Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about turning your clues into a crossword puzzle, as fast as possible.
How do I create a crossword puzzle?
Type each clue and answer into a row under Your clues (format Question | ANSWER), or expand "Paste multiple clues at once" to add a whole list in one go. As soon as you've got a couple of valid clues, the puzzle builds itself automatically. If you'd like a different arrangement, open the Algorithm dropdown in the puzzle's controls panel — each option lays the same clues out differently.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free. No sign-up, no subscription, no watermarks on printed puzzles. We don't even ask for your email address.
How does the hidden message feature work?
After your puzzle is generated, type a word or phrase into the Final Answer field. The tool will highlight cells in the grid that spell out that word. When solvers fill in the highlighted cells in order, they reveal the secret message. It's great for birthday surprises, proposals, or classroom fun.
Can I print my crossword puzzle?
Yes. Hit the Print button and it opens your browser's print dialog. The puzzle is formatted to fit cleanly on a single A4 or letter page, with the clue list alongside the grid. No ads or site UI appear on the printed version.
Can I download my puzzle as an image instead of printing it?
Yes. Next to the Print button, the Download image dropdown saves your puzzle as a PNG, JPEG, or WEBP file — the same arrangement that prints, exported as a standalone image you can share, embed, or post anywhere a link or PDF wouldn't work as well.
Can I share my puzzle with someone else?
Yes. Once you've built a puzzle, hit the Share button and it copies a link to your clipboard. Anyone who opens that link will see your exact puzzle with all your clues and answers loaded.
How many clues can I add?
There's no hard limit, but puzzles with 8–20 clues tend to produce the best layouts. Very large puzzles (50+ clues) may have some words that can't be placed if there are not enough shared letters between answers.
What does the Compact algorithm do?
In most of the algorithms, every word must cross another word at a shared letter. Compact is more relaxed — words can also sit directly adjacent to each other, which lets more words fit in the same grid space. Good for larger word sets.
Can I edit my puzzle after creating it?
Yes. On the puzzle screen you can edit any clue or answer, add new clues, or remove existing ones. The puzzle updates live as you type. All changes are auto-saved and the share link stays the same.
Can I control exactly how the puzzle is arranged on the printed page?
Yes — every puzzle opens straight into a scaled-down preview of the printed page where you can drag the puzzle grid and the clue list anywhere, and resize either one by dragging its corner handle. There's also a clue text size option if you want the clue list bigger or smaller. Whatever you arrange is exactly what prints — no surprises.
Can I add decorative artwork or images to my puzzle?
Yes. Click Use template to pick a themed layout — birthday, wedding, baby shower, and more — which drops in decorative artwork, a title box, and repositions the grid and clues to match. You can also upload your own images and place them anywhere, resized to taste. Everything — template art, your uploads, the title, the grid, the clues — stays fully draggable and resizable afterward. A chosen template auto-saves with your puzzle (artwork, position, size, and title included), just like your clues, so it's still there next time you open the link. Personally uploaded images are the one exception — those stay in this browser session only and won't reappear after a reload, so arrange and print or download those before navigating away.
What languages does it support?
The tool works with any language that uses standard letters. It strips spaces and punctuation from answers and treats each letter as a cell. Unicode characters are supported, so accented letters like é, ñ, or ü work correctly.
Can I use it on my phone or tablet?
Yes, the tool works in mobile browsers. Printing from a phone is trickier — for best print results we recommend using a desktop or laptop browser.
How do the layout algorithms work, and why are there several?
There are six, and each one is fully deterministic — the same clues always produce the exact same grid, no randomness. Balanced places the longest word first, then repeatedly adds whichever remaining word creates the most crossings. Compact does the same but also allows words to sit adjacent to each other. Longest First, Shortest First, Alphabetical, and Input Order place words in a single pass in that order, each grabbing the best crossing available at the time. If a word can't be placed by whichever algorithm you're using, it's skipped — you'll see a 'skipped' badge in the toolbar, and switching algorithms often fits it in.