Image Formatting to Improve Page Speed in Squarespace

In the digital world of today, speed is not a luxury but a necessity. A high-quality, fast website not only keeps visitors engaged but also enhances the SEO rankings and, of course, leads to more conversions. And the top culprits for slow sites? Images.

In Squarespace 7.1, a lot of it is already taken care of for you with things like responsive image generation, lazy loading, and a global CDN. But if you want to eke out the best performance, how you format and upload your images still really matters. From picking your file type to compressing and resizing correctly, there’s a lot in your image workflow that can drastically improve load times with just a bit of cleanup.

This resource will walk you through the process of optimizing images in Squarespace 7.1, so you can deliver a website that looks beautiful, loads fast, ranks well, and keeps users coming back.

Why Image Optimization Matters

• Better user retention = More Money for You Then By Having Your Website Load Faster!

• Lower Bounce Rates

• Improved SEO (Google prioritizes speed)

• Better Mobile Performance

If it takes more than 3 seconds to load, 53% of users abandon a page. Pictures are usually the biggest single files on a web page, so optimizing them can really help.

How Squarespace 7.1 Helps You

Squarespace 7.1 has some optimizations built in for you:

• Automatic srcset generation for responsive images

• Integrated support for lazy loading (images don’t load until they are in the view)

• Global CDN for faster delivery

• Converting the images to another format (usually WebP)

But how you upload and utilize images still has a major impact on your page load time.

Best Practices for Image Formatting in Squarespace

1. Resize Images Before Uploading

Avoid uploading oversized images. Large files slow down your website even if they’re scaled down visually.

Image Type	Recommended Width
Banner Image	2000–2500 px max
Page Content Image	1200–1600 px
Thumbnails/Icons	400–800 px

Pro Tip: Use tools like Canva, Photoshop, or Figma to resize.

2. Choose the Right Format

Format	Use For	Notes
JPG	Photos	Compressed, small size
PNG	Graphics with transparency	Use sparingly
WebP	All web images	Smaller & modern (auto-used in some cases)
SVG	Icons, logos	Vector, scalable & light

Note: While Squarespace doesn’t allow WebP uploads directly, it often converts supported images automatically.

3. Compress Images Without Losing Quality

Compress images before uploading using free tools like

• TinyPNG

• Squoosh.app

• ImageOptim

Compression can reduce image size by up to 70% without visible loss in quality.

4. Use Image Blocks Instead of Backgrounds

• Image Blocks are more performant and responsive.

• Background Images can not be loaded responsively and usually load slowly.

If using background images, make sure they are

• Under 500 KB

• Properly compressed

• Sized correctly for mobile scaling

5. Avoid Embedding Text in Images

Don’t write text into an image (e.g., for Photoshop); make sure the text is on top of the image block. This:

• Improves accessibility

• Boosts SEO

• Reduces the image file size

6.  Avoid Re-uploading the Same Image

When the same image repeats on multiple pages:

• Upload it once and reuse it.

• Don't upload the same file with minimally different names—it fills up storage and hinders performance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It Hurts
Uploading 4000px+ images	Unnecessarily large
Using PNG for everything	Higher file sizes
No compression	Slower site speed
Full-width background photos on mobile	High data usage, poor UX

Summary: Your Squarespace Image Optimization Checklist

✔ Resize images to match display size
✔ Use JPG or WebP when possible
✔ Compress before uploading
✔ Use image blocks instead of backgrounds.
✔ Reuse images to avoid redundancy.
✔ Keep file size ideally under 500 KB
✔ Avoid text-in-images for SEO reasons

Final Thoughts

When you optimize images on Squarespace 7.1, it’s not just about saving server space; you’re also creating a faster and easier experience for your audience, and let’s hope the search engines. By optimizing before upload, selecting contemporary formats such as WebP, compressing files, and making savvy design decisions (e.g., image blocks rather than backgrounds), you can expect huge gains in speed and load times.

The best part? These are not advanced tricks requiring hard-coding or tech knowledge. It only takes a bit of thoughtful effort to turn your website into a professional-looking one that’s lightning fast and works great on any device.

When it comes to online, every second counts—and with properly formatted images, you’re starting off on the right foot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1) Does Squarespace automatically optimize my images?

Yes. Squarespace 7.1 leverages responsive image serving, lazy loading, and a global CDN, and will frequently transform images to next-gen formats (WebP). But how you upload images—size, compression, and format—still plays a major role in site speed.

2) What’s the best file size for images in Squarespace?

Try to keep each image under 500 KB if you can. For larger banners, stick to 2000-2500px wide, but compress before uploading so you can maintain quality without sacrificing performance.

3) Which format should I use to optimize images for my site, JPG, PNG, or WebP?

• JPG → Great for photos, smaller in file size.

• PNG → Best for transparent graphics, but bigger.

• WebP → The best modern format; Squarespace images can also be served as WebP automatically.

• SVG → Best for logos and icons. You can use both a vector and a bitmap image in the same image file.

4) Why are background images slower than image blocks?

Background images don’t scale as nicely on devices and sometimes load full-size when they are only partially on the screen. With the new system they have, Image Blocks are more efficient, light, and optimized by Squarespace.

5) How do I compress pictures without reducing quality?

Use free tools such as TinyPNG, Squoosh.app,or ImageOptim before uploading to lose up to 70% of the file size. Compression makes your site load faster while at the same time maintaining visual quality.