How to create a word cloud

WordCloud+ is a free word cloud generator that turns a block of writing into a visual summary. This guide explains how to create a word cloud from text, make a word cloud from survey responses or create a word cloud from a text file, then refine the result in the full editor.

What text should you use?

Use text where repeated words or phrases can reveal a theme. Good starting points include survey responses, interview transcripts, product reviews, research reports, meeting notes, speeches and open-ended comments.

Keep the source in the form you want to analyse. If a question, heading or repeated instruction appears in every response, remove it first or treat it as a stop word so it does not dominate the result. A word cloud is a visual aid for finding patterns, not a replacement for reading the source.

Step 1: Paste text or choose a file

Open the free word cloud creator. Choose Paste text and paste your source, or choose Upload a file. You can also browse the word cloud examples before you start.

File upload currently supports plain .txt and .md files only. A file must be smaller than 1 MB and contain no more than 50,000 words. WordCloud+ reads the file in your browser; it does not accept PDF, Word documents or spreadsheets in this flow.

The optional Cloud name helps you recognise the draft later. If you leave it blank, WordCloud+ uses “Untitled word cloud”, or the file name for an uploaded text file.

Step 2: Generate your free private preview

Select Generate. The initial analysis runs locally in your browser and the draft is kept in the current browser session. You do not need to sign up to see the preview.

The guest preview is deliberately read-only. It lets you see whether the source produces a useful cloud before you create an account. It is not the full editor and it cannot export a finished file.

Step 3: Open the full editor

When you are ready to continue, choose Unlock editing in the guest preview and create an account or sign in. WordCloud+ then converts the guest draft into a full project and opens the editor. The account is needed for the saved project, editing tools and exports; it is not needed for the first local preview.

If you already have an account, sign in rather than starting again. If the draft is missing after sign-in, return to Create a word cloud and generate it again in the same browser session.

Step 4: Refine the words and phrases

Start in the editor’s Summary view to understand what the source contains. A basic frequency cloud counts isolated words; WordCloud+ also identifies meaningful two-, three- and four-word phrases. That means “customer service” can remain a useful idea instead of being split into two unrelated counts.

Use the editor tabs and phrase tools to improve the analysis:

• Text lets you inspect the source and make corrections.
• Stop Words removes terms that are common but not useful for this question, such as a repeated survey prompt or a respondent instruction.
• Replace merges spelling variants, abbreviations or synonyms. For example, you can bring “colour” and “color”, or “NHS” and “National Health Service”, under one label when that matches your analysis.
• Click a phrase in the cloud to inspect its References in the underlying text. This is a useful check that a large phrase represents the source rather than a formatting artefact.
• The phrase panel also includes Coding when you want to assign selected phrases to codes and compare themes.

Choose a sensible Term count. A smaller number keeps the visual focused; a larger number gives you more context but can make the cloud harder to read. There is no universal “correct” count: start with enough terms to show the main themes, then reduce it until the result communicates clearly.

Step 5: Style and rearrange the cloud

Use the Cloud toolbar to make the result readable and presentation-ready:

• Colors changes the background and word colors.
• Font chooses the typeface.
• Size sets the canvas dimensions.
• Term count controls how many phrases appear.
• Title shows or hides the cloud title.
• Rearrange lets you move words into fixed positions.
• Multiselect selects several phrases for a combined edit.
• Zoom changes the view or auto-fits the cloud.

Use contrast that keeps smaller words visible, leave enough space around the cloud, and rearrange only when placement supports the story you want the reader to see.

Step 6: Export the finished word cloud

Open Download in the Cloud toolbar and choose PNG, JPEG (JPG) or SVG. Export availability depends on your account plan and the project’s watermark status.

• Free downloads include the WordCloud+ watermark.
• A one-off export purchase (currently $3.50) removes the watermark for that project.
• Premium downloads are watermark-free. See the current options on the pricing section; Premium is currently $7.00 per month.

Tips for a useful word cloud

• Clean obvious boilerplate before analysing responses.
• Keep the original source so you can check an important phrase in References.
• Use Stop Words for terms that are frequent but irrelevant, rather than deleting them without a record.
• Use Replace to merge variants only when they mean the same thing in your context.
• Compare the cloud with the underlying responses. Large words show frequency, not importance or sentiment by themselves.
• Short sources can still make a useful exploratory cloud, but treat the result as directional: with less text, each repeated word has more influence and phrase patterns are less stable.

Troubleshooting

The Generate button does not work

Add non-blank text first. For uploads, confirm that the file ends in .txt or .md, is under 1 MB and contains no more than 50,000 words.

My file is rejected

WordCloud+ currently reads UTF-8 or UTF-16 text files. Save the document as plain text or Markdown and try again. PDF, DOCX, DOC, XLSX and CSV files are not supported by this creator.

I cannot edit or download the guest preview

That is expected: the guest preview is read-only. Choose Unlock editing to sign in or create an account, then continue in the full editor.

The cloud looks dominated by unhelpful words

Review Summary, remove boilerplate with Stop Words, merge variants with Replace, and check a few entries in References before changing the term count.

For more guidance, see the Help centre and What is a word cloud?.

Create your word cloud

Ready to try it? Create a free word cloud from your text and see the private preview before deciding whether to sign up.