Migrating a Personal Site from Squarespace to Hostinger Without Downtime

Updated 2026-07-13 · Hosting Reviews

Moving a personal site from Squarespace to Hostinger can be done in a few hours and without losing visitors. Below you’ll find the exact tools you need, cost‑effective hosting choices, and a clear migration plan that keeps your online CV and portfolio live throughout the process.

What You Need Before You Start

To migrate a personal site Squarespace to Hostinger you’ll need three things:

1. Domain access. If you bought your domain through Squarespace, unlock it and get the authorization (EPP) code. If you already own a custom domain elsewhere, just make sure you can edit its DNS records.
2. Hosting plan. Hostinger offers shared, cloud, and VPS options. For a resume or portfolio site, shared hosting (around $3‑$8 / month) is usually enough, but a cloud plan (roughly $5‑$15 / month) gives extra speed and scalability if you expect higher traffic.
3. Website platform. You can rebuild with a WordPress theme, use Hostinger’s drag‑and‑drop builder, or export static HTML from Squarespace. WordPress is the most flexible and works well with one‑click installs on Hostinger.

Choosing the Right Hostinger Plan

Because a personal / resume site doesn’t need massive resources, the key factors are price, ease of use, and reliability. Hostinger’s shared hosting includes:

• Free SSL certificate – essential for protecting contact forms and CV downloads.
• One‑click WordPress installer – get WordPress up in minutes.
• 30‑day money‑back guarantee – safe to test.

If you anticipate rapid growth (e.g., a blog that drives a lot of traffic), upgrade to a cloud plan. It still stays under $15 / month, offers dedicated resources, and scales without downtime.

Exporting Your Content from Squarespace

Squarespace does not provide a direct WordPress export, but you can pull most of your content:

1. Log into Squarespace and go to Settings → Advanced → Import / Export. Choose “Export” and download the XML file. This file contains pages, blog posts, and basic metadata.
2. For images, download the media library (Settings → Files) or use a site‑scraper like wget to copy all assets.
3. If you used Squarespace’s built‑in forms, export the form fields manually and recreate them in a WordPress form plugin (e.g., WPForms) after migration.

Static pages (About, Portfolio, Contact) can be copied manually if the XML export misses them.

Setting Up WordPress on Hostinger

Once you have a Hostinger account:

1. Log into the Hostinger hPanel and click “WordPress” under Auto Installer. Follow the prompts – you’ll set a site name, admin username, and password.
2. After installation, log into /wp‑admin and install a clean, professional theme suited for resumes (e.g., Astra, OceanWP, or any free “personal portfolio” theme).
3. Install essential plugins: Yoast SEO for search visibility, WPForms for contact forms, and UpdraftPlus for backups.

The free SSL provided by Hostinger will automatically activate; just ensure the WordPress “Site URL” uses https://.

Moving Your Domain Without Downtime

To keep your site online while the DNS switches, use the following method:

1. In Hostinger’s DNS zone, create an A record that points your domain to the new server’s IP address. Do NOT change the nameservers yet.
2. Upload your WordPress site (import the XML file via Tools → Import → WordPress) and manually add any missing pages or images.
3. Test the new site using a temporary URL or by editing your computer’s hosts file to point the domain to the new IP. Verify that all links, forms, and downloads work.
4. When you’re satisfied, go back to your domain registrar and replace the old nameservers with Hostinger’s nameservers (ns1.hostinger.com, ns2.hostinger.com). DNS propagation usually completes within a few hours, and visitors will seamlessly receive the new site.

Because the original Squarespace site remains active until the nameserver change propagates, there is effectively zero downtime.

Speed, Security, and Ongoing Maintenance

Even a modest resume site benefits from a few performance tweaks:

• Cache plugin. Install a lightweight caching plugin (e.g., WP Super Cache) to serve static files quickly.
• Image optimization. Use a plugin like Smush or ShortPixel to compress portfolio images without losing quality.
• Regular backups. Schedule weekly backups with UpdraftPlus and store them off‑site (Google Drive, Dropbox).
• Security. Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated. Hostinger’s built‑in firewall and free SSL already cover the basics.

Cost‑wise, you’ll pay the hosting plan (intro rates often start under $3 / month) and renew at a slightly higher rate. Domain registration through Hostinger averages $10‑$15 / year, but you can keep an existing domain if you prefer.

Quick Checklist for a Smooth Migration

• Unlock domain and get EPP code (if transferring).
• Choose a Hostinger shared or cloud plan based on traffic expectations.
• Export Squarespace content (XML + media).
• Install WordPress with one‑click on Hostinger.
• Import content, recreate forms, and test via hosts file.
• Point DNS A record to new server, verify, then switch nameservers.
• Enable caching, optimize images, and set up regular backups.

FAQ

Will my SEO rankings drop when I move from Squarespace to Hostinger?

If you keep the same domain and replicate URLs (slug structure) the impact is minimal. Use a plugin like Redirection to map any changed URLs and submit an updated sitemap in Google Search Console.

Do I need any coding knowledge to complete this migration?

No. Hostinger’s one‑click WordPress installer and the built‑in import tool handle the technical side. Basic copy‑paste for content and a few clicks for DNS settings are all that’s required.

Can I keep my Squarespace email if I move the domain to Hostinger?

Yes. After pointing the domain to Hostinger, you can continue using G Suite, Microsoft 365, or any third‑party email service by configuring the appropriate MX records in Hostinger’s DNS manager.