PuzzleMe is the standard for embedding crosswords these days, and why not? It’s got a slick interface, plenty of customization options, and analytics. That said, there are some things it can’t handle. If you want to embed a Marching Bands puzzle, or a Spiral, or any number of other variety puzzles, the PuzzleMe solver won’t be able to handle them. Honestly … I’m not sure why they can’t. They allow you to start with a JPZ, and they allow you to use some of its features like barred crosswords, but changing the direction of words is a problem. Maybe they’ll fix it some day, but my guess is it would be too big of a rewrite for too little gain, from their perspective.
However, if you do want to embed a variety puzzle (or, if you want to embed a puzzle without using PuzzleMe for some reason) allow us to introduce a new, easier way to use the Crossword Nexus solver: the Nexus crossword embedder (slicker name to follow, maybe). Upload a puzzle and we’ll make you an iframe, just like PuzzleMe would. We would have made something like this earlier, but we didn’t think anyone would trust a place where you trust a place enough to blindly upload your puzzles there. But hey, if you’re willing to trust Amuse Labs, why not us?
Give it a shot, and if you have any feedback, please leave a comment. We’re always looking to improve our offerings!