How to Safely Test AI-Generated Code in Squarespace Without Breaking Your Site
Using code on your Squarespace site can help push past the limitations of the editor. With the increase in AI tools, some designers are turning to AI to generate code for Squarespace. This can be a great tool; however, using poorly written code or code full of errors can harm your site.
This guide is for Squarespace users who want to safely test AI-generated code without risking their live site's functionality or losing visitors due to broken pages.
You'll learn which coding languages are generally safe and which ones to be cautious about. I will also show you how to set up a safe testing environment that protects your main site from coding disasters, and how I fix broken code. Finally, you'll discover step-by-step implementation strategies that let you gradually roll out AI code changes while maintaining full control over your site's performance.
Understanding AI-Generated Code and Its Potential Risks in Squarespace
Before diving deeper into safe testing practices, understanding the foundation is crucial. My comprehensive guide "Using AI to Code for Squarespace: Why You Still Need the Basics" breaks down why coding knowledge remains essential even when AI does the heavy lifting.
Key Points Covered in That Post:
Benefits of using AI to write code
Drawbacks of using AI to write code
Examples of using AI to write code (and how some basic coding knowledge can be super beneficial…)
AI Tools Specific for Squarespace Coding
My Final Thoughts
That post explains why blindly trusting AI code without understanding the basics often leads to frustrated website owners dealing with broken layouts, non-functional features, or sites that work inconsistently across devices. The combination of AI and basic coding knowledge creates the safest path forward for Squarespace customization.
Will it destroy my site if the code is wrong?
CSS and HTML are Safe - Your Site Won't Break
The good news is that CSS and HTML code generated by AI won't cause your Squarespace site to crash or become completely unusable. These languages are designed to style and structure web content, and even when they contain errors, they simply fail to load or display incorrectly rather than breaking your entire website.
When CSS code has mistakes, you might see visual quirks like misaligned elements, weird colors, or layout issues. HTML errors typically result in content not displaying as expected or certain elements appearing broken. The beauty of these languages is that removing the code restores your site to its previous state. You can quickly delete problematic code from the Custom CSS panel or code blocks without any lasting damage.
JavaScript Requires More Caution
JavaScript operates differently from CSS and HTML because it can actively manipulate your website's functionality. While it won't permanently destroy your site, faulty JavaScript can create user experience problems that range from annoying to site-breaking.
Common JavaScript issues include infinite loops that slow down browsers, errors that prevent other scripts from running, broken interactive elements, and conflicts with Squarespace's built-in functionality. These problems can make your site appear unprofessional or even unusable for visitors.
Before adding any AI-generated JavaScript to your live site, test it thoroughly in a controlled environment. CodePen provides an excellent platform for this purpose. You can paste the JavaScript code, along with any necessary HTML and CSS, to see how it behaves in isolation. This testing reveals syntax errors, logic problems, and potential conflicts before they affect your actual website.
Browser developer tools offer another testing method. Open the console in Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, and run small JavaScript snippets to check for errors. Look for red error messages that indicate problems with the code.
For comprehensive JavaScript testing, use a Squarespace trial site. This gives you access to the full Squarespace environment without risking your live website. You can test how the JavaScript interacts with Squarespace's existing scripts, themes, and functionality. Trial sites let you experiment with complex code implementations and see exactly how they'll perform in your actual site environment.
Setting Up a Safe Testing Environment for Your Squarespace Site
First, if you are making any major changes, it’s always a good idea to backup your site.
Before making any major changes or adding a bunch of AI-generated code, you should create a complete backup of your Squarespace site. This isn't just about the code - it's about preserving everything you've worked hard to build. Your site backup should include your content, design settings, custom CSS, and any existing code blocks you've added over time.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy way to back up your Squarespace site. You can do this by duplicating your site, downloading your XML File, and taking screenshots of your website. Kate Scott has a blog post with all the details here. While a backup won't capture every customization, it gives you a safety net for your posts, pages, and basic structure.
Consider having a trial site as your “playground”.
Creating a separate Squarespace trial site serves as your personal testing laboratory. Squarespace offers free trial sites that give you access to most features without affecting your live website. This approach provides the safest environment for experimenting with AI-generated code because any mistakes stay completely isolated from your actual business site.
Set up your trial site to mirror your live site as closely as possible. Choose the same template, recreate key pages, and add similar content. You don't need to duplicate everything - focus on the pages where you plan to implement the AI code. This setup lets you see exactly how the code will behave in your actual environment without any risk.
The trial site method works particularly well for testing complex functionality like custom forms, interactive elements, or dynamic content displays. You can break things, fix them, and play with the code until it works perfectly. Once you've thoroughly tested everything and feel confident about the results, you can then apply the same code to your live site.
Keep your trial site active throughout your testing phase. Even after moving code to your live site, maintain the trial environment for future experiments. This ongoing testing ground becomes increasingly valuable as you work with more AI-generated code over time.
Duplicate a page on your live site.
Creating a dedicated testing page on your live site offers a middle-ground approach between full site backups and separate trial sites. Duplicate an existing page that's similar to where you want to implement the AI code, then set this duplicate to "Not Linked" in your navigation. This creates a hidden testing environment that uses your actual site's structure and settings.
The duplicate page method works exceptionally well for testing code that depends on your specific site configuration, plugins, or integrations. Since you're working within your actual site environment, you'll catch compatibility issues that might not show up in a trial site. You can test how the AI code interacts with your existing custom CSS, third-party integrations, or specific layout features.
Name your testing page something obvious, like "Code Test - Do Not Delete" so you remember its purpose months later. Add the AI-generated code to this page first, then preview it thoroughly. Test the functionality, check how it displays on different devices, and make sure it doesn't interfere with other page elements.
This approach lets you refine the code until it works perfectly, then simply apply the code to your intended page. You can keep the testing page indefinitely as a reference, or delete it once you're satisfied with the implementation. Just remember that this method still carries some risk since you're working on your live site, albeit on a hidden page.
Step-by-Step Implementation Process for AI Code Testing
Once you have your safe testing environment set up and you are ready to start implementing the code. Follow the following process.
Copy and paste the code into the right spots
Start by placing your AI-generated code exactly where it needs to go in your safe testing environment. For CSS code, head to the Custom CSS panel. JavaScript snippets typically belong in Code Injection areas - either site-wide in the header/footer or on specific pages. HTML elements should be added through Code Blocks on the pages where you want them to appear.
Tip: Double-check that you're copying the complete code snippet - missing brackets or semicolons will cause problems.
Add a section at a time.
Large code blocks can be overwhelming and make troubleshooting nearly impossible. Break complex implementations into smaller, manageable chunks. Add one function at a time, test it, then move to the next piece. This approach helps you identify exactly which part causes issues if something goes wrong.
For example, if you have a custom navigation menu with multiple interactive elements, implement the basic structure first, then add hover effects, followed by mobile responsiveness features, etc. Each addition should be tested separately before moving forward.
Make sure to add comments to each section so you know what it does. When you return to debug later, you'll appreciate having a clear map of your implementation process. Check out this blog post on how to keep your code clean.
The code didn’t work. Time to debug it…
Debugging requires patience and systematic thinking. It is also super helpful if you know the basics of the coding language you are using.
The first step to debugging is to figure out what part of the code is wrong. Start by checking your browser's developer console for error messages. These messages often point directly to the problem line in your code. If not, try “turning off” the code section by section. To do this, comment out sections of your code using
/* */for CSS or//for JavaScript. Start by disabling half the code, then test. If the problem disappears, you know the issue is in the disabled section. Keep narrowing down until you find the exact problematic lines.Once you know which section of code has the error, you can start using trial and error to figure out what is wrong. Again, this is where having a basic knowledge of code can help immensely.
In terms of CSS, here are some common sources of error:
If nothing changed or the wrong element changed… check the selector.
Your code might be perfect, but targeting the wrong element. Squarespace generates specific class names and IDs for different elements. Use your browser's inspect tool to find the correct selectors for the elements you want to modify. Right-click on the element you want to change, select "Inspect," and look for the class or ID names in the highlighted code.
If it targeted the correct element but it didn’t do what you want… check the property.
Knowing which property to choose can be tricky. Sometimes, properties need to be used alongside other properties to work. To help my fellow designers, I combined a list of the 41 most popular CSS properties into a free PDF Guide. Check it out here!
If it affected too many things… the selector needs to be more specific.
This happens when your CSS selector is too broad or targets multiple elements unintentionally. If your code changed the wrong button color, your selector might be targeting all buttons instead of just the specific one you want. Make your selectors more specific by adding more class names, collection ids, section ids, or block ids.
4. The code works! You're good to use it on your live site.
Success means your code performs exactly as intended without breaking existing functionality. Check your site on different devices and browsers (including mobile!) to confirm everything works smoothly. Test all interactive elements - buttons should click, forms should submit, animations should play correctly.
Don't just check the obvious stuff. Navigate through your entire site to make sure the new code didn't accidentally affect other pages or features. Sometimes CSS changes can have unexpected ripple effects across your site's design.
The code works… what next?
Make Sure You Put It in the Right Place
Copy and paste your code into the same place you had it in the safe testing environment. Again, remember that CSS goes into the Custom CSS box, HTML generally goes in Code Blocks on the page, and JavaScript goes into the Header or Footer Code Injection. There are a few other areas that code can go and exceptions to these rules, but it will depend on what you are trying to accomplish. Check out this blog post where I go over all the areas you can add code and where code should be placed to keep it clean and organized.
Change Any Page, Section, or Block IDs
CSS classes will remain the same from Squarespace site to Squarespace site. However, if you have used any IDs in your code such as Collection Ids, Section Ids, or Block Ids, these will change. If you tested your code on a separate page or site, you will need to change these Ids when adding it to your live site.
Again, don’t forget to add comments to your code so you know what it is in the future.
Double-check the code works!
Go through your testing process again to make sure the code works on your live site. This includes checking the code on different browsers, screen sizes, devices, etc.
Also, it is important to check that it hasn’t affected anything else on your site.
Browse through several pages of your site, not just the target page where you implemented the code. Click through your main navigation, test internal links, and verify that all interactive elements respond correctly. Pay special attention to forms, buttons, pop-ups, and any custom functionality you've previously added.
Monitor your site's loading speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. Some AI-generated code includes inefficient scripts or excessive CSS that can slow down your site's performance. Address any performance issues immediately to maintain good user experience and search engine rankings.
In Conclusion
Don't let fear of breaking your site stop you from using code on your Squarespace site. Start small, test everything in a safe space, and build your confidence with each successful implementation. Your visitors will never know you're running experiments behind the scenes, and you'll sleep better knowing your live site stays rock-solid while you innovate.
