Google Forms is a web-based application that allows you to create and share online forms and use as a free survey maker with multiple question types. You can use Google Forms for various purposes, such as collecting feedback, conducting research, organizing events, testing knowledge, and more. Google Forms is part of the Google Workspace suite of productivity tools that integrates with other Google services like Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and Sheets. With Google Forms, you can easily design your forms with different themes and settings, send them to your target audience via email or link, analyze the responses in real-time or export them to Google Sheets for further analysis.
Features of Google Forms
- Templates: Users can choose from a variety of prebuilt templates for different purposes, such as feedback, registration, order form, etc. or create their own custom forms from scratch.
- Question types: Users can add different types of questions to their forms, such as multiple choice, checkbox, short answer, paragraph, dropdown, linear scale, date, time, file upload and more.
- Conditional logic: Users can set up branching logic to show or hide questions based on previous answers. This can help create personalized and dynamic forms for different respondents.
- Integration: Users can integrate their forms with other Google products such as Google Sheets (to store and analyze responses), Google Calendar (to schedule events), Google Drive (to store files), Gmail (to send notifications), Google Slides (to present results) and more.
- Customization: Users can customize the appearance and style of their forms by adding images, videos, logos, themes and fonts. They can also use add-ons and plug-ins to enhance the functionality and design of their forms.
Here we show you how you can create Google Forms, share your Google survey and how to generate a results view.
How to Create a Google Form via the Google Forms Web App
Open the Google Forms page and follow the steps below to make your own Google Form.
- Option 1: Click “Blank” to create a Google Form from scratch
- Option 2: Choose a Google Forms template from the “Template Gallery”
- Click on the Google Form template to start editing and adapting it
Alternatively you can open one of the shown example drafts and change them to fit your needs. On the Google Workspace Marketplace, you can find more Google Forms templates and additions to include more features.
How to Create a Google Form via Google Drive
You can also create a Google Form inside Google Drive via “My Drive – Google Forms – Blan form/Blank quiz/From a template”. This will redirect you to the respective view of the Google Forms web app.
How to Create a Google Form via Google Sheets
You can also create a Google Form inside Google Sheets via “Tools – Create a new form”. This will redirect you to the respective view of the Google Forms web app.
How to Edit a Google Form Adding Multiple Choice Questions, Checkboxes and Dropdown
To edit a Google Form and add different types of questions, follow these steps:
- Click on the plus icon (+) at the bottom right corner to add a new question and the arrow next to “Multiple choice”
- Choose the type of question you want to add from the drop-down menu
You can choose from multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown, and select how the answer options should be presented.
How to Add Images and Videos to a Google Form
Google Forms allows you to add images and videos to your form questions, answers or descriptions.
- To add an image, click on the question and then on the image symbol
- Add your image to Google Forms via upload, from the camera, by URL or via Google Photos, Google Drive or Google Image Search
- To add a video to your Google Form, click on the question and then on the video symbol
How to Add Titles and Sections in Google Forms
itles and sections are two ways to organize and structure your Google Forms. Titles are used to name your form and provide a brief introduction or overview of its purpose. Sections are used to divide your form into logical parts and group related questions together. You can add titles and sections by clicking on the icons at the bottom right of the form editor. Titles and sections can help you create clear and user-friendly forms that are easy to fill out and analyze.
- Click on the letter Symbol to add the first title to your Google Form
- Replace “Untitled Title” with your own title
- To create a new section in your Google Form, click on the sections symbol on the bottom right
You can replace “Untitled Section” with your section title and add another title and questions to your section.
How to Change Your Google Form Settings
You can customize your form with different settings and options for responses and how the Google form is presented to suit your needs.
- Click “Settings” and enable the options you want to be active for your Google Form
If you activate “Make this a quiz” you can use specific settings. These include options such as adding a title and description, changing the theme and color scheme, adding images or videos, and customizing the confirmation message.
“Response” settings include options such as accepting or closing responses, viewing summary charts and text responses, deleting or downloading responses and linking to spreadsheets or other forms.
- Choose the “Presentation” settings
“Presentation” settings include options such as adding a title and description, changing the theme and color scheme, adding images or videos, and customizing the confirmation message.
How to Share a Google Form
There are different ways to share Google Forms with others, depending on your purpose and audience: via email, copying a link to your form, or embed your form on a website or blog. You can also share your form on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
If you want to extend the functionality of your form with add-ons, you can use the More button (three vertical dots) at the top right of the form. You can browse and install various add-ons that can help you with tasks such as sending customized emails, creating charts and reports, or integrating with other apps such as Zapier.
- Click the sharing button
- Select how you want to share your Google Form
You can invite people by entering their email addresses or by copying a link that gives them access to edit your form. You can also change their permissions from editors to viewers or commenters.
How to View and Save Responses for Google Forms
You can view and save the responses of your form in different ways. One way is to use the “Responses” tab in your form editor. There you can see a summary of all the responses, individual responses, or download them as a CSV file. Another way is to link your form to a Google Sheet. This will automatically save all the responses in a spreadsheet that you can access and edit anytime. To do this, click on the Responses tab, then click on the green spreadsheet icon and select Create spreadsheet or Select existing spreadsheet. You can also view and save your form responses in your Google Drive folder where your form is stored.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Google Forms
Can you make a Google Form anonymous?
Yes, Google Forms can be configured to maintain respondent anonymity. This is particularly useful for sensitive surveys where you want to ensure participant privacy and encourage honest feedback. To achieve this, navigate to the form settings and ensure that the option to collect email addresses is turned off. Additionally, it’s crucial to design your questions in a way that they do not inadvertently ask for personal details, such as names, locations, or other identifiable information. Crafting your questions carefully and reviewing them from a privacy perspective is key to maintaining the anonymity of your respondents.
How to make a Google Form public but not editable?
Sharing a Google Form publicly while keeping it non-editable is straightforward. When you are ready to share your form, go to the sharing settings and choose the option to share via a link. Before distributing the link, make sure to set the access permissions to “Viewer.” This ensures that anyone with the link can view and respond to the form, but cannot make changes to the form itself. This feature is particularly useful when you want to gather information from a wide audience without compromising the structure and content of your form.
How to make a Google Form not require sign in?
To allow respondents to complete a Google Form without signing in, you need to adjust a couple of settings. First, ensure the “Collect email addresses” option is unchecked, as this feature requires respondents to sign in to provide their email address. Secondly, disable the “Limit to 1 response” setting. While this option helps in preventing multiple submissions from the same user, it requires sign-in to verify individual Google accounts. Disabling these options makes your form more accessible, especially for quick surveys or when targeting a broader, possibly anonymous audience.
How to make a Google Form QR code?
Creating a QR code for your Google Form can enhance accessibility and engagement, allowing users to quickly access your form by simply scanning the code with their mobile devices. To do this, first, ensure your form is ready and has the appropriate sharing settings. Then, use an online QR code generator by entering the shareable link of your Google Form. Many QR code generators offer customization options such as changing the color, adding a logo, or selecting the QR code’s shape, making it easy to align the code with your branding or the context in which it will be used.
How to make a Google Form private?
Making a Google Form private is essential when dealing with confidential surveys or when you want to limit responses to a select group. To do this, share the form directly with specific individuals by entering their email addresses in the form’s sharing settings. You can further control what these individuals can do by adjusting their permissions, allowing them only to view or fill out the form, or giving them editing rights if collaboration is required. This level of control ensures that only intended recipients can access and interact with your form, safeguarding the privacy of your data.
How to customize the confirmation message in Google Forms?
Personalizing the confirmation message in Google Forms can enhance the respondent’s experience by providing a tailored end message that acknowledges their participation or provides them with additional information. To customize this message, access the form’s settings and navigate to the “Presentation” tab. Here, you can modify the default confirmation message to something more specific to your form’s purpose, add follow-up instructions, or express gratitude to the respondents. This small customization can make the form completion process feel more engaging and personal.
Can I limit the number of responses to my Google Form?
While Google Forms doesn’t offer a direct feature to cap the number of responses, there are workarounds to achieve this limitation. One method is to closely monitor your form’s responses and manually close the form to new submissions once your desired number of responses is reached. This can be done by unchecking the option that allows for new responses in the form settings. Alternatively, for more automated control, you can use Google Apps Script to create a script that automatically closes the form after a certain number of responses have been submitted, providing a more hands-off approach to managing response volumes.
How to embed a Google Form on a website?
Embedding a Google Form on your website not only integrates seamlessly with your web content but also makes it convenient for visitors to fill out the form without navigating away from your site. To embed a form, open the form and click on the “Send” button. Then, choose the “< >” embed icon to generate the HTML embed code. This code can be copied and pasted into the HTML of your web page where you want the form to appear. Adjust the width and height parameters in the code if necessary to ensure the form fits well within your site’s layout, providing a smooth and integrated user experience for your visitors.
How do I view individual responses in Google Forms?
Google Forms allows you to view each respondent’s answers in detail, which is particularly useful for analyzing feedback or survey results on an individual basis. To access these individual responses, navigate to the “Responses” tab within your form. Here, you’ll find an overview of all the collected responses. For a more granular view, you can click on the option to view individual responses, which will allow you to cycle through each submission. This feature enables a deeper understanding of the data, allowing you to identify trends or specific feedback that might be lost in aggregate data views.
Can I change the theme or background of my Google Form?
Absolutely, Google Forms provides various customization options to align your form with your branding or the desired aesthetic. To change the theme or background, click on the palette icon in the upper right corner of the form editor to open the theme options. From here, you can select a pre-designed theme or customize your own by changing the header image, background color, and font style. These customization options can significantly enhance the visual appeal of your form, making it more engaging for respondents and consistent with your branding or event theme.
Is it possible to schedule when a Google Form is open for responses?
Directly scheduling the availability of a Google Form for responses is not a built-in feature, but there are alternative methods to control when your form is accessible. One straightforward approach is to manually open your form for responses by enabling it in the settings and then closing it when you wish to stop collecting responses. For a more automated solution, consider using third-party add-ons or Google Apps Script, which can be programmed to open and close your form at specified times. This can be particularly useful for timed quizzes, registration forms for events with limited slots, or any scenario where you need to control the form’s availability.
How to ensure only one response per person in Google Forms?
To ensure that each respondent can only submit one response to your Google Form, you can enable the “Limit to 1 response” setting within the form’s configuration. This option is particularly useful for voting, quizzes, and surveys where it’s crucial to collect one response per person. When this setting is enabled, respondents are required to sign in to their Google account to submit their response, allowing the form to track submissions by user account and prevent multiple entries. Keep in mind that this setting necessitates that all respondents have a Google account and are willing to sign in to participate.
Can I add collaborators to help edit the Google Form?
Collaborating on a Google Form is straightforward and allows multiple people to contribute to the form’s design and content. To add collaborators, click on the “Send” button within the form editor, then navigate to the “Send via email” tab. Here, instead of sending the form to fill out, you can enter the email addresses of individuals you wish to collaborate with on the form. These individuals will then receive an invitation to edit the form, allowing for a collaborative process in crafting the questions, themes, and settings of the form. This feature is particularly useful for team projects, event planning, or any situation where input from multiple stakeholders is beneficial.
How to convert Google Form responses into a PDF or Doc?
Converting Google Form responses into a PDF or Doc format involves a few steps for easy documentation and sharing. First, ensure that your form responses are linked to a Google Sheets spreadsheet, which can be done in the “Responses” tab of your form. Once the responses are in Google Sheets, you can then use the file download options within Sheets to save the data in a PDF or Microsoft Excel format. For a more document-like format, you can copy the data from Sheets and paste it into a Google Docs document, where further editing and formatting can be applied before saving or exporting as a PDF or Doc file. This process allows for flexible use of the collected data, whether for reporting, analysis, or record-keeping purposes.
Can Google Forms be used to collect payments?
While Google Forms itself does not have a built-in feature for collecting payments directly within the form, it can be integrated with third-party payment processing services to facilitate this functionality. This can be achieved through the use of add-ons available from the Google Workspace Marketplace or by linking to an external payment platform within your form. For example, you can include a link to a payment page in the form’s confirmation message or in the description of a question, directing respondents to complete their payment after submitting the form. It’s important to choose a secure and reliable payment service to ensure the safety of the transactional process.
