How to use blog categories and tags on Squarespace

Web Design

21 Oct

If you’ve ever uploaded a blog to Squarespace and stared blankly at the settings wondering, what’s the difference between tags and categories?! This one’s for you.

As a website designer (and someone who’s seen many chaotic Squarespace sites in my time), I can tell you that using tags and categories properly is one of the easiest ways to keep your website organised, SEO-friendly, and user-friendly.

So, let’s clear things up.

Tags vs Categories: What’s the Difference?

Think of categories as your big topics: the key themes that sum up your content or services.

Then think of tags as your details: the specific keywords that describe what each post or page is about.

Examples of how tags and categories can be used:

Example for a service provider or coach:

Let’s say you’re a business coach who blogs about helping freelancers and creatives grow their businesses.

Your categories might be: Mindset, Marketing, Client Experience, and Business Growth.
Your tags could be: Instagram tips, Pricing, Client onboarding, Burnout, Time management, or Email templates.

Example for a photographer:

Your categories might be: Weddings, Branding Sessions, Family Shoots, Newborn
Your tags could be: Summer weddings, Winter Weddings, Destination Weddings, Golden Hour, London photography, Hertfordshire photography, What to wear, etc.

Example for a Social Media Manager:

Your categories might be: Social Media Strategy, Instagram Growth, Client Results, Analytics
Your tags might be: Instagram content, LinkedIn Content, Facebook Content, Testimonials, Scheduling platforms, Reporting software etc.

Why Tags and Categories Actually Matter

Tags and categories aren’t just about keeping things tidy. They help your visitors find content quickly, and they help Google understand your website structure, which is key for SEO.

When you use them consistently, Squarespace uses that information to tell search engines,

“Hey, this post is about marketing tips for service providers.”

That boosts your chances of showing up when someone searches for exactly that.

How to Add Tags and Categories in Squarespace

You can add tags and categories to blog posts, products, and events in Squarespace 7.1, the process is almost identical for each.

Here’s how to do it for a blog post 👇

In your main menu, go to Pages → find your Blog section.
Hover over the post you want to edit and click the three dots on the right.
Select Settings → head to the Options tab.
Under Tags and Categories, type in what you want.

Squarespace will auto-suggest existing ones as you type.

To create a new one, just type it out and hit enter.

Need to rename something?

Go to your Blog in Pages → click the gear icon ⚙️ → Advanced → Manage Tags or Manage Categories.

From here, you can rename, delete, or tidy things up easily.

How to Use Tags and Categories to Organise Your Website

This is where Squarespace gets really powerful. You can use your tags and categories to automatically display the right content anywhere on your website without manually updating it.

Let’s say you’re a brand designer and you want a “Tips & Resources” page that automatically shows all your posts about design, SEO, or client management.

Here’s how to set that up:

Create a new page and add a blank section.
Drop in a Summary Block (grid, carousel, or list, whatever fits your vibe).
Under the Content tab, choose which blog or product list to pull from.
Scroll to Filter Items and enter your chosen category or tag.

Now your Summary Block will only show posts with that exact tag or category and it’ll update automatically when you publish something new.

You can also use this trick for:

Portfolio pages (filter by “branding”, “web design”, “illustration”)
Resource libraries (filter by “freebie”, “guide”, “video”)
Client case studies (filter by “coaches”, “photographers”, etc.)

Just remember: Squarespace can only pull through content that already exists.

So, publish your blog posts first, then set up your Summary Blocks.

Quickfire Squarespace Blog Tags and Categories Tips:

If you’re ready to tidy up your tags and categories, here are a few quick rules to remember:

Keep it short: categories should be under 25 characters and tags can go up to 80.
Be consistent with spelling and capitalisation: Design, design, and DESIGN are treated as three completely different tags in Squarespace.
Avoid punctuation: skip commas or symbols like +, &, or %. They can cause broken links.
Stay organised: use a small number of clear, meaningful categories but feel free to use multiple relevant tags.
Mix and match: you can add as many categories and tags as you like per post, as long as they make sense.