How do I make a Google Form anonymous?

Open your form, click Settings, expand Responses, set Collect email addresses to Do not collect, and remove any questions that ask for name, employee ID, phone, or address. Respondents now submit without revealing identity.

Are Google Forms anonymous by default?

Not exactly. Google Forms doesn't collect emails by default, but the Settings panel has an option to require email. Make sure that option is OFF and remove any other identifying questions.

Can a quiz be anonymous in Google Forms?

Quizzes can be anonymous if you turn off email collection. But some quiz features (like sending the score to the respondent's email) require an email field. For a fully anonymous quiz with scoring, use Formester.

Does Google Forms track IP addresses?

Google Forms does not log or display respondents' IP addresses to the form owner. Google's internal logs may retain IP data for spam and abuse prevention, but you cannot access that data.

Can the form owner see who submitted an anonymous Google Form?

If email collection is OFF and no identifying questions are included, the form owner cannot see who submitted. Responses are recorded without a name or email column.

How do I verify a Google Form is truly anonymous?

Submit the form yourself, then check the Responses tab and the linked Google Sheet. If there is no Email column and no Name field, the form is anonymous.

Can I limit one anonymous response per person?

Google Forms requires email collection to enforce one response per person, which breaks anonymity. For one-anonymous-response-per-person, use Formester's form limiter feature (works without identifying respondents).

Is an anonymous Google Form GDPR compliant?

An anonymous Google Form that doesn't collect personally identifiable information (PII) avoids most GDPR requirements. Still, post a privacy notice and avoid asking questions that could indirectly identify someone.

Can I add a 'You are anonymous' message to the form?

Yes. Add a description at the top of the form: 'This survey is anonymous. We do not collect your name, email, or any identifying information.' Reassures respondents and lifts completion rate.

Is there a better tool than Google Forms for anonymous surveys?

Formester supports anonymous mode plus one-response-per-person enforcement without collecting PII, custom-branded surveys, and built-in spam protection. Worth it when Google Forms anonymous-mode hits its limits.

How to Make an Anonymous Google Form or Survey (2026 Guide)

Quick answer

To make a Google Form anonymous, open your form, click Settings, expand the Responses section, turn off Collect email addresses (or set it to Do not collect), then in the Question editor remove any fields that capture identifying information like name, employee ID, or phone number. The 3 steps below cover every option, including how to verify respondents see the anonymous-mode banner and how to handle anonymous quizzes.

Turn off email collection, remove identifying questions, verify the anonymous banner shows. Done in under 60 seconds.

The 3-step setup

Turns off email collection and removes any identifying questions so respondents stay anonymous.

Turn off email collection in Settings

Click the gear icon (Settings), expand the Responses section, and set 'Collect email addresses' to 'Do not collect'. This is the most important step.
Remove identifying questions from the form

Delete or rephrase any questions asking for name, employee ID, phone number, or other PII. Replace with optional demographic groupings (age range, role type) if needed.
Verify anonymous-mode banner appears

Preview the form. Confirm Google Forms shows the anonymous banner ('Your name will not be recorded'). Submit a test response and check the response sheet, there should be no Email column.

Online surveys are a great way to collect honest feedback, but many respondents hesitate if they think their identity could be exposed. Ensuring anonymity encourages more truthful answers.

In this guide, you'll learn how to make an anonymous Google Form and an alternative method using Formester, a powerful form builder with built-in privacy features.

Steps to Make a Google Form Anonymous

Follow the easy steps below to make your Google Form anonymous and let your respondents answer the form or survey without signing up.

Step 1: Create Your Google Form

Start by visiting Google Forms and signing in. Click on the “Blank Form” option to create a new survey from scratch. Add your questions carefully, ensuring that you do not include fields asking for personal details like names, phone numbers, or email addresses.

Step 2: Disable Email Collection

To keep responses anonymous, click the settings in the top-right corner. Under the “Responses” section, turn off the option to “Collect email addresses.” Additionally, uncheck the “Limit to 1 response” option. This allows users to submit answers without logging in and ensures that their identities remain private.

Once your form is ready, click the “Send” button at the top. Copy the generated link and share it via email, social media, or messaging apps. If you want a cleaner and shorter link, consider using a URL shortener before sharing it.

A Faster & Safer Alternative: Formester

While Google Forms is a great option for basic surveys, Formester provides a more efficient and secure solution for collecting anonymous responses. With AI-powered form creation and built-in privacy features, Formester ensures complete anonymity for respondents.

Step 1: Use Formester’s AI Form Builder

Visit Formester and click on “Create Form.” Choose the “AI Form Builder” option and enter a prompt describing your survey, such as “Create an anonymous employee feedback survey.” Formester’s AI will instantly generate a complete survey based on your input, which you can further customize if needed.

After finalizing your survey, click on “Publish” to make it live. Copy the shareable link and distribute it through email, messaging apps, or social media. Formester ensures anonymity by default, so respondents can fill out the survey without needing to log in or provide any personal details.

Step 3: View Anonymous Responses

To review the collected responses, go to the “Results” tab in Formester. All submissions will be displayed without any identifying information, allowing you to gather unbiased and truthful feedback with ease.

Best Practices for Anonymous Surveys

When creating an anonymous survey, avoid including questions that ask for personal details such as names, email addresses, or phone numbers. Using a trusted form builder like Google Forms or Formester helps ensure data privacy and security.

Always store responses securely to prevent unauthorized access or data breaches. Additionally, monitor submissions for duplicate entries to maintain the integrity of your results.

Google Forms vs. Formester for Anonymous Surveys

Google Forms is simple to use and allows for basic anonymous surveys, but Formester takes it a step further with built-in privacy features and AI-powered form creation.

Google Forms requires manual settings adjustments to disable email collection, whereas Formester ensures anonymity by default. When it comes to customization, Formester offers advanced design and logic options that are not available in Google Forms.

In terms of data security, Formester provides enhanced privacy protections to safeguard user responses.

Final Thoughts

Creating an anonymous survey is essential for gathering honest and unbiased feedback. While Google Forms can work for basic surveys, Formester offers a faster, easier, and more secure solution for ensuring anonymity. Try both and see which one fits your needs best.

🚀 Get started with Formester today!

Related on Formester

Pair anonymous surveys with spam protection, the form limiter, and survey templates.

Formester

How to Make an Anonymous Google Form or Survey (2026 Guide)

The 3-step setup

Turn off email collection in Settings

Remove identifying questions from the form

Verify anonymous-mode banner appears