Squarespace is cutting about 300 jobs, 19% of its staff, as AI tools that build websites from a typed request change the industry. Site owners should watch what comes next.
Squarespace, the company that lets people build and host their own websites, is laying off about 19% of its workforce. That is around 300 employees worldwide. A company representative confirmed the cuts to TechCrunch. The Verge reported the news first.
Jeff Seedman, a public relations specialist for Squarespace, said the company is restructuring and reducing its global workforce by approximately 19%. He said the changes are meant to simplify how the company operates, sharpen its priorities and let it move faster as it positions itself for its next phase of growth.
The company did not say AI caused the layoffs. But the article points out that website building has changed a great deal because of the generative AI boom. New "vibe-coding" builders let a person type a simple request and get a working design for the part of a site visitors see.
Money is moving that way. Rival Wix bought an AI builder called Base44 for $80 million last year. Another one, Lovable, raised $400 million in August at a $13.3 billion valuation. Google also launched Stitch, a feature that quickly generates designs for app and site screens.
Squarespace has its own AI tools. It launched one called Blueprint in 2024. It also announced Forma, an upcoming platform built around AI, and people can join a waitlist. The company was founded in 2004 and went public in 2021 at a $10 billion valuation. It struggled to win over public investors and went private again in 2024 through a $7 billion private equity deal.
A note from TechCrunch: an earlier version wrongly said Squarespace had not yet launched AI tools. The story has been corrected.
The company has not said which teams or countries are hit hardest. It has not said whether customer support, pricing or existing products will change. It also has not said when Forma will open to the public.
If your business site is on Squarespace, nothing changes today, but expect a push toward AI tools and compare other builders if you are shopping.
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