How do I optimize images for my Squarespace website?

Before uploading any image to Squarespace, resize and compress it. Squarespace serves responsive images automatically, but it cannot fix an oversized source file. For full-width hero images, resize to 2500 pixels wide. For content images and blog photos, 1500 pixels wide is sufficient. For thumbnails and icons, 800 pixels or less. Use JPEG format for photographs and PNG for graphics with transparency. Compress all images using TinyPNG, Squoosh, or ImageOptim before uploading.

Target file sizes under 500 KB for large hero images and under 200 KB for standard content images. Every kilobyte matters for page speed — a single unoptimized 5 MB photo from your camera can make your page load several seconds slower. If you are uploading a gallery with 20 photos, those savings multiply dramatically. The five minutes you spend optimizing images before upload saves your visitors time on every page load forever.

Always add alt text to every image. Alt text is the description that screen readers read aloud for visually impaired visitors, and it is also what Google uses to understand your images for search. Write alt text that accurately describes what the image shows — a completed kitchen remodel with white cabinets and quartz countertops rather than kitchen photo or IMG_4523. Good alt text improves both accessibility and image search rankings.