# Crossword Maker from Your Words and Clues

> Criss-cross crosswords from your own words and clues, numbered, with an answer key. Write one “word: clue” per line and get a printable criss-cross crossword: the words are interlocked into a compact grid, numbered in reading order, with Across and Down clue lists and the word lengths. Works in any script, including right-to-left Arabic.

Part of usefulweb.site (https://usefulweb.site/). Part of [Printshop](https://printshop.usefulweb.site/) (ownerApp: printshop). Results are deterministic calculations from the inputs and the listed assumptions; the API returns exactly what the web page shows.

## Use it
- Human interface: https://printshopcrosswordfill.usefulweb.site/ (interactive tool at https://printshopcrosswordfill.usefulweb.site/tool)
- JSON API: POST https://printshopcrosswordfill.usefulweb.site/api/v1/calculate with a JSON object of inputs (schema: https://printshopcrosswordfill.usefulweb.site/api/v1/tool)
- OpenAPI: https://printshopcrosswordfill.usefulweb.site/openapi.json
- MCP (Streamable HTTP): https://printshopcrosswordfill.usefulweb.site/mcp - tool `printshop_crossword_fill`

## Inputs
- words (textarea): Words and clues - One per line: word, then a colon and the clue (“Anchor: Heavy hook that keeps a ship in place”). Up to 60 words.
- uppercase (boolean): Capital letters
- lang (select): Language (for capital letters)
- seed (text): Seed - The same seed and settings always give the same puzzles. Change it for new ones.
- title (text): Title on the page (optional)
- answers (boolean): Answer-key pages
- header (boolean): Name and date line
- paper (select): Paper size
- orientation (select): Orientation

## Method
- Only your words are used (no dictionary). Words are split into grapheme clusters like the word search. The first word is laid down, and every further word must cross a letter that is already in the grid; a placement is rejected when it would run into another word or put letters side by side.
- Among the valid placements the one with the most crossings and the smallest grid wins; 40 seeded attempts with different word orders are compared and the layout with the most placed words, then the most crossings, then the smallest area is kept (at most 30 × 30 cells).
- Numbers follow the reading order of the grid (right to left for Arabic and Hebrew lists); a cell that starts an Across and a Down word gets one number.

## Limits
- Words without a shared letter cannot be joined and are left out (listed as a warning). This is a criss-cross puzzle, not a dense newspaper crossword.