The 3 Flaws My Word Search Generator Has (And How to Fix Them)

1. The “Squish” Factor

The first flaw is that if you put in a huge list of 10-letter words, the generator might get cramped or squished. It can look a bit messy when you finally complete the puzzle or when you’re checking the answer sheet.

My Tip: If you have long words, use a bigger grid size like 25x25. If you want to keep it small, try using fewer words or shorter words so the letters have room to breathe.

2. Limited Grid Sizes

The second flaw is that the generator only lets you pick from four set sizes: 10x10, 15x15, 20x20, and 25x25. Right now, you can’t type in a custom size like 16x19.

There isn’t really a way to change this right now, but I’m listening to feedback! I’m planning an update soon to add a custom grid section so you can make your puzzles whatever shape you want.

3. The Apple “Blob” Link Issue

This is the most annoying one for mobile users. If you are on an iPhone or iPad, when you click download, it sends you to a “blob link” (a temporary link). On a computer or Android, it saves perfectly, but Apple handles it differently.

How to bypass this: Since I use Apple myself, I found the fix!

• When the link opens, click the Share button.
• Press “Save to Files.”
• Once it’s in your Files app, it’s a normal PDF that you can print or solve digitally.

Why I built this even if it has flaws

When I needed a word search generator, I couldn’t find any good ones! They were either too old-looking, or there was a giant logo on the word searches when downloaded. Plus, when I gave them my Gmail, they sometimes spammed it with promotions, or you had to pay.

So I decided to build my own! When you build a word search, your word list doesn’t get sent to me or anyone, and there are no watermarks. And the best thing about it? You don’t need to sign up. So I purchased a domain and added the tool, and while I was at it, I added a few other tools to help people who were searching for these tools!

A little history on word searches!

Did you know the first-ever word search was invented by Norman E. Gibat in 1968? It was first designed to help people learn English in a new fun way! Since then, it has become very popular and nearly every classroom has had at least one word search completed in it.

The reason they are so popular is that they tap into our brain’s natural ability to recognize patterns. Whether you are a child learning new vocabulary or an adult keeping your mind sharp (all adults you should try to do more word searches), finding a hidden word provides a small “dopamine hit” that keeps you coming back for more. My goal with this site is to keep that tradition alive but make it modern and accessible for everyone!

Pro-Tips for Perfect Puzzles

To make sure you get the best experience on WordGenFree, here are a few extra tips I’ve learned:

The “Theme” Secret: Puzzles are always more fun when they have a theme. Instead of random words, try “Most Popular Movies” or “Types of Pasta,” or just whatever you like!

Difficulty Spikes: If you want to make a puzzle harder, don’t just add more words. Add words that share similar letters (like Ball, Bell, Bill, Boll). It confuses the eye and makes the search much more challenging! Plus, you can add longer words and make the grid size larger to increase the difficulty.

Check Your Spelling: My tool is a “what you see is what you get” system. If you typo a word in the list, it goes into the grid with that typo (so it might get confusing). Double-check your list before hitting generate!

I once mistyped a word and didn’t notice when I tried to solve it! It took me half an hour of searching until I finally gave up, checked the answer list, and then realized!

Final Thoughts

Building this site has been a huge learning curve for me over the last few months. It’s not just about the code; it’s about creating something that people actually find useful. Even with these three flaws, I truly believe this is one of the cleanest tools on the web.

Thanks for being part of this journey with me. Every time someone uses the site, it motivates me to keep coding and fix those bugs! Thanks!