Can I keep SquareSpace hosting and move domain to a separate host who offers cpanel and includes email accounts?

Question

For a website (site A) with hosting and domain name via Squarespace, I see that getting any email addresses for the domain name is an additional monthly fee. That is disappointing, especially since the hosting + domain already costs more through Squarespace than I pay for my website (site B)'s hosting + domain + plenty of emails I can setup on cpanel for each domain.

I would like to switch at least the domain management for site A to my other hosting account for site B, which includes email with domain names. Is it possible to do this while still hosting and editing this website through Squarespace? Would I simply transfer the domain, then the cpanel for site B will be able to add emails under the newly-transferred domain? Site A is for an organization that actively uses its website, so I want to investigate options and make for a smooth transition rather than progress through trial and error.

Answer 1

Yes, you can keep Squarespace web hosting and transfer your domain hosting elsewhere. But the web hosting for a Squarespace site has to stay with Squarespace. The email services you'll get with a new domain registrar are something you would then hammer out with that registrar.

According to Squarespace documentation, "If you’re using a domain registered through a third-party provider, like GoDaddy or Hover, they're your domain host, and you'll manage your domain through them." So it's possible.

Here's Squarespace documentation on transferring your domain away from Squarespace. There are some caveats, like the 60 day active lock, so make sure to read the whole article.

This article has instructions on transferring the domain from Squarespace to Wix, for example.

More on 60 days locks.

Answer 2

Squarespace (SS) will give you DNS settings for 3rd party providers see:https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/205812378-Connecting-a-domain-to-your-Squarespace-site

The most important record to update is the A Record which tells the internet where your website is located - this might be different to where email is located as I don't think SS provides email. SS will provide 4 A Record entries, make sure that you delete any existing A Record entries

Most of the DNS entries are publicly available via that link, but you will need to login to get the verification code needed for the verify.squarespace.com CNAME record. My experience with this one is to copy and paste it, as it is a long string and if you type it you are liable to make an error.

Once you have done that, at SS the DNS page will check all records and report that they are valid...or not.

You will need to set the MX Record to have your email hosted somewhere other than SS.