Content sets

Objective

Understand how one master series maps to multiple child series, what stays in sync, and when this setup is useful.

A content set is a one-to-many setup: one master (source) series is tied to several child (linked) series. The master is the single place where puzzle content lives—grids, clues, solutions, and everything the solver plays.

Each child is still its own series in the dashboard and for embedding, but its puzzles are the same as the master’s; you do not maintain separate copies. Updates always flow from the master out to those children, never from a child back to the master or sideways to another child.

Setup by PuzzleMe

Content sets are created and maintained on the PuzzleMe™ side. Contact us if you would like this arrangement for your account.

Why use a content set?

Use a content set when the same puzzles should appear in more than one series, but each series should still behave like its own on your side: its own analytics, branding, messaging, other series-level behavior, and embeds. You get that split without running parallel editorial workflows or keeping multiple copies of the same puzzle in sync by hand.

1. Separate analytics: Run identical games across stations, regions, or brands while analytics stay per series.

2. Branding: Each child series keeps its own branding, so outlets can match their visual identity while the grid players solve stays the same everywhere.

3. Messaging: Messaging is the player-facing copy and related text (like the start and completion messages, attribution, and more). It is per series, so puzzles in each child series can have different messaging even when the puzzle content is the same. You edit it in the dashboard under series settings.

4. Series settings: Series settings cover security, scoring, assist features, picker behavior, social sharing, that applies to every puzzle in a series. The master and each child can use different options, the same way unrelated series would. That layer is separate from both puzzle content.

5. Separate embeds: Each child is a normal series with its own series code and embed code.

6. One place to edit puzzle content: Creators work in the master series only. A fix, creation, or upload happens once; child series follow.

Use Cases

News and broadcast groups often have one team produce the puzzle and many stations or city sites run the same game. A content set keeps that puzzle content in one place while analytics stay per outlet, so you can compare markets instead of relying on a single combined total.

If you run several brands or domains under one operator, the puzzle can stay shared while each site keeps its own branding, messaging, other series settings, and embed, without maintaining duplicate puzzle files.

What syncs and what does not

From the master to children

• Puzzle content: The shared game data (what appears in the grid and plays the same for solvers) stays aligned from the master series to each child series.

Per series (including each child)

• Branding: Per series in the dashboard, like any series.
• Messaging: Messaging is configured per series (from series settings). The master and each child can differ.
• Series settings: Security, scoring, assist features, picker, and the other sections in series settings apply per series and can differ between master and children.
• Analytics: Reported per series.
• Embed and series codes: Each series (or a puzzle in that series) is embedded on its own.

Only the master pushes puzzle content updates outward. Children do not send changes back to the master or to each other.

Create in one series

There are no extra steps for puzzle content once a content set is configured: create and edit in the master series only. Linked child series pick up those puzzles automatically—you do not repeat the work in each child.

Working in a child series

In the PuzzleMe dashboard, a child series is read-only for puzzle content: you cannot add, edit, or delete puzzles there. All puzzle authoring happens in the master series. You can still use the usual series actions for that child—branding, preview, publish, analytics. Open series settings for that child to adjust messaging and every other series-level section (security, scoring, assist features, and so on); each can be set independently of the master or other children.

Actions available for a child series (puzzle content is managed from the master)

For creating and organizing series in general, see Managing series. To let players browse puzzles from a series on your site, see the series picker.