How to Create a Crossword Puzzle with the Freeform Editor

The Freeform Editor gives you full creative control over your crossword puzzle. Instead of typing a word list and letting an algorithm arrange them, you place every letter manually on the grid. This is the method professional crossword constructors use.

What is the Freeform method?

In Freeform mode, you start with a blank grid and type letters directly into cells. You decide exactly where each word goes, how words intersect, and where black squares fall. Once your grid is complete, Grid Genius detects all the words and lets you write clues for each one.

This method is ideal when you want precise control over the puzzle layout — themed shapes, specific word placements, or a particular visual pattern.

Step-by-step guide

1. Go to the Crossword Builder

Visit gridgenius.app/create/freeform to open the Freeform Editor directly.

2. Choose your grid size

Pick from three sizes:

• 7×7 — Mini puzzles. Great for quick puzzles with a handful of words.
• 11×11 — Standard newspaper-style size. Room for 15–25 words.
• 15×15 — Full-size crossword. The classic format for ambitious puzzles.

You can change the grid size at any time, but this resets the grid. Choose your size before you start filling in letters.

3. Place letters on the grid

Click any cell to select it, then type a letter. The cursor advances automatically in the current direction (across or down).

Keyboard controls:

• Letter keys — Type a letter into the selected cell and advance
• Arrow keys — Move the cursor in any direction
• Tab — Toggle between across and down input direction
• Backspace / Delete — Clear the current cell and move back
• Click a cell twice — Toggle input direction (across ↔ down)

Building your grid:

• Leave cells empty for black squares — any cell without a letter becomes a black cell automatically
• Words must be at least 2 letters long
• Words are detected as consecutive horizontal (across) or vertical (down) letter sequences

4. Review detected words

As you type, Grid Genius continuously scans the grid and detects valid words. Below the grid, you'll see a list of all detected words with their direction (→ for across, ↓ for down).

Each detected word has a clue input field next to it. Fill in the clues before building the puzzle.

5. Write clues

For each detected word, enter a clue in the text field. Good clue-writing tips:

• Be specific — "Capital of France" is better than "A city"
• Match difficulty — Straightforward definitions for easy puzzles, wordplay for hard ones
• Keep it concise — The best crossword clues are brief and precise
• Avoid the answer — Don't use the word itself or obvious derivatives in the clue

6. Build the crossword

Once all clues are entered, click "Build Crossword." Grid Genius will:

1. Assign clue numbers based on reading order (top-to-bottom, left-to-right)
2. Organize clues into Across and Down lists
3. Generate the puzzle preview

7. Download or share

After building, you get the same options as any puzzle:

• Download Puzzle — Printable PNG with empty grid and clues
• Download Answer Key — Same layout with answers filled in
• Share with Friends — Generates a playable online link. Anyone can solve it in their browser without an account.

Tips for great freeform puzzles

Plan your theme words first

Decide on 3–5 long "theme" words and figure out where they'll intersect. Place these first, then fill in shorter connecting words.

Use common crossword fill

Letters like E, S, T, A, R, N, I, O are the most common in English and create the most intersection opportunities. Words with rare letters (Q, X, Z, J) are harder to cross but can add flair.

Think about symmetry

Traditional crosswords use 180-degree rotational symmetry — if there's a black square at position (1,1), there's one at (n,n) too. This isn't required, but it gives puzzles a professional look.

Work from the edges in

Start by anchoring long words, then fill in the shorter connecting words. The edges and corners are typically the hardest to fill, so plan those carefully.

Check for isolated sections

Make sure all white cells are connected. A good crossword shouldn't have isolated blocks of words that don't connect to the rest of the grid.

Common questions

Is the Freeform Editor free? Yes, completely free. No account, no subscription, no limits.

Can I save my progress and come back later? Currently, the editor doesn't save progress between sessions. Complete your puzzle in one session or note down your grid layout to recreate it.

What counts as a "word" in the grid? Any horizontal or vertical sequence of 2+ consecutive letters. Single letters surrounded by empty cells don't count as words.

Can I mix uppercase and lowercase? All letters are automatically converted to uppercase, which is standard for crossword puzzles.

My grid looks different from the printed version — why? The on-screen editor uses a dark theme to match the Grid Genius website. Downloads and shared puzzles use a traditional black-and-white newspaper style with clearly visible black squares and white cells.

Other ways to create crosswords

Grid Genius offers three puzzle creation methods:

• Word List Builder — Enter words and clues, auto-generate the grid layout
• Freeform Editor (this guide) — Full manual control over letter placement
• AI Generation — Enter any topic and AI creates the entire puzzle (requires Pro subscription)