How to Add Instagram Feed to Squarespace

Adding your live Instagram feed to your Squarespace site is a smart way to keep your website fresh, showcase your brand’s personality, and turn website visitors into social media followers. This article walks you through exactly how to do it using Squarespace’s built-in tools and shows you when it might be time to use a more powerful third-party solution.

Why An Instagram Feed on Your Squarespace Site is a Game-Changer

Before jumping into the "how," it’s worth understanding the "why." Integrating a live Instagram feed isn't just a design choice, it's a strategic move that provides real business benefits. It acts as an instant bridge between two of your most important marketing channels, creating a more cohesive brand experience for your audience.

Here are a few key advantages:

• Builds Social Proof and Trust: When visitors see a live feed of your activity - complete with likes, comments, and real people interacting with your brand - it lends instant credibility. It shows that you’re an active, engaged business that people trust. This is especially powerful if you feature user-generated content (UGC), as it acts as a collection of mini-testimonials.
• Keeps Your Website Content Fresh: Static websites can get stale quickly. An Instagram feed is dynamic, automatically pulling in your latest content without you ever having to update the website itself. Every time you post on Instagram, your Squarespace site gets a fresh look, giving repeat visitors something new to see.
• Boosts Instagram Engagement: Your website traffic is valuable. By showcasing your Instagram feed, you give visitors a compelling reason to check out your profile and hit that "Follow" button. You’re meeting an engaged audience where they are and giving them a direct path to connect with you on social media.
• Enhances Your Site's Visual Appeal: A well-curated Instagram feed is a collection of your best brand visuals. Integrating it into your website design can break up text-heavy pages, add vibrant imagery, and create a more engaging, modern aesthetic that tells your brand story visually.

Method 1: Use Squarespace's Native Instagram Block

For most users, Squarespace’s built-in Instagram Block is the cleanest and most direct way to get the job done. It's designed to integrate seamlessly with your site, it’s free, and you can set it up in just a few minutes without any coding.

One important heads-up: to use the official block, you'll need an Instagram Business account that is linked to a Facebook Page you manage. Personal Instagram accounts can't be connected this way due to Instagram's API rules. Making the switch is free and gives you access to analytics and other business tools, so it's a worthwhile move anyway.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding the Instagram Block

Follow these steps to get your feed live on your site:

1. Go to Your Squarespace Page Editor

Log in to your Squarespace account and navigate to the page where you'd like the Instagram feed to appear. This could be your homepage, your 'About' page, or even a dedicated 'Community' page. Once you're on the page, click the "Edit" button in the upper left corner to open the page editor.

2. Find Your Section and Add a Block

Hover your mouse over the section where you want the feed, and click the "Add Block" button that appears. This will open up Squarespace's menu of content blocks.

3. Select the "Instagram" Block

In the block menu, scroll down until you find the "Social" section or simply type "Instagram" into the search bar. Click the Instagram icon to add the block to your page. It will probably show placeholder content at first - that's normal.

4. Connect Your Instagram Account

Click on the Instagram block you just added to open its settings panel. You’ll see a prompt asking you to connect an account. Click the "Add account" button. You'll be redirected to Facebook to authorize the connection. Remember, you're authenticating through the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram Business account. Follow the prompts to grant Squarespace permission.

5. Design and Customize Your Feed

Once your account is connected, the fun begins. Squarespace gives you a decent number of options to style your feed so it matches your site's aesthetic. In the "Design" tab of the block editor, you can adjust:

• Layout: Choose from several different formats. A Grid will display your posts in a clean, masonry-style gallery. Slideshow creates a slider that visitors can click through. Stacked shows your posts in a single column with captions, just like the actual Instagram app.
• Aspect Ratio: You can select the shape of your thumbnails, from Square (1:1) to Vertical (4:5).
• Items Per Row: If you're using the grid layout, you can decide how many images appear in each row, controlling the size of the thumbnails.
• Spacing: Adjust the gap between pictures to create a tighter or more spaced-out look.

6. Configure Display Settings

Switch over to the "Content" tab to fine-tune what information is displayed. Here, you can define:

• Items to Display: Choose the maximum number of posts you want to show, up to 20.
• Open Links in New Tab: It's generally a good practice to check this box. It ensures that when a visitor clicks on an Instagram post, it opens a new browser tab, keeping your website open in the original one.

After you’ve tweaked the settings to your liking, click 'Save' to apply the changes to your site.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Widget for More Power and Customization

The native Squarespace block is great for a basic feed, but it has its limitations. You can't filter posts by hashtag, pull in posts you're tagged in, or create shoppable galleries. If you need more advanced functionality or find the native block's connection a bit finicky, a third-party widget is the way to go.

You might want a third-party widget if you want to:

• Display Hashtag Feeds: A fantastic way to showcase user-generated content around a branded campaign.
• Show Tagged Posts: Display any public post your brand's account is tagged in.
• Have More Design Control: Third-party tools offer extensive customization - from colors and fonts to hover effects and layouts.
• Create "Shoppable" Instagram Feeds: Link your posts directly to the product pages on your site, which is huge for e-commerce brands.
• Guarantee Reliability: Many premium widgets have more robust and stable connections to Instagram's API, meaning fewer disconnection issues.

Tools like Elfsight, Flockler, and Taggbox are popular choices. Most work on a subscription basis but offer far more features than the native Squarespace block.

General Steps for Installing a Third-Party Widget

While the specifics vary by provider, the general process is almost always the same.

1. Sign Up and Connect Your Account

Choose a third-party service, create an account, and connect your Instagram profile to their platform. This process is similar to Squarespace - you'll authorize the connection through Instagram/Facebook.

2. Build and Customize Your Feed

This is where these tools really shine. Inside your widget provider's dashboard, you’ll be able to build your feed. You can choose your sources (your main feed, a hashtag, tagged posts, etc.) and then customize its appearance with tons of design options.

3. Copy the Embed Code

Once your feed looks perfect, the platform will give you a snippet of code (usually JavaScript). This is the code you'll paste into your Squarespace site. Copy it to your clipboard.

4. Add a Code Block in Squarespace

Go back to your Squarespace page editor. Instead of adding an "Instagram Block," this time you'll add a "Code Block." This block is designed specifically to handle custom code snippets like the one you just copied.

5. Paste the Code

Click into the new Code Block, delete any placeholder content, and paste your code from the third-party widget. Important: You may need to disable Ajax loading for some scripts to work correctly - this is usually a simple toggle in your site's advanced settings if you run into issues.

Once you save your changes, the custom feed will appear on your page, pulling all its style and content settings from the third-party platform you used.

Troubleshooting Common Hiccups

Sometimes things don't work perfectly on the first try. Here are a few common issues and how to fix them:

• "Feed Not Updating": This usually means the connection between Squarespace and your Instagram account has been disrupted. Go to Settings >, Connected Accounts, disconnect your Instagram account, and then reconnect it through the Instagram Block's settings again. This typically fixes it.
• "Requires Business Account": If you get this message, it means the Instagram account you're trying to connect is either a Personal or Creator account, or it's not properly linked to a Facebook Page. Double-check your Instagram settings to confirm you're a Business profile and visit your Facebook Page settings to confirm the link is active.
• Display Looks Strange on Mobile: Use Squarespace’s Mobile View to preview how the feed looks. If the native block is not displaying well, you might need to adjust the number of items per row or the spacing. If you're using a third-party widget, check its own dashboard for mobile-specific design settings.

Final Thoughts

Whether you choose the simplicity of Squarespace's native Instagram Block or the powerful features of a third-party widget, integrating your feed is an excellent way to add dynamic social proof to your website. It bridges the gap between your site and your social presence, creating a more cohesive, engaging, and trustworthy brand experience for your visitors.

Making sure that feed is always filled with great, consistent content is the other half of the puzzle. At a certain point, scrambling to post something new just feels chaotic. That’s why we built Postbase. We designed a clean, visual calendar that helps you plan and schedule your content across all social platforms - including the Posts and Reels destined for your Squarespace feed - so you always have a steady stream of high-quality content going live without the daily stress.