How to Automate the Copyright Year on Your Squarespace Website

It’s that time of year again when every visit to your website gives the quiet but nagging reminder that your footer still says last year.

And while updating your copyright year sounds small, it’s one of those tiny details that’s easy to forget… until January rolls around and suddenly it’s staring back at you.

The good news? This is a one-time fix.

Once you add the code below, your copyright year will update automatically every January. No reminders, no sticky notes, no future you wondering why you missed it.

This guide walks you through exactly how to do it in plain English, even if code is not your thing.

Before You Start

This tutorial is written with Squarespace in mind, but the general concept works on other platforms too (we’ll cover that at the end).

You don’t need to understand JavaScript or CSS - you just need to know where to paste things and what to change.

Step 1: Add the JavaScript That Updates the Year

This first step tells your website what year it should display.

Instead of putting this directly into your footer, we’ll add it once in Squarespace’s backend so it runs automatically.

How to add the script in Squarespace

1. Open the Pages menu in Squarespace

2. Scroll down to Custom Code

3. Click Code Injection

4. Paste the code below into the Footer section (after any existing code)

5. Save your changes

<!-- Auto-Update Copyright Year -->
<script>
  document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {
    var yearSpan = document.getElementById("copyright-year");
    if (yearSpan) {
      yearSpan.textContent = new Date().getFullYear();
    }
  });
</script>
<!-- End Auto-Update Copyright Year -->

Step 2: Add the Copyright Text to Your Footer

Now we’ll add the actual text that shows up in your footer, - the part visitors can see.

You’ll usually be replacing an existing text block, so take note of any links already there (like your Privacy Policy).

How to add the copyright text

1. Go to any page where your footer appears

2. Click Edit

3. Scroll down and click Edit Site Footer

4. Click Add Block and choose Code

5. Paste one of the options below

6. Replace Business Name with your legal business name

7. Move the block where your copyright should appear

8. Save and preview

The Basic version (copyright only)

<div class="footer-copyright-links">
© <span id="copyright-year"></span> Business Name
</div>

The Advanced Version (recommended)

Use this if you want to include a Privacy Policy, Terms page, or designer credit.

Be sure to:

• Replace /policy-link with your actual policy page URL

• Update the site credit link if you use one

<div class="footer-copyright-links">
© <span id="copyright-year"></span> Business Name |  <a href="/policy-link">Privacy Policy</a> | <a href="https://www.sitecreditlink.com" target="_blank">Site Credit</a>
</div>

Step 3: Styling the Text and Links

By default, this text will inherit your normal paragraph styles, - which usually makes it too prominent for a footer.

We’ll fix that with a small amount of CSS so it looks intentional and polished.

How to add the styling

1. Go to Pages > Custom Code > Custom CSS

2. Paste the code below at the bottom

3. Adjust it to match your design

//FOOTER COPYRIGHT STYLING
.footer-copyright-links {
  text-align: center;
  font-size: 85%;
  font-family: Font Name Here;
  color: Color Code Here;
}

.footer-copyright-links a {
  text-decoration: underline;
}

.footer-copyright-links a:hover {
  color: Color Code Here;
}

What you can safely adjust

• Text alignment: left, center, or right

• Font size: percentage or pixel value

• Font family: replace with your site font

• Text color: use a hex color or brand color

• Hover color: optional, but nice

If you don’t need a line, you can delete it - nothing will break.

Not Using Squarespace?

You can still automate your copyright year on most platforms.

If your site allows:

• custom scripts

• code blocks

• or custom CSS

…the same idea applies - you’ll just paste things in different places.

One‑block fallback option

If your platform doesn’t have a global script area, you can paste everything into a single code block in your footer. It’s not quite as elegant, but it works.

<div class="footer-copyright-links">
© <span id="copyright-year"></span> Business Name |  <a href="/policy-link">Privacy Policy</a> | <a href="https://www.sitecreditlink.com" target="_blank">Site Credit</a>
</div>

<script>
  document.getElementById("copyright-year").textContent =
    new Date().getFullYear();
</script>

One Less Thing to Remember

Taking 30 minutes now to add this code to your website will save you from needing to remember to update your copyright information every January, which means one more thing you can take off your to-do list!

And if you’d rather not touch code at all? That’s exactly what Refresh Sessions are for.