I have a customer who sent me an HTML version of their Squarespace website along with the CSS files. They don't have any integrations or a shopping cart, and they're wondering if I can host these files for them. My two main questions are: 1. Am I able to just host the files they've provided? 2. Is there a straightforward way to sanitize the site so it won't require anything from Squarespace? I'd appreciate any insights or advice!
3 Answers
If the site is completely static and they don't need to update it, it might work to just host the files as is. However, I've seen clients attempt this and often they end up missing important pieces like images or JavaScript functionality. The HTML may still point to Squarespace-hosted resources, and those will break if they shut off Squarespace. You'll need to do some digging to see what files are actually missing before you give them a quote on hosting.
First off, do you or your client have the rights to use all those assets? If the site relies on Squarespace resources, replicating it elsewhere could lead to legal issues. It might be helpful to ask your client more about why they're doing this and the story behind the original site. Maybe the web developer left or something else happened?
I don't have all the details yet, but they said their developer told them Squarespace is the only place the site can exist, even though it’s just 4 static pages.
On a technical basis, hosting static files is pretty straightforward. But ethically, it seems a bit shady and might open a can of worms later on. It's something to think about before proceeding.
I'll have to stage it this week and check for any calls to Squarespace. If it doesn't show any issues, I might just go ahead and host it since it's only 4 pages.