Web host Squarespace lays off 19% of its employees
Squarespace, the web company that helps customers build and host their own websites, is laying off about one-fifth of its workforce, in a move that will affect hundreds of jobs. Jeff Seedman, a public relations specialist representing Squarespace, confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch. The Verge…
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Squarespace, the web company that helps customers build and host their own websites, is laying off about one-fifth of its workforce, in a move that will affect hundreds of jobs. Jeff Seedman, a public relations specialist representing Squarespace, confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch. The Verge initially reported the layoffs. “Squarespace is restructuring its organization and reducing its global workforce by approximately 19%, representing around 300 employees,” said Seedman. “The changes are intended to simplify how we operate, sharpen our priorities and enable the company to move faster as we position Squarespace for its next phase of growth.” Website building has changed immensely over the last few years as a result of the generative AI boom. “Vibe-coding” website builders, which only require simple prompts from users to spin up functional front-end designs, have largely upended the industry, making it possible for users to create sites with significantly less effort. These kinds of sites have become an increasingly central part of the website-building business. Last year, web host rival Wix bought Base44 for $80 million. Similar offerings, like Lovable, have generated significant investor interest; Lovable raised a $400 million Series C round in August that valued the company at $13.3 billion. Google also recently launched Stitch, a feature that allows users to swiftly generate user-interface designs. Squarespace has also begun a big push into AI. In 2024, the company launched an AI tool called Blueprint. The company also recently announced Forma, an upcoming AI native platform, whose waitlist users can join. Squarespace was founded in 2004 and went public in 2021 at a $10 billion valuation. However, the company struggled in the ensuing years to generate enthusiastic public market interest. Squarespace ultimately decided to go private again by way of a $7 billion private equity deal in 2024. An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated that Squarespace had not yet launched AI tools; the story has been updated. Topics AI, Commerce, Layoffs, Squarespace, vibe coding When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Lucas Ropek Senior Writer, TechCrunch Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing [email protected]. View Bio November 4 Boston Buy One Pass, Get a Second FreeCover more ground at TechCrunch’s ultimate founder bootcamp of the year by bringing your co-founder or partner for freeBook before the BOGO deal expires Register Now Most Popular Anthropic expected to receive high ‘junk’ rating from credit agencies following IPO, FT report says Lucas Ropek Google’s first data center satellite is online and writing poetry Tim Fernholz Binance pauses withdrawals as hackers suspected of stealing billions in crypto Zack Whittaker As search traffic dries up, Reddit announces it’s shifting to a logged-in experience Sarah Perez Apple’s touchscreen MacBook Pro pushes laptop pricing to a new extreme Lauren Forristal AI execs may be too out of touch to build for the general public Amanda Silberling VCs will make billions on Anthropic’s IPO, but Amazon is set to make much (much) more Marina Temkin