How to Disable Portfolio Project Pages in Squarespace 7.1 (Fast Fix)

Squarespace Tutorial
Written By Walid Hasan

In Squarespace 7.1, Portfolio Pages are a powerful way to display your work using a grid of projects. By default, every project in the portfolio links to its own dedicated Project Page, which opens when a visitor clicks on it.

But what if you don’t want those links to be active?

If you’re using the portfolio section as a static visual gallery, a showcase that doesn’t have clickable functionality (no links) or you just want to stop the navigation for design or SEO purposes, there’s a neat little workaround.

In this tutorial, we’ll go through how to remove Portfolio Project Page links in Squarespace 7.1 with safe copy-paste CSS and maintain full layout.

Why Disable Portfolio Project Pages?

Here are some popular reasons Squarespace users decide to disable project links:

  • You don't need a text-based portfolio or image exhibition

  • You don’t want users to navigate away from the main page

  • You’re avoiding duplicate SEO content

  • You’re using portfolio sections for layout or design only, not linking

Step by Step: Disabling Portfolio Project Page Links

Step 1: Identify Your Portfolio Section

  • Go to your Portfolio Page

  • See how, when you click on each project, a new page is launched

  • These project items are wrapped in <a> tags, which we’ll disable with CSS

Step-by-Step: How to Disable Portfolio Project Page Links

Step 1: Identify Your Portfolio Section

  1. Go to your Portfolio Page

  2. Observe how each project opens a new page when clicked

  3. These project items are wrapped in <a> tags, which we’ll disable with CSS

Step 2: Access the Custom CSS Panel

  1. From your Squarespace dashboard, go to:
    Pages → Custom code → Custom CSS

  2. Scroll to the CSS editor panel

  3. Paste the following code:

Copied!

/* Disable all Portfolio Project Page links */
.portfolio-grid-basic a {
  pointer-events: none;
  cursor: default;
  text-decoration: none;
}

What This Code Does:

  • pointer-events: none; disables the click/tap action

  • cursor: default; removes the pointer (hand) icon on hover

  • text-decoration: none; prevents underlines or link styling

The result: your portfolio remains fully visible, but no longer links to project pages.

What About SEO?

Disabling links does not delete or hide your project pages from Google.

Here’s what you should know:

  • Projects still exist and are indexed by search engines

  • There’s no SEO penalty unless you’re duplicating content

  • You can re-enable links anytime by removing the CSS

If you want to avoid having project pages at all, consider:

  • Hiding individual projects from your navigation menu

  • Using Summary Blocks or Gallery Sections instead

Final Thoughts

There’s no native feature in Squarespace 7.1 to toggle off your Portfolio Project Pages link, but with a little bit of CSS, you can manage your own user flow and design experience.

Whether you're showing off a gallery, building a design lookbook, or just trying to kill fewer kittens, it'll give you a clean, professional finish, without removing or restructuring your project.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What happens when I click a portfolio item in Squarespace 7.1 by default?
By default, clicking on any portfolio project opens a dedicated Project Page for that item. This is useful for detailed showcases but not always ideal for minimal galleries or static displays.

Q2. Can I disable the click action on all my portfolio projects?
Yes! You can easily disable the click action using this CSS code:

Copied!

.portfolio-grid-basic a {
  pointer-events: none;
  cursor: default;
  text-decoration: none;
}

Paste it into Pages → Custom code → Custom CSS

Q3. If I remove the links, does the portfolio section layout get switched in any way?

No, they are in the same layout. The grid, images, and project styles will still show up; everything works; it's just the links no longer function.

Q4. Can I re-enable the links at some point?

Absolutely. Simply inline or comment out that new CSS and the link will behave as expected.

Q5. Is it a safe link push for SEO?

Yes. It would not hurt SEO to kill the links. The project pages still live on and are indexed by Google. But if you don’t want them indexed, I’d suggest making them hidden or using Gallery Blocks.

Q6. How to Remove Portfolio Projects from the Navigation Menu?

To exclude a project page from navigation:

  • Go to Pages

  • Hover over the portfolio project

  • Click the icon

  • Turn off "Show in Navigation."

This removes it from the menu but keeps the page live.

Q7. I just want an all-image gallery without links or pages.

Rather than using a Portfolio Page, try doing:

  • Gallery Blocks for images

  • Image Layout Sections

  • Summary Blocks: Grid images only layout

These do not produce separate project pages.