Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about turning your clues into a crossword puzzle
How do I create a crossword puzzle?
Type each clue and its answer in a row, like Capital of France | PARIS, or paste a whole list at once. The puzzle builds itself as soon as you have two clues. Then print it or download it as an image.
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.
I'm a teacher — is there anything already made I can just print?
Yes — the Worksheets page has real, finished crossword puzzles for the classroom: vocabulary review, bell ringers, sub plans, and more, each with an answer key you can print or download separately. No sign-up, and nothing about your class gets collected. You can also build your own from any vocabulary list using the regular tool above.
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.
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.
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 move things around on the page?
Yes. Drag the grid and the clues wherever you like and resize them to fit. If you'd rather not fiddle, Auto Position arranges everything in one click. What you see is what prints.
Can I add pictures or a title?
Yes. Pick a template for ready-made artwork and a title, or add your own title and images. Templates and titles are saved with your puzzle, but pictures you upload aren't, so print or download before you close the page.
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, so for best print results we recommend using a desktop or laptop browser.
Why are there different layout algorithms?
Each one arranges the same clues in a different way, so you can pick the grid you like best. Balanced and Compact try to fit in as many crossings as possible, and Compact packs the words tighter. The others place words in a set order: longest first, shortest first, alphabetical or as you typed them. The same clues always give the same grid. If a word doesn't fit, you'll see a 'skipped' badge, and trying another algorithm often fixes it.