How to Add a Forum to Your Squarespace Website
If you’re running a business, blog, online course, or creative platform, building a community is one of the most powerful ways to grow. A forum encourages connection, drives engagement, and increases the time visitors spend on your site. But here’s the challenge: Squarespace doesn’t offer a native forum feature in version 7.1.
Don’t worry, there are several professional ways to add a fully functional forum to your Squarespace website. Whether you’re looking for a free, embeddable solution or a robust off-site platform, this step-by-step guide will walk you through all the best options.
How to Add a Forum to Your Squarespace Website?
A forum serves as an interactive content hub where your users can:
Ask questions and share ideas
Get support from peers and moderators
Discuss products, tutorials, or blog topics
Contribute to a searchable knowledge base
Strengthen their relationship with your brand
For course creators, eCommerce brands, coaches, and community builders, a forum adds lasting value.
Option 1: Add a Lightweight Forum Using Disqus (Embed Method)
Disqus is a free discussion tool that lets you embed a comment forum directly into a Squarespace page using a simple code snippet.
Setup Steps:
Visit https://disqus.com and create a free account.
Under “I want to install Disqus on my site”, register your site and choose a short name (e.g., myforumsite).
Copy the Universal Embed Code.
In Squarespace, go to Pages → Create a New Page → Add a Code Block.
Paste the embed code into the Code Block and save.
What You Get:
A fully functional comment thread
Threaded replies, likes, notifications
Moderation tools and spam filters
Guest or account-based participation
This method is ideal for small communities or blog-style forums.
Option 2: Create a True Forum Using an External Platform (Professional Solution)
If you’re building a larger, scalable community, it’s best to host the forum using a dedicated platform. These services offer powerful features like categories, member profiles, advanced moderation, and integrations.
Best External Forum Platforms:
| Platform | Strength | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Circle.so | Modern, community-first design | From $39/mo |
| Tribe.so | White-labeled, highly customizable | From $49/mo |
| Flarum | Free and open-source (self-hosted) | Free |
| Muut | Lightweight, embeddable forum | From $16/mo |
How to Connect:
Set up your community on the platform of your choice.
Map it to a subdomain (e.g., forum.yoursite.com or community.yoursite.com).
Add the link to your main Squarespace navigation or footer.
Match the design (colors, fonts, logos) for brand consistency.
These tools are great for businesses, online courses, membership sites, and software support forums.
Option 3: Create a DIY Forum Using Squarespace’s Blog Feature
Want to keep everything inside Squarespace without any third-party tools? You can simulate a basic forum using a Blog Page + Comments section.
How It Works:
Each blog post becomes a “topic” or “thread”
The comment section below each post acts as the discussion area
Use tags or categories to simulate forum boards (e.g., General, Support, Tutorials)
Allow members to submit new “topics” via a form or email
Pros:
No plugins required
Fully hosted on your site
Comments can be moderated
Cons:
No advanced search or member profiles
Lacks native forum features like upvotes, notifications, or real-time threads
Tips for Designing Your Forum Area in Squarespace
Regardless of the method you choose, here are some ways to create a seamless user experience:
Design Recommendations:
Use a dedicated menu link: name it “Forum,” “Community,” or “Support Center”
Add a hero section with a welcome message, participation guidelines, or search box
Highlight top categories or trending topics
Use consistent branding, match fonts, colors, and button styles to your main site
Include a clear Call to Action like “Start a Discussion” or “Ask a Question”
Summary Table
| Method | Platform | Best For | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embed Disqus | Squarespace Page | Small public forums | Free, easy | Limited features |
| External Platform | Circle, Tribe, Flarum | Growing communities | Robust, scalable | Costs extra |
| Blog-as-Forum | Native Blog + Comments | Simple Q&A | No third-party tools | No real moderation tools |
Final Thoughts
While Squarespace doesn’t have a built-in forum feature, it’s still entirely possible to host a clean, modern, and highly usable forum using the methods above.
Whether you go the simple route with Disqus, build a powerful Circle community, or craft a DIY forum from a blog, you’ll give your audience a space to connect, ask, and contribute.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Does Squarespace Support a Forum Out of the Box?
Squarespace 7.1 does not have a built-in forum feature. No, there is no built-in forum for Squarespace 7.1. You can still build a fully functional forum using hacks like embedding Disqus, linking to something like Circle or Tribe, or doing a forum-esque setup with a blog + comments.
2. How do I add a forum to my website without having to use another platform?
The “best” integrated solution is to turn on WP’s blog, make a Blog Page, create a “discussion topic” for each blog post, and let people comment on each topic. Sparse on features, it is hosted on Squarespace and is simple to maintain.
3. Is there a way to make it private or accessible just to members?
Yes. Note that since Squarespace does not provide forum permissions, you’ll need to take it on yourself to align Member Areas with embedded forum tools, or utilize external platforms that permit member-only access. This is great for paid communities, course discussions, or private groups.
4. What are the pros and cons of embedding Disqus into Squarespace?
Pros:
Fast loading with copy-paste code snippets
Guest comments, moderation likes, and threads are all supported
Free to start
Cons:
Limited branding customization
Not ideal for complex community needs
Populated content via Disqus, not on your site directly
5. Does adding a forum hurt the performance of your site or SEO?
Not if implemented correctly. Light embeds or external linking won’t be a drag on your site. For those who do build, forums can be an SEO asset that fosters user engagement, dwell time, and content volume (assuming users continue to create discussions and search-friendly topics).