commerce Basic and Commerce Advanced plans. With a Commerce Basic plan costing around $320 a year, your commission roughly corresponds to 62%.

How Long Does the Squarespace Cookie Last?

When a user clicks on your Squarespace referral link, their device will store a cookie with your referral information for 45 days.

As long as this person purchases a Squarespace plan within 45 days of clicking your link and keeps it beyond the free trial, you’ll earn a commission.

Note that you will lose your commission if a user clicks on another affiliate’s referral link before making a purchase.

How Do You Get Paid from Squarespace?

Impact handles payments for the Squarespace affiliate program. This platform will track your referrals and deposit funds in your account.

When you create an account with Impact, you can add your banking information to set up direct deposit. You can also enter your PayPal email address to receive payments on PayPal, but keep in mind that PayPal will charge a fee.

When Does Squarespace Pay Affiliates?

Compared to other affiliate marketing programs, Squarespace takes a long time to pay its affiliates.

You’ll have to wait 15 days for a referral to become valid beyond the free trial. After that, a qualifying referral will become eligible for payout 2 months and 20 days from the initial purchase date.

At the end of each month, Impact will add up the referrals that meet these requirements. You can expect to receive a payment on the 22nd of the following month.

You also need to meet a payout threshold and have a minimum of four valid referrals to receive a payment. The minimum payment is $400, but it can take almost three months to receive the money.

What Marketing Materials and Promotional Tools Are Available?

Squarespace stands out when it comes to offering marketing materials to its affiliates. Once you become an affiliate member, you’ll have access to some articles and videos designed to help you learn more about the different products available.

You’ll also get access to helpful resources about the best practices to follow when sharing your Squarespace referral link.

Plus, you can download graphic assets and other resources designed to help you create engaging content about Squarespace. Squarespace publishes new resources regularly.

You can also access unique discounts and promo codes to share with your audience. These promotional tools are usually time-sensitive, but sharing an exclusive coupon code is a great way to generate some interest in Squarespace.

Who Should Join the Squarespace Affiliate Program?

Before going any further, you should know that the Squarespace affiliate program has some strict geographic requirements.

The program isn’t available in Washington DC and Puerto Rico. There are also 19 states excluded from the program. If you live in Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming, you won’t qualify as a standard or Circle partner.

If you live in one of these states, we recommend exploring alternatives to Squarespace. If you live in one of the 31 states where the program is available, the following profiles can make you a good candidate.

Content Creators

Do you have a blog, social media page, or YouTube channel that focuses on content about entrepreneurship or eCommerce? If yes, your audience might find Squarespace interesting.

You should also think about joining this affiliate program if you produce content that professionals, self-employed individuals, or small business owners find helpful.

Examples include content geared towards freelancers, photographers, artists, CPAs, contractors, event planners, real estate agents, interior designers, caterers, tutors, virtual assistants, and more.

Squarespace Circle Members

If you have three active websites with Squarespace, you can upgrade your account and become a Circle member. As a Circle member, you can provide web design services and more to your customers via your Squarespace account.

Being a Circle member puts you in a unique position to help users create a website or deploy add-ons after purchasing a plan through your referral link.

Note that Squarespace excludes the same 19 states listed above from its Circle program.

Squarespace Experts

The Squarespace Marketplace is a platform where experienced web designers can connect with customers.

If you have been a Circle member for a while and have extensive experience with web design, you can request an upgrade and become an Expert. You can then use your Squarespace Expert account to build websites, set up online stores, and more.

Connecting with potential customers who have an interest in Squarespace is an excellent opportunity to share your affiliate link.

Is the Squarespace Affiliate Program Worth It?

The Squarespace affiliate program has some drawbacks but earning $100 or $200 per referral makes this program worth joining.

Pros of the Squarespace Affiliate Program

Here’s why you should think about joining this program:

• You can earn $100 or $200 per referral. This flat rate structure translates into a commission rate of 50 to 62% depending on the plan.
• Squarespace has some excellent resources available to its affiliate partners. It’s a plus if you’re new to affiliate marketing, and you’ll get everything you need to produce high-quality content.
• You can purchase an affordable Personal Plan and experiment with the different tools to show your audience what building a site with Squarespace is like or create some tutorials.
• Squarespace is a recognizable company with a positive reputation and a quality product.
• The plans and features included are varied and match the needs of different professionals and small businesses. Plus, there are many niches where promoting a site-building tool like Squarespace is relevant.

Cons of the Squarespace Affiliate Program

There are a few drawbacks to consider:

• The program is available in 31 states. If you live in the other 19 states, you won’t be able to join.
• There are no commissions for recurring subscriptions or add-ons.
• Squarespace has a strict policy regarding competition. You can’t use the same affiliate site or social media page to promote another site-building tool.
• Getting your money takes a few months.
• Squarespace used to offer a $45 commission for subscriptions to the scheduling add-on. This commission is no longer available.

Conclusion: Is the Squarespace Affiliate Program Worth It?

Overall, we think joining the Squarespace affiliate program is worth it if you live in one of the states that qualify.

Squarespace is not as popular as alternatives like WordPress. With only 3% of websites using Squarespace, the lack of advanced features you can access on a platform like WordPress seems to be holding Squarespace back.

However, Squarespace offers a quality product and there is an existing need for this product.

With its affordable plans, user-friendly site-building tool, and convenient eCommerce features, Squarespace is one of the best website builders for entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals looking to launch their first website.

If this niche aligns with your audience, earning $100 or $200 per subscription can make Squarespace a lucrative source of income. Plus, you can access quality materials to help you promote these products, and you can create your own Squarespace site so you can show your audience how to do it.

How To Join the Squarespace Affiliate Program

Do you think the Squarespace affiliate program could be a good match for you? Here’s how you can sign up.

Requirements to Join the Squarespace Affiliate Program

We’ve already discussed the location requirements you have to meet. If you live in one of the 19 states excluded from the program, Impact will deny your application.

You need to be 18 to join. You should have an existing online presence, such as a website, email list, or social media page. Impact will take a look at your online presence and ensure you meet their terms and conditions.

Impact will also look at the other affiliate products you promote. Squarespace has a strict policy regarding promoting other companies that offer a similar service.

If you’re advertising products from a company like Wix, Weebly, GoDaddy, Shopify, Magento, or WordPress, you won’t be able to join.

There are no additional requirements to meet unless you want to join the Circle affiliate program. If you have three active websites with Squarespace, you can request to upgrade your account and become a Circle member.

How To Apply

Applying for the Squarespace affiliate program is easy:

• Visit the Squarespace affiliate page and click on Start Earning.
• Your browser will take you to the application page on the Impact website.
• The application is a standard form with fields for your name, contact information, and details about your business if applicable.
• You’ll also have to tell Impact about your online presence. There is a drop-down menu you can use to indicate the type of content and channel you use. You’ll have to include a URL of your main website or social media page.
• After you send your application, Impact will review it.
• If Impact approves your application, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to create your Impact account and get started with the Squarespace affiliate program.

How Long Does It Take to Get Approved for the Squarespace Affiliate Program?

Impact states that it can take up to five business days to process an application. Double-check that all the information you entered is correct and share as many details as possible about your online presence to speed up this process.

Does Squarespace Support the Affiliate Program?

Squarespace has some excellent resources available for its affiliate partners.

There is a library with some educational resources, some graphic files you can use to craft unique content, and more. You can also reach out to Squarespace with questions about the different plans and add-ons.

If you need help with tracking your referrals and requesting payment, you’ll have to reach out to Impact since this platform manages the affiliate program.

Tips for Making Money With the Squarespace Affiliate Program

Boost your affiliate earnings with these tips.

Focus on the Right Niche

Squarespace offers commissions for new subscriptions. The different Squarespace plans are interesting for people who don’t have an existing website yet.

This niche includes entrepreneurs in the process of launching a business, people looking to turn a hobby into a side gig, or brick-and-mortar businesses in need of an online presence. Tailor your content to these different scenarios or additional buyer personas in need of a first website.

Familiarize Yourself With Squarespace

What better way to become a Squarespace expert than to use this platform to create a website? We recommend getting a Personal Plan so you can experiment with the different features of the platform and create a website.

Showing the finished product can be a powerful argument to promote Squarespace. You can also create value by documenting the different steps of creating your website and sharing this journey on social media.

Follow Up

Keep in mind that you’ll only earn a commission if a user makes a purchase at the end of the 14-day free trial.

Look for strategies you can use to stay in touch with these users and make sure they know how to make the most out of their Squarespace account.

You can create a series of tutorials to help users get started or use personalized emails to recommend what to do next on Squarespace.

Become a Circle Member or an Expert

As a Circle member or Squarespace Expert, you can access additional opportunities to generate revenues. You can also save on some Squarespace products, and your expertise will put you in a unique position to help users decide if Squarespace is a good match for their needs.

Additional Programs to Be Aware Of

There are other affiliate marketing programs you can join if you want to promote site-building tools and eCommerce platforms. However, you won’t be able to promote these products on the same site you use to share your Squarespace referral link:

• Wix Affiliate Program: Earn 20% on each Premium Plan sale you generate for this popular site-building platform.
• Clickfunnels Affiliate Program: Clickfunnels is an innovative tool designed to help marketers develop sales funnels. You can earn up to 40% on sales.
• HubSpot Affiliate Program: With advanced marketing, sales, and CRM capabilities, HubSpot is a great match for small and medium businesses. You can earn 15% as an affiliate, and you’ll keep 100% of your sales during your first month.

Wrapping Up

With commissions of $100 or $200 per new subscription, joining the Squarespace affiliate program is a smart move as long as you can meet the strict location requirements and don’t belong to another affiliate program for a similar company.

Thanks to its affordable plans, accessible eCommerce features, and a simple website editor tool, Squarespace could be an excellent option if you have an existing niche of small business owners, professionals, and freelancers in need of a website.