Free printable number search puzzles

Number Search Puzzle Generator

Pick a number set, grid size and difficulty, then find the hidden numbers on screen or print the puzzle with its answer key.

This page is a free number search puzzle generator. It builds one puzzle at a time: a grid of digits with a list of hidden numbers to find, which you can play on screen or print. Everything runs in your web browser, with no sign-up, and nothing is uploaded or sent to a server.

You can pick a number set such as random numbers, primes, squares, years or Fibonacci numbers, or type in your own list. The grid can be anywhere from 8x8 to 20x20, the difficulty can be Easy, Medium or Hard, and you choose how many numbers to hide. A status line shows how many you have found and a timer runs while you play.

It works as a number search maker for practice, for a list of your own numbers, or for a printed sheet to keep on paper.

How to use the Number Search Generator

  1. Open the Numbers menu and choose a set. Random (mixed lengths) is the default.
  2. For 5-digit numbers, choose Random (one length) and set Digits per number to 5.
  3. Set Grid size from 8x8 to 20x20. The default is 12x12.
  4. Choose a Difficulty: Easy, Medium (the default) or Hard. The hint line under it shows which directions the answers run.
  5. Set How many numbers from 6 to 30.
  6. To use your own list, choose My own numbers and type or paste the numbers.
  7. The puzzle updates as you change a setting. Click New puzzle for a different puzzle with the same settings.
  8. To play, click or tap the first digit of an answer, then the last digit. A found answer is circled and crossed off the list.

If you get stuck, use Reveal one or Show answers. When every answer is found, the page shows “Puzzle complete” with your time.

To print, choose a paper size (Letter or A4), then Print puzzle + answer key or Print puzzle only. In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” if you want a file. Copy link saves all your settings and the puzzle, so the same link opens the same puzzle again. The game is saved in your browser, so reloading the page continues where you left off.

What is a number search puzzle?

A number search, also called a number find, is a word search made with digits. A grid of digits hides a list of numbers written in straight lines, and your job is to find each number and circle it.

In one Easy 8x8 puzzle made by this generator, the list was 125, 776, 5507, 709377, 881313 and 1929436. The number 5507 runs left to right along the bottom row, starting in column 1, and 709377 runs down the last column from row 2.

Scan the grid for the first digit of an answer, then check its neighbours for the second digit, and keep following that line. Start with the longest numbers, and with numbers that contain a rare pair of digits or a repeated digit, such as 881313. Cross each number off the list as soon as you find it.

The difficulty setting decides which directions the answers can run. On Easy, answers read left to right or top to bottom only, and they never overlap. Medium adds the two diagonals that go right (↘ and ↗), and answers may cross where their digits match. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards, so check right to left as well. A number that reads backwards looks reversed: 5507 appears as 7055.

Each hidden answer appears in the grid exactly once in the allowed directions. You will not find a second copy somewhere else, so if a match looks wrong, keep searching along the other lines.

Can I make a number search with my own numbers?

Yes. Choose My own numbers from the Numbers menu and type or paste your list. Separate the numbers with commas or new lines (or spaces, if you use neither). Each number needs 3 to 12 digits (2 digits are allowed on an 8x8 grid), and you can add up to 40.

Spaces and hyphens stay in the list but are not put in the grid. For example, 555-0123 is listed as written and hidden as 5550123. Entries that are not numbers, are too short or too long, or are repeated are listed as left out, so you can see what was not used.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print the puzzle with the answers?

Yes. Choose a paper size, then click Print puzzle + answer key to print the puzzle page followed by an answer page with the answers circled. Choose Print puzzle only if you do not want the key. The printed page has Name and Date lines and a “Find these:” list with a checkbox beside each number.

Is it free, or do I need to sign up?

It is free, and you do not need to sign up. Everything runs in your web browser, and nothing you create is uploaded or sent to a server.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The page fits a 375 px wide screen. Tap the first digit of an answer, then tap the last digit. Dragging also works with a mouse or pen.

Does each number appear only once in the grid?

Yes. The generator checks the finished grid and rejects filler digits that would create a second copy of any hidden number, so each number on the list can be found in exactly one place.

How do I make a number search with 5-digit numbers?

Choose Random (one length) from the Numbers menu, then set Digits per number to 5. Choose your grid size and how many numbers you want, then click New puzzle.