Website settings

Where website settings live

Website settings are inside the builder. Open Website, click Edit website, then click Settings in the left-hand bar. The sections are grouped, and you can search them by name:

Picking a section swaps the page for its form. Use the back arrow to return to your page.

These settings cover the whole site. To change one page's name, address or search details, use that page's Page settings in the builder's Pages panel instead.

Most sections have their own Save button, and nothing in a section is kept until you click it. Lists, such as redirect rules, testimonials and themes, save each item as you add, edit or delete it.

Settings changes take effect on your live site without publishing.

Domain & general

This section shows details that come from your publication: Name, Description, your logo (used as your site's browser-tab icon), Language and Private site. They are read-only here. Change them in your publication settings under Settings, General.

The Domain field here is currently always empty, even when you've connected a domain. To see or connect your domain, go to Settings, Domains.

Manage preferences opens your preference centre, where you set up the email groups readers can choose between.

SEO defaults

These are the defaults for every page. A page's own SEO title and SEO description take priority when you set them.

Search engine optimization

• Discoverable on the web: on by default. Turn it off to ask search engines not to list any page of your site. A single page can't be listed while this is off, whatever its own setting says.
• Newsletter schema type: how your posts describe themselves to search engines: Article (Default), News Article or Blog Posting. News Article suits news sites.

Search appearance

• Meta title: aim for about 70 characters.
• Meta description: aim for about 156 characters.
• Add publication name to title: adds " | " and your publication's name to the end of each page title in search results.

Twitter (X) and Open Graph (Facebook, Bluesky, etc.)

Each has its own switch, an image (1200 x 630 pixels recommended), a Title and a Description. Empty fields fall back to your meta title and description. A page with its own share image uses that instead. Twitter (X) refreshes its previews about once a week, so changes can take a while to show there.

Sitemap

With the switch on, your site publishes a sitemap at your site's address followed by /sitemap.xml, which you can submit to Google Search Console. It lists your published, visible pages and your published posts. Pages hidden from search engines and email-only posts are left out. A private publication never publishes a sitemap.

RSS feed

On by default. With the switch on, your site publishes an RSS feed at your site's address followed by /feed.xml, also served at /rss and /feed. The address is shown here with a copy button. Free posts appear in full and paid posts as a short teaser. Posts with Hide the Newsletter from feed turned on are left out. Turn the switch off and save to stop publishing the feed. See the RSS feed guide.

Redirects

• 404 Redirect URL: where to send visitors who try to open a page that doesn't exist, for example your home page. Leave it empty to show a "Page not found" message.
• Redirect rules: click Add rule, then fill in From path (such as /old-pricing), Redirect to (a path like /pricing or a full web address) and Type: 301 — Permanent or 302 — Temporary.

A rule matches the exact path only. Rules are checked before the page is shown, so a rule also redirects away from a page that exists. To remove a rule, use its menu and choose Delete.

Social links

Add the web address of each account you want linked from your site: Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Discord, Bluesky and RSS Feed. Each network's field checks that the link belongs to that network. RSS Feed only checks that it's a valid web address, and suggests your site's own feed: click Use my feed to fill it in. These links appear wherever your site uses a Social Links block.

Pixels & analytics

Add the ID for each tracking tool you use:

For Search Console, you can paste the whole HTML tag Google gives you. The code is taken out of it for you. After saving, go back to Search Console and click Verify.

A field with the wrong format shows an error when you click Save, and nothing is saved until it's fixed. Your site's own visitor analytics work without any of these.

GDPR & compliance

• Cookie Banner: shows a banner on a visitor's first visit, with links to your privacy policy and terms of use when you've added them, and an Accept button. Once accepted, it isn't shown to that visitor again for a year.
• Signup ToS & Privacy Policy: adds a checkbox to the subscribe forms on your website that readers must tick to subscribe. While this is on, Subscriber Signup Terms of Service needs a web address.
• Privacy Policy Page URL and Terms of Use Page URL: links used in the cookie banner and footer.

The form says both switches must be on for your publication to meet GDPR and CCPA requirements. Note that the cookie banner tells visitors about cookies; it doesn't stop your tracking pixels from loading.

Signup flows

A signup flow is a short series of screens a new reader sees after confirming their email from your website, such as a welcome message, your recommendations or a survey.

The list shows each flow's Name, how many Steps it has, and which one is the Default. Only the default flow is shown to readers, so a new flow does nothing until you choose Set as default from its menu. If there's no default flow, or it has no steps, new readers go straight to the usual success page.

Click Add signup flow to create one and open it. In the flow editor:

1. Give it a Flow name.
2. Add steps. Each one can be:
   • Welcome: an image, Heading, Body and Button text.
   • Recommendations: shows your Top 4 recommendations under a heading you choose.
   • Survey: asks readers to fill in one of your surveys. Create the survey first under Tools, Surveys. Only a live survey is shown.
   • Custom: an image, heading, body and button, like Welcome.
3. Use the arrows to change the order, and the bin to remove a step.
4. Click Save. The editor says Unsaved changes until you do.

Comments

The reader-side settings for comments on your posts:

• Enable comments: turns comments on for your whole site. Comments are off until you turn this on.
• Comments Ordering - Select Order: Newest First, Oldest First or Most Popular.
• Comment Editing - Edit Window: how long readers can edit a comment after posting it: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours or No limit.
• Enable reader notifications: emails readers when someone replies to their comment.

You can also turn comments off for a single post in that post's web settings. Moderation rules, such as holding comments for review and blocked words, are on the comments page under Website, Manage comments, Settings.

Recommendations

The publications you recommend are shown to new readers in your signup flow and wherever you place a Recommendations block. Click Manage Recommendations to choose them.

Testimonials

Click Add testimonials to add a reader quote with a Name, a Message and an optional image. Use a testimonial's menu to Edit or Delete it. Testimonials appear wherever your site uses a Testimonials block.

Themes

• Switch Templates: runs the setup steps again so you can move your site to a different template. This replaces the content of your pages, navbar and footer, and it can't be undone. The template's colour palette and fonts become your theme and apply to your live site straight away. The new page, navbar and footer content only reaches readers when you publish.
• Primary Theme: your site's current colours and fonts. Click Save current as theme to keep them in your library.
• Secondary Themes: click Add theme to save another combination of colour palette and fonts. From a theme's menu, Set as primary switches your site to that theme's colours and fonts straight away.

Troubleshooting

My site still shows in Google after I turned off "Discoverable on the web": search engines only notice the change when they next visit your site, which can take a while.

The sitemap link says "Not found": turn the Sitemap switch on and save. A private publication never has a sitemap.

A redirect isn't working: rules match the exact path, so check the From path starts with / and matches the address readers use.

Save does nothing on Pixels or GDPR & compliance: a field has an error. Look for the red message under it.

New readers don't see my signup flow: check the flow is marked Default and has at least one step. A survey step only shows a live survey.

A pixel isn't firing: check the ID's format against the table above. An ID in the wrong format isn't added to your site.