Migrating a Restaurant Site from Squarespace to Hostinger Without Data Loss

Updated 2026-07-07 · Hosting Reviews

Moving a restaurant site from Squarespace to Hostinger doesn’t have to be a nightmare. In this guide you’ll see exactly how to migrate restaurant site from Squarespace to Hostinger while keeping menus, reservations and Google rankings intact.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items first so the migration runs smoothly:

• Access to your Squarespace admin panel (admin email & password).
• A domain name – either the one you already own on Squarespace or a new one you’ll register with Hostinger.
• A hosting plan that matches the traffic and features you need (shared, cloud or VPS).
• Content export files – Squarespace lets you export pages, blog posts and images as a .xml file.
• A fresh WordPress installation (or another builder) on Hostinger, because WordPress offers the best flexibility for menus, reservations and online ordering plugins.

Choosing the Right Hostinger Plan for a Restaurant Website

Restaurant sites usually need:

• Fast page loads for menu images.
• Reliable uptime for reservation widgets.
• SSL encryption for online ordering.

Hostinger’s shared hosting starts around $3‑$5 /month and is sufficient for a single‑location eatery with moderate traffic. If you expect high traffic spikes (e.g., during a local event) or want dedicated resources, their cloud or VPS options (roughly $10‑$15 /month for entry‑level) give you extra CPU and RAM without a huge cost increase. All plans include free SSL, daily backups, and a one‑click WordPress installer.

Exporting Your Squarespace Content

Squarespace does not provide a full‑site backup, but you can pull most of the data you need:

1. Log into Squarespace and go to Settings → Advanced → Import/Export.
2. Click Export and choose the WordPress format. Squarespace will generate an XML file containing pages, blog posts and image URLs.
3. Download the file to your computer.
4. Manually copy any custom CSS, JavaScript, and especially the reservation widget code (most widgets are embedded via a script tag).

Note: Squarespace’s e‑commerce orders and customer data are not included in the export. Export those reports as CSV files for reference.

Setting Up WordPress on Hostinger

Once you’ve signed up for a Hostinger plan, follow these steps:

1. Log into the Hostinger control panel and hit the One‑Click WordPress button.
2. Choose a site name (e.g., yourrestaurant.com) and create an admin account.
3. After installation, go to Plugins → Add New and install a restaurant‑focused theme (many free options exist) and essential plugins:
   • WP Restaurant Manager – handles menus, hours, and locations.
   • Restaurant Reservations – integrates Google Calendar or OpenTable.
   • WooCommerce + a food‑ordering extension if you sell online.
4. Activate the free SSL from the Hostinger dashboard; WordPress will automatically switch to https.
5. Test the site’s speed with a tool like GTmetrix; Hostinger’s LiteSpeed caching can be turned on in the control panel.

Importing Your Content and Recreating the Menu

Now bring the exported data into WordPress:

• Go to Tools → Import → WordPress, install the importer if prompted, and upload the XML file.
• Assign the imported posts to a new “Menu” category or use the restaurant plugin’s custom post type for dishes.
• Upload any high‑resolution photos you saved from Squarespace to the WordPress media library.
• Copy over any custom CSS from Squarespace into Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS to preserve styling.

Re‑create the reservation widget by pasting the script tag you saved earlier into a Text widget or directly into the page builder.

Switching DNS and Going Live

When the new site looks good on the temporary Hostinger URL, point your domain to Hostinger:

1. Log into your domain registrar (or Hostinger if you registered the domain there).
2. Replace the existing nameservers with Hostinger’s nameservers (you’ll find them in the Hostinger dashboard).
3. Allow 24‑48 hours for propagation. During this window, keep the Squarespace site live as a backup.
4. After propagation, test every menu page, reservation form, and ordering checkout to confirm they work over https.

Finally, submit the new URL to Google Search Console and request a re‑crawl so local diners continue to see your restaurant in “near me” searches.

FAQ

Do I need to cancel Squarespace before the migration?

No. Keep your Squarespace subscription active until the DNS switch is complete and you’ve verified that all content works on Hostinger. Cancel after you’re confident the new site is stable.

Can I keep my existing domain when moving to Hostinger?

Absolutely. Either transfer the domain to Hostinger (often free for the first year) or simply point the current nameservers to Hostinger’s servers. Both methods keep your URL unchanged.

What if I need more resources later?

Hostinger makes scaling easy. You can upgrade from shared to cloud or VPS with a few clicks in the control panel, and the migration of files is handled automatically. Prices rise gradually, but you stay within a budget‑friendly range.