Extensions

In this video, you will add conditional formatting to your crossword puzzle, so that people you share it with can see if their answers are correct as they type them.

Conditional formatting allows you to apply formats to a cell or range of cells.

The formatting changes depending on what is entered in the cells.

You will format the cells to change color depending on whether a letter entered into the crossword puzzle is correct or not.

To begin, open your crossword puzzle.

Make sure you are on the sheet with the crossword puzzle and not the answer key.

If you need to, zoom out so you can see your entire puzzle.

Then, begin to apply conditional formatting to each of the cells where the words will be entered.

If you need to remind yourself of which word you are formatting for, read the clues or use the Answer Key.

Next, add the formatting rule.

Formatting rules describe what needs to happen in the cell, row, or column for it to change its format.

Choose the “text does not contain” option to format the cell if a letter is incorrect.

Then, add the correct letter that belongs in the cell.

Change the fill color to indicate an incorrect answer.

Choose a color that keeps the letter in the cell visible to the person working on your puzzle.

Add another rule for the same cell, but choose the “text is exactly” option this time.

Use the default color or a different color to show a correct answer.

When you add a letter to the cell, the color of the cell will now change to show you if your answer is incorrect or correct.

The rule will apply whether the players type a lowercase or capital letter.

Apply the same conditional formatting to the other cells in your first word.

As someone completes your crossword puzzle, they will be able to see right away whether they are entering the correct letters.

Then, move on to the other words in your crossword puzzle and follow the same steps.

You do not have to repeat the conditional formatting for letters shared by two words if you have already formatted the letter in one of the words.

Now, it’s your turn: Add conditional formatting to cells for incorrect answers, and Add conditional formatting for correct answers.

In this video, you will add check boxes next to your clues for people to use when they figure out the correct words.

It’s time to make your crossword puzzle more user-friendly.

Adding check boxes next to your clues allows others to keep track of which clues they have found answers for and which clues they have not.

This can be especially useful if you have a lot of words in your puzzle.

To begin, open your crossword puzzle.

Make sure you are on the sheet with the crossword puzzle and not the answer key.

If you need to, zoom out so you can see your entire puzzle.

Then, add a new column for your check boxes.

Add a short heading for the column.

People solving the puzzle will use the check boxes to mark which clues they have already solved, so add a heading that fits that purpose.

Check boxes do not need much space, so adjust the format of your column to make it easier to see the entire crossword puzzle on the screen without having to scroll.

Next, add check boxes to each row that contains a clue for one of the words.

Format the check boxes to help them stand out from the column with your clues.

Test your check boxes.

Make sure to uncheck them before you send your crossword puzzle to anyone.

Now, it’s your turn: Add a new column next to your clues, and Add check boxes to the cells in the new column.

Even with clues, some people may still have difficulty guessing the words in your crossword puzzle, especially if they are not familiar with the theme or topic.

To help, you can add images that visually support your clues! Placing images randomly around the extra space of your crossword puzzle hints at the answers without giving them away completely.

In this video, you will add images over the cells in your crossword puzzle to give extra hints.

To begin, open your crossword puzzle.

If you need to, zoom out so you can see your entire puzzle.

Then, click the tab for your answer key sheet.

Choose one of your answers to find an image for.

Go back to your crossword, And find an image to add to the puzzle to provide an additional clue for people who might need it.

Choose the “Image over cells” option.

This will let you move and resize the images in any way you want to.

Decide where you will get your image from.

If you have any images saved on your device or in your Drive, you can use them.

Or you can search the web for an image to use.

You can use an image that is a symbol for the word.

Or you can search for an image of the word itself.

Review the search results.

Make sure you have the right to use the image.

And choose the image.

Then, adjust the size of the image, and move it to a place on the crossword puzzle that does not block any of the cells used for letters.

If you do not want to make your visual clues too obvious, place them away from the words they are related to.

Continue adding, resizing, and moving images around your crossword puzzle.

When you resize your images, make sure others will still see them clearly enough to figure out what they show.

Now, it’s your turn: Add images for clues, and Resize and move the images around your crossword puzzle.