The product problem
A maintenance screen is often a temporary dead end. Users need accurate status first, but a familiar optional interaction can make longer planned downtime less sterile.
Why this placement can work
Because the embed is read-only and independent of the host application’s state, it can remain available when the main product is intentionally offline — provided the page can still reach the public embed endpoint.
Implementation notes
- Put status, incident link, ETA and support details before the puzzle.
- Only use it when the embed service is operational independently of the maintenance target.
- Use a calm custom title such as “A puzzle while we work”.
- Remove the placement when normal service returns if it no longer serves a purpose.
What to avoid
- Do not use the puzzle to distract from missing incident information.
- Do not promise an ETA through the widget itself.
A practical example
A planned maintenance page shows a status timeline and support link, then an optional “A puzzle while we work” panel for users who choose to stay.
Minimal HTML
<iframe
src="https://puzru.com/embed/?mode=daily&source=maintenance-puzzle&theme=auto&surface=card"
title="Daily logic puzzle"
loading="lazy"
sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups"
referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"
style="display:block;width:100%;max-width:540px;height:720px;border:0;background:transparent"
></iframe>