How to leave Wix or Squarespace without losing your Google rankings
Your Google rankings belong to your domain and your pages, not to the builder. Keep the same domain, give your pages the same addresses where you can, 301-redirect the ones that change, and tell Google with a new sitemap. Do that and most sites keep their place.
Below is the step-by-step plan, the address patterns Wix and Squarespace use, and the mistakes that actually cost people their rankings.
What your rankings are actually tied to
Most owners stay on a builder because they’re afraid of losing Google. Here is what moves with you and what you have to protect.
Your domain name
Years of history and every link other sites point at you are tied to yourbusiness.com. Keep it and that history comes with you.
Each page’s address
Google ranks pages, not whole sites. If a page that ranks disappears without a redirect, its spot goes with it.
What each page says
Titles, headings and wording are what Google matched to searches. Carry them over. Improve them, but don’t throw them away.
Speed and phones
A faster site can help, not hurt. This is one place a move off a heavy builder often pays off.
Your Google Business Profile
Your map listing and reviews live on Google, not on your website. They stay put when the website moves.
How Wix and Squarespace name your pages
Regular pages are easy to keep. Blog posts and products are where most addresses change, so they need the most attention.
| What | Wix | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Regular pages | yourdomain.com/about | yourdomain.com/about |
| Blog posts | yourdomain.com/post/post-name | yourdomain.com/blog/post-name |
| Store products | yourdomain.com/product-page/product-name | Inside your shop page’s address, such as /shop/p/product-name |
| Can you export the site? | No. Pages and design stay on Wix. | Some written content as a WordPress file. Not the design or most pages. |
| Your domain | Keep it at Wix and point it to your new host, or transfer it out. | Keep it at Squarespace and point it to your new host, or transfer it out. |
Both builders let owners change these patterns, so check a few of your real addresses before you plan. Your live sitemap at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml lists them all.
The move, step by step
Do steps 1 to 6 while your old site is still live. Nothing changes for visitors until step 7.
1. List every page Google knows
In Google Search Console, open the Pages report and export the indexed pages. Add anything else from your sitemap. Put it all in a spreadsheet with one column for the old address.
2. Save each page’s words and titles
Copy the page title, description, headings and text for every page on the list. Builders don’t give you these in a file you can import, so this is copy and paste.
3. Keep the same addresses where you can
Build the new site so a page at /about is still at /about. On a regular host, a folder named about holding an index.html shows at /about/, and the server forwards /about there automatically.
4. Map the rest
For every old address that can’t stay the same, write its new address in the second column. Point each one at the closest matching page, not the home page.
5. Add the 301 redirects on your new host
On Hostinger, use Domains › Redirects in hPanel, or add one line per page to the .htaccess file, such as Redirect 301 /post/spring-tips /blog/spring-tips/. Other hosts have a redirect tool too.
6. Check the new site before the switch
Open every page, test the contact form and click each menu link. Make sure no page is set to noindex.
7. Point your domain to the new host
Before you change anything, write down your email (MX) records so your business email keeps working. Then point the domain at your new host, or transfer it if you’re leaving the builder entirely.
8. Tell Google and watch
Submit your new sitemap in Search Console and check the Pages report over the next few weeks. Keep the old builder plan for a few days after the switch, until the new site is showing everywhere.
The mistakes that actually cost rankings
When a business drops out of Google after a move, it’s almost always one of these, not the move itself.
Sending every old page to the home page
Google can treat these as missing pages. Redirect each one to its closest match, one hop, no chains.
Leaving out pages that brought in visitors
An old blog post or service page with links pointing at it is worth keeping or redirecting, even if it isn’t in the new menu.
Changing the domain at the same time
Moving platforms and switching to a new domain name at once doubles the work for Google. Change one thing at a time.
Losing business email
Pointing a domain can wipe out email records if you don’t carry them over. Save them first.
Letting the domain lapse with the plan
If the domain was bought with the builder, cancelling everything at once can take the domain with it. Move or renew it first.
Removing redirects too soon
Google suggests at least a year. Old links in emails, posts and other sites keep using the old addresses for much longer.
After the move, check your new site with our free website speed test and AI-ready check. If you’re uploading the files yourself, our guide on how to upload a website walks through Hostinger and cPanel.
Questions about leaving a website builder
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave Wix?
Not if you keep the same domain, keep or redirect every page that ranks, and keep your page titles and content. Google says to expect some temporary movement while it processes a move. Rankings usually settle within a few weeks once Google has crawled the new pages.
Can I keep my domain if I leave Wix or Squarespace?
Yes. You can keep the domain registered with them and point it to your new host, or transfer it to another registrar. Under ICANN rules a domain can’t be transferred within 60 days of registering it or changing the owner details, but you can still point it to a new host during that time.
Do I need Google’s Change of Address tool?
Only if your domain name changes. If you keep the same domain and only the page paths change, Google’s guide says the Change of Address tool isn’t needed. Submit your new sitemap in Search Console instead.
Can I set up redirects in Wix or Squarespace before I leave?
Their redirect tools only work while the domain points to their platform. Once the domain points to your new host, the redirects have to live there, for example in your host’s redirect settings or the .htaccess file.
What happens to my Google Business Profile?
Nothing, as long as the domain stays the same. Your profile, reviews and map listing are separate from your website. If your home page address changes, update the website link in the profile.
How long should I keep the redirects?
Google recommends keeping redirects as long as possible, and generally at least a year. They cost nothing to leave in place, so most owners keep them for good.
Can I export my Wix site and upload it somewhere else?
No. Wix sites can’t be exported as files, and Squarespace only exports some written content. You rebuild the site, for example from a template, then point your domain at it.
Sources, checked November 2026: Google: moving a site with URL changes · Google: moving to a new host · Wix: URL structure · Wix: using your domain elsewhere · Wix: ICANN 60-day lock · Hostinger: redirects. Platforms change, so we recheck these regularly.
Related guides: A Wix and Squarespace alternative you own · How to upload a website · How much does a website cost? · All guides
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