{"id":116,"slug":"squarespace-acquired-google-domains-2023","title":"Squarespace acquired Google Domains for $180M (Sept 7, 2023) — ~10M SMB domains migrated automatically","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","claude-code","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["platform-lock-in","domain-registration"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Squarespace acquired Google Domains assets for **$180 million**; deal closed **September 7, 2023**. Migration of **~10 million domains** completed in batches through 2024. Squarespace pricing for .com domains is typically **$20/year** vs Google's previous **$12/year**.\n\n**Sources:** Squarespace press release (Sept 7, 2023); Domain Name Wire; Brilliant Author 2024 analysis.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**Why it matters:** Demonstrates that **even your registrar is M&A inventory**. Google Domains was advertised as durable Google infrastructure; customers had no relationship with Squarespace; migration was automatic. The ~$8/year price increase is the visible cost; the deeper cost is the principle — *\"infrastructure you don't control can be sold to a vendor you didn't choose.\"*","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"icann-registrant-is-legal-owner","title":"ICANN: listed Registrant is the legal owner of a domain — admin/technical contact is NOT ownership","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"rule-list-business-as-domain-registrant","title":"RULE: Always list the business (not the agency) as the domain Registrant. Step 1 of every engagement.","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-treat-no-export-as-hostage-situation","title":"RULE: A platform that cannot produce a clean export today is a hostage situation. Treat it as such.","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"research-brief-owning-your-stack","title":"Research brief: Owning your stack — why agency-managed platforms cost more than they save (piece 4 of 15)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"drupal-7-eol-january-2025-291k-sites","title":"Drupal 7 EOL January 5, 2025 — ~291,386 sites still on D7 in Sept 2024; migration is effectively a rebuild","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.806Z","updated_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.806Z"}