Google Forms: Step by Step Guide on how to create Google Form surveys

How to create a Google Form

1. Go to docs.google.com/forms.
2. Click Blank form to create a new form. Alternatively, you can choose a pre-made template to kickstart the process. 

You can also create a new Google Form directly from Google Sheets. This is the quickest way to automatically sync your form data with a new or existing spreadsheet. 

1. Open the spreadsheet you want to sync with your form. 
2. Click Tools, and then select Create a new form. 

Once you open Google Forms, you’ll see a new blank form ready for you to fill out. If you’re creating it from Google Sheets, the title will match your spreadsheet’s title. Otherwise, it will be called “Untitled form.” You can also add a short description to explain what the survey is about.

Working with the Google Forms editor is easy. Just click on a field to add or change a question. If you want to add more questions, click on the plus sign (+) icon in the toolbar next to your question box. To change the type of question, click on the dropdown menu next to the question field.

1. Short answer: The short answer question type is great for gathering concise responses, like names or email addresses. Users get a single text line to answer, but they can type as much as they want. This makes it perfect for simple information collection without overwhelming participants. For example, in a registration form, you might use it for attendees’ names or contact details. Keep questions brief and clear to maintain simplicity.

2. Paragraph: The paragraph field is for detailed feedback or longer responses. Unlike short answers, users can provide extensive comments or explanations. It’s perfect when you need participants to elaborate on their thoughts or provide in-depth feedback. In a customer satisfaction survey, use it to ask for experience descriptions or improvement suggestions. While it offers flexibility, ensure questions are clear to get relevant responses.

3. Multiple choice: This type allows users to select one option from a list, ideal for specific feedback or preferences. For instance, in a customer feedback survey, you might ask participants to rate satisfaction levels. Customize the form to jump to different sections based on answers or shuffle options to prevent bias, keeping the survey engaging and informative.

4. Checkboxes: Unlike multiple choice, checkboxes let users select multiple options, suitable for gathering feedback on topics with varied preferences. For example, in a product survey, users can choose features they like or dislike. Ensure questions are clear to avoid overwhelming participants.

5. Dropdown: Presenting answer options in a dropdown menu keeps the form compact, and useful when dealing with lengthy lists or limited space. For instance, in a survey about favorite food items, respondents can select their preferred cuisine from a dropdown list. Ensure easy navigation to enhance the user experience.

6. File upload: While not a question type, this feature allows respondents to upload files directly to the form, useful for submissions like resumes or images. However, ensure data privacy and security measures are in place, as respondents upload files to your Google Drive.

7. Linear scale: This question type enables respondents to rate on a numerical scale within a range, helpful for quantitative data or sentiment assessment. For example, in a satisfaction survey, respondents can rate from 1 to 10. Customize labels for nuanced responses and consider emoji for creativity.

8. Multiple choice grid: This type allows respondents to select options across different categories, ideal for making comparisons. For instance, users can express preferences for various features in a product evaluation survey. However, keep the grid concise to prevent respondent fatigue.

9. Checkbox grid: Similar to the multiple-choice grid, this type lets users select multiple options per row, suitable for indicating preferences across categories. For instance, in a market research survey, respondents can give feedback on product features. Design the grid for visual appeal and easy navigation.

10. Date: Respondents can select a specific date from a calendar widget, useful for event scheduling or collecting date-related information. For example, users can choose their preferred event date in an event registration form. Ensure clear instructions for date formatting to prevent confusion.

11. Time: Similar to the date field, this type allows users to enter a specific time in hours and minutes. For instance, in a customer support form, users can indicate the time they encountered an issue. Provide clear instructions and intuitive input controls for a seamless user experience.

Please note: Google Forms only allows the inclusion of YouTube videos, which can be added either through a search function or by providing a link.

Regardless of whether you’re adding images or videos, each entry will include standard fields for a title and description, along with options to resize and align the video or image to the center, left, or right.

Adding sections and logic to Google Forms can help organize your form and make it more interactive. Here’s how you can do it:

Adding Sections:

1. Go to Google Forms by visiting forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

2. Create a New Form or Open an Existing One: Either start a new form by selecting “Blank” or open an existing one by choosing it from your Google Drive.

3. Add a Section: Click on the “+” icon in the toolbar to add a new question. From the dropdown menu, select “Section”.

4. Customize the Section: Give your section a title and description if needed. This will help organize your form into different parts.

5. Continue adding sections by clicking the “+” icon and selecting “Section” until you have all the sections you need for your form.

Adding Logic (Skip Logic):

Skip logic allows you to customize the flow of your form based on respondents’ answers. Here’s how to add it:

1. Open or Create Your Form:
Follow steps 1 and 2 from the section above.

2. Create the questions you want to include in your form. These will be the questions that respondents answer.

3. If you want to apply logic within a section, you may need to add section breaks. You can do this by clicking the “+” icon and selecting “Section”.

4. Click on the three dots (more options) next to the question for which you want to add logic and select “Response validation” or “Go to section based on answer”.

5. Set Up Logic:
– Response Validation: With this option, you can set rules for how respondents answer a particular question.
– Go to Section Based on Answer: This option allows you to direct respondents to different sections based on their answers.

6. Depending on the option you selected, set up the rules accordingly. For example, if you’re using “Go to section based on the answer,” choose which section respondents should go to based on their answer to the current question.

7. Add logic to other questions as necessary to customize the flow of your form.

8. Before sharing your form, it’s a good idea to test it to make sure the logic works as expected. You can do this by previewing the form and filling it out with test responses.

Note:
– Google Forms may change its interface or features over time, so the exact steps might vary slightly.
– Always test your form thoroughly to ensure that the logic behaves as intended before sharing it with respondents.

Creating a quiz in Google Forms is a straightforward process.

Here are the steps:

1. Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

2. Click on the “+” (plus) sign to create a new form or select an existing form if you have one.

3. Set Up Your Quiz Questions:
– Add your questions by clicking on the “+” icon.
– Choose the type of question you want (multiple choice, short answer, etc.).  
– Enter the question and provide answer choices (if applicable).

4. Mark Questions as Quiz Questions:
– After creating a question, click on the three dots (more options) beside the question.
– Check the box that says “Answer Key” if you want to mark it as a quiz question.

5. Set Correct Answers (for Multiple Choice Questions):
– If you marked a question as the answer key, select the correct answer(s) for multiple-choice questions.

7. Configure Quiz Settings:
– Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner to access form settings.
– Select the “Quizzes” tab.
– Toggle on the “Make this a quiz” option.
– Choose whether to release grades immediately after submission or later, and select when to show correct answers.

9. Customize Confirmation Message:
– Customize the confirmation message that respondents see after submitting the quiz.
– You can provide a thank you message or additional instructions here.

10. Preview Your Quiz:
– Before sharing your quiz, it’s a good idea to preview it to ensure everything looks correct.
– Click on the eye icon at the top right to preview your form.

11. Share Your Quiz:
– Once you’re satisfied with your quiz, you can share it with your audience.
– Click on the “Send” button at the top right to get a shareable link or embed code, or you can directly email the form to participants.

12. View Responses:
– After participants complete the quiz, you can view their responses and scores in the Google Forms interface.

That’s it! You’ve successfully created a quiz using Google Forms.

How to change the design of a Google Form

1. Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

2. Either start a new form by selecting “Blank” or open an existing one by choosing it from your Google Drive.

3. Access Theme Options:
– Click on the “Customize theme” button, which typically looks like a palette or paintbrush icon.
– This button is located at the top right corner of the form editor.

4. Choose a Theme:
– Google Forms provides several pre-designed themes to choose from.
– Click on the “Theme” dropdown menu to see the available options.
– Select the theme that best fits your preferences.

5. Customize Colors (Optional):
– If you want to further customize the colors, click on the “Choose a color” palette icon.
– You can adjust the header color, background color, and text color.
– Click “Done” when you’re satisfied with your color choices.

6. Change Font Style (Optional):
– You can change the font style of your form by clicking on the “Font” dropdown menu.
– Select the font style you prefer from the available options.

7. Preview Your Changes:
– After making your desired changes, you can preview how your form looks by clicking on the eye icon at the top right corner of the editor.

8. Save Your Changes:
– Once you’re happy with the design changes, click on the “Save” button to apply them to your form.

Keep in mind that Google Forms may not offer extensive customization options like some other form-building tools. However, you can still make your form visually appealing by choosing a suitable theme and adjusting colors and fonts to match your preferences.

How to create a Google Forms template

Creating a Google Forms template can be a useful way to standardize forms within your organization or to streamline the process of creating new forms with a consistent design and structure. Here’s how you can create a Google Forms template:

1. Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

2. Create a New Form: Click on the “+” (plus) sign to create a new form or select an existing form if you have one that you want to use as a template.

3. Design Your Template:
– Add questions, sections, and any other elements you want to include in your template.
– Customize the theme, colors, and font styles to match your organization’s branding or the intended purpose of the template.

4. Remove Placeholder Content (Optional):
– If you started with a blank form, you might have placeholder content (such as sample questions) that you want to remove before saving the template.
– Delete any unnecessary questions or sections by clicking on the trash can icon next to them.

5. Access Template Options:
– Once you’ve designed your form, click on the three dots (more options) in the upper right corner of the form editor.
– Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.

6. Save as Template:
– In the Settings menu, click on the “Templates” tab.
– Click on the “Save as new template” button.

7. Name Your Template:
– Give your template a descriptive name that will help you identify it later.
– Click “Save” to confirm.

8. Use Your Template:
– To create a new form using your template, go to forms.google.com and click on the “+” (plus) sign to create a new form.
– Instead of selecting “Blank,” click on the “Template Gallery” tab.
– Choose your template from the list of saved templates.
– A new form will be created based on your template, which you can further customize as needed.

9. Modify and Update Your Template (Optional):
– If you need to make changes to your template in the future, you can do so by accessing the template gallery.
– Click on the three dots (more options) next to your template and select “Edit template” to make changes.
– Any forms created from the template will reflect these updates.

By following these steps, you can create a Google Forms template that can be used repeatedly to create new forms with a consistent format and design.

How to share and collaborate on Google Forms

Google Forms sharing settings 

After completing your Google Form, it’s crucial to review the sharing settings before making it available to others. Take a moment to carefully check these settings to ensure they meet your requirements. Here are key aspects you may want to focus on:

Responses:

These settings empower you to control the collection and distribution of responses. Options include restricting users to a single submission, enabling response editing, or providing respondents with a copy of their responses. Additionally, you can opt to gather email addresses and determine whether to share the form exclusively within your organization or publicly via a link. Furthermore, there’s the capability to collect respondents’ usernames (their Google Workspace email addresses), facilitating subsequent follow-ups if needed.

Presentation:

These settings give you control over the presentation of your form and allow for the addition of a confirmation page. The confirmation page functions similarly to the form description field but offers limited formatting options—text cannot be formatted, and hyperlinks cannot be added. Additionally, you can decide whether to display a progress bar, randomize the order of questions, or include links for respondents to submit another response.

Language:

While language settings cannot be directly adjusted within Google Forms, it’s important to note that Google automatically displays the form’s interface in the default language based on the recipients’ location. For instance, if your readers are in Japan and your form questions are in English, interface elements like “Required” and “Submit” will appear in Japanese while the questions remain in English. If this presents an issue, consider adding a note at the beginning of your form to prompt respondents to adjust their preferred language settings accordingly. This ensures clarity and ease of use for all respondents, regardless of their language preferences.

How to collaborate on Google Forms

Collaborating on Google Forms allows multiple users to work together on creating, editing, and managing a form. Here’s how to collaborate on Google Forms:

1. Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

2. Create a New Form or Open an Existing One: Start a new form by selecting “Blank” or open an existing form from your Google Drive.

3. Share the Form with Collaborators:
– Click on the “Share” button located at the top right corner of the form editor.
– Enter the email addresses of the collaborators you want to invite to work on the form.
– You can assign different levels of access to collaborators, such as “Can edit” or “Can view,” by clicking on the dropdown menu next to each email address.

4. Collaborate in Real-Time:
– Once you’ve shared the form with collaborators, they can access and edit the form simultaneously.
– Changes made by one collaborator are instantly visible to others, allowing for real-time collaboration.

5. Track Changes:
– Google Forms automatically tracks changes made by collaborators, making it easy to review edits and revert to previous versions if needed.
– You can access version history by clicking on “File” > “Version history” > “See version history.”

6. Communicate with Collaborators:
– Use the built-in chat feature in Google Forms to communicate with collaborators directly within the form editor.
– Click on the chat icon located in the bottom right corner to open the chat window.

7. Review and Finalize the Form:
– Collaborators can work together to review and finalize the form content, structure, and settings.
– Once the form is ready, ensure that all collaborators have completed their edits and adjustments before sharing it with respondents.

8. Save and Share the Form:
– After completing the collaboration process, save any changes made to the form by clicking on the “Save” button.
– Share the finalized form with respondents by generating a shareable link or embedding the form on a website or blog.

How to share Google Forms

To share a Google Form via email, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Forms: Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

2. Create a New Form or Open an Existing One: Start a new form or select an existing form from your Google Drive.

3. Access Share Settings:
– Once you’ve created or opened your form, click on the “Send” button located at the top-right corner of the form editor.

4. Choose Email Option:
– In the sharing options menu, select the “Email” tab.
– Enter the email addresses of the recipients within or outside your organization.

5. Include Form in Email:
– Check the box that says “Include the form in email” to embed the form directly into the email invitation.
– This allows recipients to fill out the form directly from their inbox without having to open a separate link.

6. Compose Email Message:
– Customize the email message as needed to provide context or instructions for completing the form.

7. Send the Email:
– Once you’ve composed the email and included the form, click on the “Send” button to send the email invitations to the recipients.

Regarding the issues you mentioned with completing the form in the Gmail mobile app or when using a Google Workspace account, it’s possible that there could be compatibility issues or restrictions specific to those scenarios. If you encounter difficulties, you may consider using alternative sharing methods, such as sending a link or embedding the form on a website.

For sharing via link or embedding to your site, follow similar steps as outlined in the respective sharing options. Copy the link or embed code provided and share it with your intended recipients or add it to your website accordingly.

How to share a pre-filled Google Form 

Looking to gather feedback with partially filled-in forms? Imagine scenarios where a user interacts with your site, expressing discontent with a product, prompting the form to pre-fill accordingly. Similarly, for recurring tasks like weekly submissions requiring consistent information, streamline the process by automatically populating the form with previously entered data. This approach not only enhances user experience but also minimizes redundancy, ensuring efficient data collection.

1. Click the More icon (⋮) above your form. 
2. Click the Get Pre-filled link. 
3. Complete the sections of the form that you want to have pre-filled. 
4. Click the Get link. 
5. A link to the form automatically copies to your clipboard. Paste and share the link as you normally would. 

How to share a paper or PDF Google Form 

1. Click the More icon (⋮) above your form. 
2. Click Print. 
3. Google Forms will make a ballot-style copy of your form that you can print or save as a PDF.

In Google Forms, grids, and multiple-choice questions are presented with selectable pill buttons, facilitating easy responses. Conversely, text, date, and time fields feature blank lines, allowing respondents to input their answers directly. After participants complete paper forms, manually input their responses into your Google Sheets spreadsheet to store them alongside other form submissions. This ensures all data is consolidated and easily accessible for analysis and reference.

How to access Google Forms responses (and automatically save responses in a spreadsheet)

Once your Google Form is created and shared, storing respondents’ answers in Google Forms is automatic. To access and manage responses:

1. Click on “Responses” to view individual responses, summary lists, and graphs. You can also send email reminders to those who haven’t completed the form.

2. For a detailed breakdown in Google Sheets, click “View in Sheets”. You can also create a new spreadsheet or select an existing one by clicking the More icon (⋮) next to the total response summary, and then choosing “Select destination for responses”.

3. Google Forms entries are swiftly updated in the spreadsheet. Any changes to form field names are automatically reflected, and new entries appear instantly.

4. Remember, modifying form questions won’t alter existing entries in the spreadsheet.

5. If something is accidentally deleted from the spreadsheet, fear not! Google Forms retains a complete copy of your form data. Unlink and relink the form and spreadsheet by clicking the More icon (⋮) next to the response summary, then selecting “Unlink form”. Reconnecting them will restore all data to a new sheet.

6. With your form data in the spreadsheet, leverage Google Sheets’ features like formulas for calculations, custom graphs for visualization, and conditional formatting to identify patterns in responses effortlessly.

Wrap Up :

In conclusion, Google Forms provides a seamless way to collect, manage, and analyze responses. Once your form is created and shared, responses are automatically stored in Google Forms. You can easily access and review responses, view summary lists and graphs, and even send email reminders to respondents. For more detailed analysis, you can view responses in Google Sheets, where changes to form field names are automatically updated, and new entries are promptly added. Plus, Google Forms retains a complete copy of your form data, allowing you to restore deleted information if needed. With Google Sheets’ powerful features, such as formulas, custom graphs, and conditional formatting, you can analyze and visualize your data effectively. Overall, Google Forms and Sheets offer a comprehensive solution for managing form responses and gaining valuable insights from your data.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How can I access responses in Google Forms?
   To access responses in Google Forms, simply open your form and click on the “Responses” tab. Here, you can view individual responses, summary lists, and graphs of responses. You can also send email reminders to respondents who haven’t completed the form.
2. Can I store responses in a spreadsheet automatically?
   Yes, Google Forms allows you to automatically save responses in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. Simply click on the “Responses” tab, then click on the Sheets icon to create a new spreadsheet linked to your form. Responses will be stored in the spreadsheet in real time.
3. What happens if I accidentally delete data from my spreadsheet?
   Don’t worry! Google Forms retains a complete copy of your form data. If you accidentally delete data from your spreadsheet, you can unlink and relink your form and spreadsheet. This will restore all data to a new sheet.
4. How can I analyze responses in Google Sheets?
   Google Sheets offers powerful tools for analyzing responses. You can use formulas to calculate values, create custom graphs to visualize your data and apply conditional formatting to identify patterns in responses. With these features, you can gain valuable insights from your form data.