How to Add a Squarespace Gallery Filter (Step by Step Guide)

This guide shows you how to add a Squarespace gallery filter step by step.

Quick Answer: How to Add a Squarespace Gallery Filter

You can add a Squarespace gallery filter by using tags inside your image descriptions and connecting them to filter buttons. While Squarespace does not offer built in gallery filtering, you can either create multiple galleries as a workaround or use a Squarespace filter plugin to dynamically filter images by category within a single gallery.

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How to Add a Squarespace Gallery Filter (Step by Step Guide)

If you are wondering how to add a Squarespace gallery filter, you will have quickly realised something frustrating. It is not built into Squarespace.

Gallery blocks are great visually, but they do not allow visitors to filter images by category. So if you are showcasing lots of projects, products, or case studies, your visitors are left scrolling through everything.

In this guide, I will walk you through how to add a Squarespace filter gallery by category, including a simple manual workaround and a more flexible option if you want a smoother experience.

Can You Add a Filter to a Squarespace Gallery?

Short answer: not natively.

Squarespace does not currently offer built in filtering for gallery blocks. While you can filter blog posts, events or products, galleries are static.

Why Add a Squarespace Gallery Filter?

Adding a Squarespace filter gallery makes it much easier for visitors to explore your content.

Instead of scrolling through everything, they can:

• View specific categories

• Find relevant content faster

• Engage more with your work

• Stay on your site longer

This is especially useful for portfolios, case studies, and visual projects.

Can You Do This Without a Plugin?

Technically, yes but it is limited.

A common workaround is to:

• Create separate galleries for each category

• Use buttons or links to switch between them

While this can work, it comes with a few drawbacks:

• You need to manage multiple galleries

• It is not a true filtering experience

• It can feel clunky for users

• It becomes harder to manage as your content grows

So while this method is fine for small galleries, it is not ideal if you want something more seamless.

A Better Way to Add a Squarespace Filter Gallery

If you want a smoother and more flexible solution, you can use a Squarespace filter plugin‍ ‍designed specifically for gallery blocks.

This allows you to keep a single gallery and filter images dynamically by category.

Instead of restructuring your site, you simply:

1. Add tags to your image descriptions

2. Add filter buttons above your gallery

3. Let the gallery update instantly when a filter is selected

Step by Step: How Filtering Works

Step 1: Add tags to your images

In your image description, add category tags using square brackets. For example:

Beautiful garden pergola project [exterior][featured]

You can add more than one tag to each image.

Step 2: Add filter buttons

Above your gallery, add a simple piece of html code to create the buttons. These match the tags used in your image descriptions.

Step 3: Filter your gallery

When a visitor clicks a button, the gallery updates instantly to show only the relevant images.
You can also allow multiple filters to be selected at once for more flexibility.

Manual Setup vs Using a Plugin

If you are deciding which route to take, here is a simple comparison:

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Manual setup

• Requires multiple galleries

• Additional time to create separate pages to add galleries to

• Limited flexibility

• More time to manage

• Not a true filter experience

Using a plugin

• Only need one gallery

• No need for multiple pages

• True filtering by category

• Faster and easier for users

• Scales easily as your content grows

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What to Look For in a Squarespace Filter Plugin

If you do decide to use a plugin, it is worth choosing one that avoids common issues such as:

• Gaps in the gallery layout

• Filters breaking on mobile

• Lightboxes showing the wrong images

A good Squarespace filter plugin should give you:

• A clean, responsive grid

• Multi filter support

• A consistent lightbox experience

• Easy setup

• Customisable design options

A Simpler Way to Add a Squarespace Gallery Filter

If you want the easiest way to add a Squarespace gallery filter, I have created a plugin designed specifically for this.

It allows you to:

• Filter your gallery by category using simple tags

• Keep a clean grid layout with no gaps

• Use a lightbox that only shows filtered images

• Customise layout, spacing, and styling

View the Squarespace Gallery Filter Plugin

Who Is This Best For?

A Squarespace filter gallery is ideal if you:

• Have a growing portfolio

• Want to organise images by category

• Need a better user experience

• Want your site to feel more interactive

Final Thoughts

Squarespace galleries are a great starting point, but they can feel limiting as your content grows.

Adding a Squarespace filter gallery helps turn a static layout into something much more interactive and user friendly.

Whether you use a manual workaround or a plugin, giving your visitors a way to filter your content will always improve their experience.

Related Guides

If you are exploring more ways to use filtering on Squarespace, you might also find these helpful:

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You might also be interested in these super useful Squarespace Plugins:

• Genius Squarespace Filter Vs Universal Filter Plugin

• Add Multiple Header Buttons On Squarespace

• Create a Before and After Slider For Squarepsace

• Add a Simple Squarespace Timeline

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