How to customize archive blocks

content block

Feb 25

The Archive Block is one of Squarespace's most useful features for displaying collections of content, but let's be honest – it lacks the design flexibility we crave as website creators. While Squarespace gives you basic layout options (Index, List, or Dropdown), the block is missing crucial styling features like backgrounds, borders, and hover effects that can make your archive block look awesome.

In this tutorial, I'm sharing my favorite custom CSS tricks to transform those plain Archive Blocks into eye-catching, branded elements that will enhance your site's design. The most important part of this tutorial is to pick the selector for the layout you’ve chosen. There are three options - index, list, or dropdown - and working with the right code is crucial. Check out the video below for some creative ideas, and when you’re ready to customize your own, you’ll find the CSS you need below!

Customizing the Index Layout Archive Block

The Index layout displays your archive in a grid format, which works beautifully with a custom background and border:

.archive-block-setting-layout-index {
  border: 2px solid #4CAF50;
  background: #e8f5e9;
  padding: 15px;
  border-radius: 15px;
  font-family: serif;
}

Pro Tip: Want to style the dates differently from the titles? Add this code:

.archive-block-setting-layout-index .archive-item-date-after {
  font-style: italic;
  color: #666;
}

Styling the List Layout Archive Block

The List layout is perfect for a more traditional, compact display of your archive:

.archive-block-setting-layout-list {
  border: 2px solid #E57373;
  padding: 10px;
  text-transform: uppercase;
}

This creates a clean red border and transforms all text to uppercase for added emphasis. But the real magic happens when we add a hover effect. If you add this code, featured in the tutorial video above, it turns red and gets underlined when someone hovers their cursor over the link in the archive – a clear visual cue that helps improve navigation and engagement.

.archive-block-setting-layout-list a:hover {
  color: red !important;
  text-decoration: underline;
}

Enhancing the Dropdown Archive Block

The Dropdown layout is space-efficient but can benefit from some visual enhancements. This code creates a light blue background with a complementary border and adds an underline effect on hover.

.archive-block-setting-layout-dropdown {
  border: 2px solid #42A5F5;
  background: #E3F2FD !important;
  padding: 12px;
  border-radius: 8px;
}

.archive-block-setting-layout-dropdown a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline !important;
}

Troubleshooting Tips

Changes not showing up? Make sure to include the !important tag when necessary, especially if you're overriding Squarespace's default styles.
Hover effects not working? Double-check your selector syntax. The proper format is .your-selector a:hover.
Styles affecting other elements? Your selector might be too broad. Be as specific as possible to target only the elements you want to change.