Squarespace Saved sections: new account-wide feature

Squarespace has continually revolutionized website building with its intuitive tools and user-friendly features. Among its most celebrated updates is the introduction of Saved Sections, a game-changing feature that simplifies the process of reusing design elements across pages. Now, Squarespace has taken this functionality a step further by introducing account-wide Saved Sections, allowing users to save up to 250 sections per account, compared to the previous limit of 50 per site. This blog post will dive deep into Saved Sections, explore the new account-wide feature, and compare it with the Synced Blocks plugin to help you maximize efficiency in your Squarespace workflow.

What Are Squarespace Saved Sections?

Saved Sections are pre-designed content blocks that can be reused across a Squarespace site. Whether it's a hero banner, testimonial carousel, or custom gallery, you can save these sections and insert them into other pages with just a few clicks.

Key Features of Saved Sections

• Ease of Use: Simply click the heart icon on any section to save it.

• Reusable Templates: Access saved sections under "My Saved Sections" when adding new content.

• Time-Saving: Eliminate repetitive design work by reusing complex layouts.

• Snapshot Functionality: Saved Sections act as static snapshots, meaning edits made to one instance won’t affect others.

Previously, Saved Sections were limited to 50 per site and could only be used within the same website. However, this limitation has been addressed with the new account-wide update.

Introducing Account-Wide Saved Sections

The latest update from Squarespace allows users to save sections at an account level, making them accessible across all websites managed under the same account. This feature is particularly beneficial for designers and developers managing multiple client sites.

Saved Sections to your Account - Squarespace

What’s New?

1. Account-Wide Access: Save sections to your account and reuse them across all websites under your account.

2. Increased Limit: Save up to 250 sections per account, a significant upgrade from the previous 50-per-site limit.

3. Streamlined Workflow: Perfect for agencies or freelancers working on multiple projects who want consistent branding or design elements.

How to Use Account-Wide Saved Sections

1. Open the page editor and hover over the section you want to save.

2. Click the heart icon and select "Save section to Your account”

3. Name your section for easy identification (e.g., "Hero Section – Client A").

4. Access these sections from any website under your account via "Saved Sections” when insert new page sections

This feature is currently available exclusively for Squarespace Circle members but is expected to roll out more broadly in the future.

What Happens When You Save and Reuse Sections Across Sites?

While the new account-wide feature is a significant upgrade, there are some important details to know about how Saved Sections behave when reused across different sites:

1. Blocks and Layouts Are Restored: The structure of the section (e.g., text blocks, buttons) is preserved when inserted into a new site, note that their unique block IDs will be changed, so you should keep an eye of those IDs changes to update your custom code targets those blocks

2. Summary Blocks Reset: If your saved section contains a Summary Block (e.g., pulling content from a blog or product collection), it will reset to its default state when inserted into another site.

3. Images Are Re-Uploaded: Any images in the saved section will be re-uploaded to the asset library of the new site.

4. Galleries Are Recreated: Whether it’s a Gallery Section or Gallery Block, these elements will be rebuilt entirely in the new site.

5. Asset Folder Structure Is Maintained: Impressively, Squarespace recreates the folder structure of assets in the new site’s asset library—making it easier to manage files.

6. Site Styles Are Not Restored: While layouts are preserved, the saved section will adopt the style settings (e.g., fonts, colors) of the new site rather than retaining those from the original design.

These nuances highlight both the strengths and limitations of Saved Sections when working across multiple sites.

Saved Sections vs Synced Blocks Plugin

While both Saved Sections and Synced Blocks aim to improve efficiency in content management, they serve different purposes. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

Feature	Saved Sections	Synced Blocks Plugin
Purpose	Reuse static design elements across pages/sites	Update content globally across multiple pages
Editing Behavior	Edits do not affect other instances	Edits update all instances automatically
Scope	Limited to Squarespace's native functionality	Requires third-party plugin installation
Content Types	Entire sections (e.g., banners, galleries)	Individual blocks (e.g., text, buttons)
Limit	250 sections per account - 50 if saving to single site	No limit on saved blocks
Best Use Case	Reusing complex layouts	Maintaining consistency in dynamic content

When to Use Each Tool

• Use Saved Sections for static layouts that don’t require frequent updates (e.g., hero banners or testimonials).

• Use the Synced Blocks plugin for dynamic content that needs global updates (e.g., contact information or promotional banners).

How to Effectively Use Both Together

Combining Saved Sections and Synced Blocks can supercharge your workflow by leveraging their unique strengths:

1. Create Templates with Saved Sections: Design reusable templates for common layouts like blog headers or footers using Saved Sections.

2. Add Dynamic Content with Synced Blocks: Insert synced blocks within these templates for elements that require frequent updates.

3. Maintain Consistency Across Site: Use site-wide saved sections for consistent branding across client projects while managing global updates via synced blocks.

For example:

• Save a beautifully designed newsletter signup section as a Saved Section.

• Add a synced block for the signup button so updates (like changing URLs) propagate site-wide.

Benefits of Using Both Tools

By combining these tools:

• You save time by reusing pre-designed layouts.

• You ensure consistency across pages.

• You enhance flexibility by separating static and dynamic content management.

Conclusion

The introduction of account-wide Saved Sections marks a significant leap forward in Squarespace’s capabilities, especially for users managing multiple websites. With an increased limit of 250 sections per account, this feature empowers designers and developers to streamline their workflows like never before.

When paired with the Synced Blocks plugin, users can achieve unparalleled efficiency by leveraging both static and dynamic content management tools. Together, these features provide a robust solution for creating visually stunning websites while maintaining consistency and saving time.