#Crossword nexus how to#
#Crossword nexus code#

Don’t use the Crossword Compiler JavaScript.

Exet has none of the advantages of some of the above solvers, but it can do 3-D crosswords, which is pretty dang amazing.

And while we can’t handle all the puzzle types Squares can, we can handle a whole lot of them. We think the solving interface is pretty slick and the print option is the best one out there. Plus, this will reduce your reliance on third-party websites, which can go under or use your data for their own purposes. This will allow you to do some customization on your own side, letting you do things you literally can’t do anywhere else.

#Crossword nexus code#

If, however, you have your own webserver and know a little about coding, you should definitely consider grabbing our code and adding it to your own site. We don’t even have a terms of service! Who knows what we’ll be doing with your files! (we won’t do anything, but why should you trust us?) As of now, though, we’re your only option if you want to embed an acrostic on your site. Zero customization options, no analytics, a solving interface that isn’t as good as AmuseLabs.

#Crossword nexus how to#

If you know how to make the file, you can solve it on Squares, and it is your only option if you want to embed such a puzzle on your site.ĭon’t use the Crossword Nexus embedder. Words that go backward? Only one clue list? Clues decoupled from entries? Diagramless? No problem. So why use Squares despite all this? If you’re comfortable getting an iPuz or JPZ file the way you want it, Squares can show just about any puzzle type you throw at it. All this can be somewhat daunting, especially for someone just starting out.

You can’t customize a puzzle after it’s uploaded, so if you want custom colors or bars or the like you’ll have to do that from within the JPZ or iPuz file before you upload it. Let’s start with the negatives here: Squares’s solving interface isn’t as slick as AmuseLabs, with no social options and very few analytics. Once a puzzle is uploaded, click the (i) button for more info, then the “Embed” link at the top. In the sidebar, click “Publish”, then follow the steps. Squares is probably best known as a puzzle-solving site, but they offer a surprisingly good option to publish your puzzles and embed them on a blog. All this said, Crosshare would probably get my vote for a newcomer without a blog wanting to get eyeballs on their puzzles. The other downsides of AmuseLabs are also here: printouts aren’t as nice as you might like, and non-standard puzzles are a no-go. Customization options are not quite as robust, and the analytics are not quite at AmuseLabs’s level. So why isn’t Crosshare as big as AmuseLabs? Well, for one, their solving interface is not everyone’s favorite. And their analytics can also be helpful for constructors looking to hone their craft. What’s more, Crosshare makes a blog for you so you don’t even have to embed the puzzles anywhere else! The “commenting on the puzzle” feature is a brilliant one that encourages interaction between the solver and constructor.

Because Crosshare puzzles are shared on their site, smaller constructors who may not have already made a name for themselves can get more eyeballs on their puzzles than they otherwise would. Overall very good, but certainly not a one-size-fits-all option.Ĭrosshare doesn’t quite have the market share of AmuseLabs, but it’s the only one that’s close, and it’s completely understandable. AmuseLabs is also missing the social features of Crosshare, if that’s a thing you’re into. Their option to print puzzles is surprisingly bad. For a website that allows JPZ uploads, it’s a bit surprising that they can’t handle puzzle types where words go in non-standard directions (like, say, Marching Bands puzzles). However, AmuseLabs does come with its limitations, most notably in what types of puzzles you can upload. For most crossword creators, this is your answer. You can upload puz files or jpzs, and even make a favorite of ours, coded crosswords.

You can embed images in your clues and in your grid, have shaded cells or barred puzzles, and you can create it all in an impossibly slick interface. They have the slickest interface, the most customization options, and the best analytics. So you want to make a crossword blog but you don’t know what your options are for embedding crosswords into it? Or maybe you have a crossword blog and the embed method you’re using isn’t working for you? Follow along as we go through the various options so you can decide what’s best for you.ĪmuseLabs is the dominant player in this space, and with very good reason.