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My Crossword Maker is the best way to create fun and educational crossword puzzles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why My Crossword Maker?
We are committed to making crossword creation easy and enjoyable. All of the features you would expect are there: the ability to automatically or manually add words to your puzzle, save-as-you-go puzzle editing, the ability to access your puzzles from any computer, and more. Our interface is uncluttered and easy to use, and we pledge never to show you ads.
What will my puzzle look like?
When printed, something like this:
Crossword puzzle sample
The puzzle that generated this printout is this circle vocab crossword. You don’t need to do anything special to get the print layout different from the screen layout, that’s handled automatically.
What does it cost?
Plans cost a few dollars per month. Click the green 'Make Printable' button at the top left of your puzzle when you are ready to choose a plan, or visit your “My Account” page. Individual puzzles can also be purchased for special events.
How do I print?
Once you have a plan, the 'Preview + Publish' button on the top left of the screen where you make your puzzle lets you put your puzzle in a format that can be printed or solved online. Once you “publish” your puzzle, you can click the print icon or use your browser’s print function.
Can I print from a different computer?
Yes. For example, a teacher may create a puzzle on her home computer or iPad and print it the next day from a school computer. All puzzles you create are automatically saved to your account as you work on them, and you can always get to in-progress or completed puzzles on your 'My Puzzles' screen when you log into your account. If this teacher is out sick, she can even email the link for her completed puzzle to a substitute and the substitute can print it, without needing to log in or have an account.
Can my crossword be solved and submitted online?
Yes. After publishing your puzzle, you can choose to accept online submissions for it. Teachers use this to give crosswords to students online, and bloggers use this to run contests for their readers. Each puzzle gets a permanent URL that you will share with anybody you want to solve your puzzle. You will be able to decide whether or not you want solvers to be able to see if their answers are correct. You will also be able to customize what information you collect from them.
Did you change your name?
Yes! In March 2022, we changed our name from Crossword Hobbyist to My Crossword Maker.
How does this name change impact my account and saved puzzles?
In short: It doesn’t. Nothing will change about your saved puzzles, subscription, or account. You can visit crosswords.brightsprout.com directly or crosswordhobbyist.com, which will redirect you to the new site. All of your saved puzzles and favorite features will still be there waiting for you.
How will this name change impact my billing or credit card statements?
You’ll see our updated name on your billing statements. The name change will not change the price of your plan.
What about emails and customer support?
You’ll see the new name on our website and other materials. Any emails about your account will come from the domain crosswords.brightsprout.com instead of crosswordhobbyist.com. Make sure to add 'crosswords.brightsprout.com' to your trusted senders list to make sure you receive important account-related emails.
Why is the site renamed “My Crossword Maker”?
What’s in a name? Since our start in 2012, we’ve grown to much more than a site for hobbyists. Now, our crossword maker is used not only by cruciverbalists, but also by tens of thousands of teachers, parents, employers, trainers, and others across the world.

Since then, we’ve also added additional activity builders and sister sites. We felt like now was the time to bring them together with a name that is more inclusive of our community and better represents of the range of helpful services we provide.

Do you offer word searches?
Check out the Word Search Maker at our sister site, wordsearches.brightsprout.com. You can also buy a joint subscription to both sites for a 20% discount when you sign up for a plan.
Do you offer worksheets?
Yes! Check out our Worksheet Maker to make unlimited, customizable worksheets with a variety of specialized activities, such as fill in the blank, word scramble, matching, multiple choice, and more. You can also buy a joint subscription to My Crossword Maker, My Word Search, My Worksheet Maker, My Bingo Maker, and My Flashcard Maker for a 50% discount when you sign up for a Premium plan.
Do you offer bingo cards?
Absolutely! Check out our Bingo Maker to create custom bingo sets for the classroom, parties, special events like birthdays or showers, or just for fun. You even get a discount when you try a Premium, all-site plan.
Do you offer flashcards?
Yes, we do! Our Flashcard Maker lets you create custom flashcards for the classroom or for fun. You can adjust the size, make them double-sided, create 3x5 notecards, print flashcard blanks, and more. Get a discount when you try an all-site plan with unlimited flashcards.
What is BrightSprout?
Since we built the crossword builder in 2012, we’ve continued to add more and more builders for teachers to create materials for their students. Now, over ten years later, we’ve added four more builders and felt it was time to get more organized (we all get Folder Fever sometimes). We’ve renamed our company BrightSprout to better represent the diverse builders we create and to simplify your experience on our sites. What to know more? You can read more about BrightSprout on our Knowledge Base
Can I save to my computer?
Yes. You are able to save it as a PDF (the icon is next to the print icon). However, most people find it easier to log in and print when needed (the puzzle is saved on your account), or share the puzzle by emailing the link to the puzzle.
Who uses My Crossword Maker?
  • Teachers: Crosswords are easy to grade, and students love them. Your students are motivated to solve the puzzle, and enjoy thinking about the concepts and vocabulary necessary for the answers. How many other quizzes are your students excited to take?
  • Trainers: It is important to verify that your class understood the material covered, but a standard assessment quiz can be boring. Use a crossword to keep things fun and interesting for your class.
  • Personal: Creating a crossword puzzle for someone is a great gift – both fun and meaningful. Great for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or “just because”.
Why do I need an account?
Your account is needed to access your in-progress and completed puzzles, and to ensure you can always publish your puzzles when you’re a paid user. Additionally, our save-as-you-go puzzle creation tool relies on saving to your account, so you can resume your puzzle in case of computer issues.
Where are my saved puzzles?
When logged in, click on the 'My Puzzles' link in the header to see your saved puzzles. Puzzles you are working on can be found in the “Crosswords I’m Making” section, and puzzles you’ve completed can be found in the “Crosswords I’ve Published” section.
How do I add a “down” word?
After clicking on your grid, press spacebar or click on the active square to switch typing direction.
Do you sell gifts?
Yes! Check out our gifts page to browse crossword and word search themed shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more.
Do I own the puzzles I make?
Yes. The puzzles you make are 100% yours, and belong to you. They won’t be used or sold by My Crossword Maker. For each puzzle you publish, you have the option for it to be publicly visible or password-protected.
Any promos for bloggers?
Bloggers get free access to My Crossword Maker. To get blogger access, email [email protected] and include a link to your blog for approval.
Can I embed puzzles in my website?
Yes. Puzzles you create and publish on My Crossword Maker can be embedded and solved on YOUR site. Here are some super-easy instructions to embed a crossword in your site.
How do I buy in bulk for my school or organization? Are there discounts for group purchases?
If you are making a purchase for more than 5 people, please email [email protected] and provide the name of your organization and the number of people for whom you are making a purchase, and we will send you the applicable discount and provide next steps.
Can I buy subscriptions to My Crossword Maker in bulk and resell them?
Please contact [email protected] for reseller terms and conditions.
What are your terms, conditions, and policies?
By using this site, you agree to be bound by our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Payments and Refunds Policies.
What if I have an issue?
You can use the gray “Report an Issue” button at the top of every screen. If you’re a paying customer, you have a right to be satisfied. And so while many companies make reporting issues difficult, we make it easy. If there’s something we could be doing better, we want to know. And if you like My Crossword Maker, we wouldn’t mind hearing that, too.