13: CSS is not a plugin & other Squarespace code myths
Time to debunk some Squarespace myths! I’m spilling the beans on common misconceptions, like the belief that CSS is just another plugin. Unearth the truths about code, customization, and the secrets to making your Squarespace website uniquely yours.
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00:00 Everybody has pet peeves; a little thing that really isn't a big deal, but it really bugs you.
00:05 One of mine, when people call CSS a plugin, because it's not.
00:10 And that is one of the many Squarespace related code rumors that I'm going to dispel in this episode of Think Inside the Square.
00:17 Welcome to Think Inside the Square, a podcast full of quick tips and tricks
00:21 that will help you create a Squarespace website that you're proud of.
00:24 I'm your host, Becca Harpain, creator of Insidethesquare.co, and in this episode,
00:29 we're talking about one of my favorite subjects customizing Squarespace with code.
00:33 As a Squarespace CSS expert, there are some major myths that I want to put to rest.
00:39 For a transcript of this episode, along with the links to any resources mentioned, visit insidethesquare.co/podcast
00:48 The term Squarespace is a trademark of Squarespace, Inc. This content is not affiliated with Squarespace, Inc.
00:59 CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet.
01:02 It's a code language that tells a computer browser how to display the content of the page, what fonts to use, what colors things should be, and where it all is.
01:10 All websites have a CSS file. For us Squarespace users, it's created automatically.
01:16 This file is made based on the settings in your site style menu, what fonts you pick, what colors you select.
01:22 Everything you set in that style menu is translated to CSS behind the scenes.
01:28 This brings me to the biggest rumor about CSS and Squarespace, the belief that Squarespace doesn't allow for custom code modifications.
01:36 If you have ever had to contact Squarespace Support, they'll tell you that you need to remove code from your site before they can help you.
01:43 If you have an issue with your iPhone and you take it to Apple care to get it looked at,
01:48 you have to take the case off, right?
01:50 Well, this is the digital version, but it doesn't mean that your phone case isn't a great addition.
01:55 But if Support needs to look at the device itself or the website itself, you need to remove the extras first.
02:02 Squarespace is actually designed perfectly to have custom code added to it.
02:07 They have multiple places you can add code to your website; even direct access to the CSS file so you can add more lines of code to it.
02:15 They even name things the same across all 7.1 templates.
02:19 So if you want to make a primary button purple on a hover, it's going to be the same code for any 7.1 website you're working on.
02:26 That's why many Squarespace experts, myself included, use it to make really cool customizations in Squarespace.
02:33 Now back to that rumor I started this episode with.
02:36 CSS is not a plugin.
02:38 A plugin changes the functionality of a software program without altering the software itself.
02:44 It communicates with the software to make changes.
02:47 CSS changes the style of a site, but not the way it works.
02:51 It doesn't actually change the content of a site.
02:54 All CSS can do is tell a browser to display something in a specific way.
02:59 Now, JavaScript can change or create a function so that can be a plugin.
03:04 But CSS is just about the style.
03:07 It's in the name - Cascading Style Sheet.
03:10 So this brings us to rumor #3.
03:12 A lot of Squarespace users are afraid to try customizing their site with code because they think it's going to break their website.
03:19 I am here to tell you with 100% certainty that custom CSS cannot break your Squarespace site.
03:27 It literally can't, because it only changes how things look and not how they work.
03:32 It doesn't actually alter anything about your Squarespace website besides how it looks.
03:38 It's not going to remove content and it's not going to stop things from functioning.
03:42 Can CSS hide something or move something off the page?
03:46 Totally. But it's not broken.
03:48 This is code you added yourself. So it's code that YOU can remove.
03:52 And again, it can never alter the way Squarespace actually functions.
03:57 To be honest, this is why I steer clear of teaching any JavaScript in my tutorials.
04:03 Even basic JavaScript can alter the way things work because it's supposed to. That's what JavaScript does.
04:09 So if you aren't skilled enough to troubleshoot your own code, I don't want you to rely on it.
04:14 CSS is the safe customization because it's manually added, it's easy to remove, and honestly, it's really easy to understand.
04:23 Even beginners can troubleshoot it. If you've never tried any custom CSS before, I am here to help.
04:29 I have a free training on it available at insidethesquare.co/learn
04:33 so check that out. Again, that's insidethesquare.co/learn
04:38 You will learn the basics of CSS for Squarespace lightning fast.
04:42 Thousands of other Squarespace users have used this training and gone on to make some amazing customizations on their Squarespace website.
04:49 So definitely check that out.
04:51 So, a quick recap. Rumor #1: squarespace doesn't allow custom code modifications.
04:57 That is not true.
04:58 Yes, you have to remove code from your site if you need support,
05:02 but Squarespace makes it super easy to add any code you want to your website, including custom CSS.
05:08 The second rumor is that CSS is a plugin.
05:11 A plugin technically adds a feature or function, which CSS can't do.
05:16 CSS is the style of a site.
05:19 Squarespace creates it automatically for you based on your site style options.
05:23 You can add custom CSS to your site, but it's not a plugin.
05:27 A plugin can be a software.
05:28 It can be JavaScript or anything else that changes a function.
05:32 The third rumor is that CSS can break your Squarespace website.
05:37 CSS changes the style and nothing else.
05:40 So if it does something you don't want it to do,
05:42 like move an image off a page or hide something that should be visible, your site is not broken.
05:47 Just remove your code and try again. You cannot break squarespace with custom CSS.
05:52 I've got a free training about more basics that will make you confident in your code.
05:56 So check that out insidethesquare.co/learn
06:03 I am confident that once you learn the basics,
06:03 you will become obsessed with making your Squarespace website uniquely yours, and I'm super excited to see what you do with it.
06:10 Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Think Inside The Square.
06:13 I have a lot more tips and tricks to share with you about making an amazing Squarespace website that's uniquely yours.
06:19 So be sure to subscribe to this podcast wherever you happen to be listening to this episode.
06:24 Thanks again for listening and most importantly, have fun with your Squarespace website.
06:28 Bye for now.
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Free Training on Squarespace CSS Basics: insidethesquare.co/learn
Squarespace CSS Cheat Sheet: insidethesquare.co/css
