How to Use Google Forms ? | A Complete Guide

November 13, 2024 |

8 min read

by Harish Kumar

an illustration of how to use google forms

What is Google Forms?

Google Forms is a free, easy-to-use tool from Google for creating online forms, surveys, and quizzes. It’s popular for gathering feedback, planning events, and organizing information because it’s simple and integrates well with other Google tools like Sheets and Drive.

Use Cases for Google Forms

Surveys: Collect opinions, feedback, or preferences on different topics.
Quizzes & Tests: Used by teachers and trainers to create quick tests.
Event Registrations: Great for RSVP forms or sign-ups.
Job Applications: Useful for creating simple application forms.
Feedback Forms: Collects customer or employee feedback on services or events.

Key Features of Google Forms

Question Types: Multiple choice, checkboxes, short answers, and more.
Response Tracking: Responses are automatically collected and can be viewed in Google Sheets.
Basic Customization: Add logos, images, and videos.
Branching Logic: Create basic paths based on responses.
Real-time Collaboration: Easily work with others to build or edit forms.
Free and Accessible: No cost to create or share forms.

Limitations of Google Forms

Limited Design Options: Few customization options, making forms look basic and similar.
No Advanced Logic: Basic branching but lacks complex conditional logic options.
No Payment Integration: Can’t collect payments directly through the form.
Minimal Security Controls: Limited features for advanced security and user privacy.
Limited Question Types: Basic question types; lacks rating scales, ranking, and file upload features found in other tools.
Lack of Analytics: Google Forms lacks advanced form analytics**, detailed reports, and automated insights. For deeper analysis, you’ll need third-party tools or manual data processing.

Why Formester is a Better Google Forms Alternative?

Formester offers more customization, advanced conditional logic, tons of AI features such as AI form generation and integrations, including secure payment options.

With Formester - a no code online form builder, you can create professional-looking forms with more control, privacy, and a wider range of question types—ideal for businesses, agencies, and educators who need more than what Google Forms provides. *Try it yourself!

How to Make a Google Form

Creating a Google Form is simple and only takes a few steps. Here’s a complete guide from start to finish:

1. Start Creating Your Form

Go to Google Forms and log in with your Google account.
Click on the “Blank” form option or choose a template to get started.

2. Add a Title and Description

At the top, click to enter a title for your form.
Add a short description underneath to let people know what the form is for.

3. Add Questions and Fields

Click on the “+” button on the right to add a question.
Choose your question type from options like multiple choice, short answer, paragraph, checkboxes, dropdown, etc.
Type your question and add answer choices (if applicable).
Use the “Duplicate” icon to quickly copy a question format, or the “Trash” icon to delete one.
Click “Required” to make any question mandatory.

4. Customize Your Form’s Look (Design)

Click on the “Customize Theme” icon (paint palette) at the top.
Choose a background color, theme color, and font style to match your preferences.
You can also add a header image, like a logo or banner, to make the form more personalized.

5. Preview Your Form

Click the “Preview” icon (eye) at the top to see how your form will look to users.
Check for any mistakes or missing fields and go back to make edits if needed.

6. Set Up Form Settings

Go to “Settings” (gear icon).
Choose settings like “Collect email addresses,” “Limit to 1 response,” and “Allow response editing” as needed.
For quizzes, turn on “Make this a quiz” to assign points to questions.

When your form is ready, click on the “Send” button.
You can share the form link, email it directly, or click the “<>” icon to get the embed code to add it to a website.
To share on social media, simply copy the link and paste it into a post.

How to Add Rating Scale in Google Form

Open your form, click on “+” to add a question.
Choose the "Linear Scale" option.
Set your scale (e.g., 1 to 5) and add labels for each end (e.g., “Poor” to “Excellent”).
Use this free Net Promoter Survey (NPS) template from Formester if you are trying to guage how satisfied your customers are with your product or service.

How to Add Payment to Google Form

Google Forms doesn’t support payments directly.
Use a third party add on such as Payable Forms or a free online form builder with payment integration like Formester.

How to Add PDF to Google Forms

Google Forms doesn’t allow direct PDF uploads.
Upload your PDF to Google Drive and share the link in the form with a paragraph field.

How to Make Conditional Questions in Google Forms

Before creating conditions for each question, you need to create a new Section and add the field that you want to show based on the previous answer.
Click on the question, select "Go to section based on answer."

Then select the next section you want to show for each option on that field.

Google Forms lack the ability to create advanced forms that can carry out calculations or show different outcomes based on the user’s response.
That’s why it’s wise to use a free form builder with advanced conditional logic such as Formester. You can highly complex forms with a simple prompt using its build conditional forms with AI feature. Try it yourself!

How to Change Image on Google Form

Go to the header area, click on the image icon.
Upload or choose a new image for the form header.

How to Design a Google Form

Use the "Customize Theme" option to change colors, fonts, and header image.

Keep design simple for better readability.

If you are searching for a solution that allows you to create custom branding kits, so you don’t have to customize each form or survey, try Formester!

How to Duplicate a Google Form

Open your Google Form, click on the three dots menu.
Select “Make a copy” to duplicate.

How to Make a QR Code for a Google Form

Open your Google Form, copy the form link.
Use a QR code generator (like QR Code Generator) and paste the link to create a QR code. Learn more.

How to Make Google Form Public

Open your form, click on "Settings."
Turn off “Restrict to users in [your organization]” so anyone can access it.

How to Make an Anonymous Google Form

Don’t include fields for name or email.
In "Settings," turn off “Collect email addresses” to ensure responses are anonymous.

How to Translate a Google Form

Manually translate each question by editing the form in your desired language.
For multiple languages, create separate forms for each.

If you want to create multilingual forms that have auto translations, try using Formester It's free to use and has tons of easy to use features to create advanced forms or surveys.

How to Connect Google Form to Google Sheet

Open your form, go to "Responses," then click on the Google Sheets icon.
Choose to create a new sheet or connect to an existing one. Learn more.

If you want to integrate your forms or surveys with any app to automate your workflow I highly recommend using Formester.

How to Link Google Calendar on Forms

Google Forms doesn’t have a direct calendar link feature.
Add a Google Calendar event link in the description or confirmation message.

If you want to the respondents to schedule appointments with you try using Formester’s free appointment booking form templates.

How to Lock a Google Form

To stop responses, open the form, go to "Responses," and toggle off “Accepting responses.”

How to Embed Google Form

Open your form, click on “Send,” then select the “<>” (embed) icon.
Copy the embed code and paste it into your website’s HTML.

How to Limit Responses in Google Forms

Google Forms itself doesn’t offer a response limit.
Use a Google Forms add-on like “FormLimiter” to set limits.

If you want clear control over how many people can submit, which places they can submit from, and when to close the online form or survey, use a free form builder with Form limiter feature such as Formester.

How to Close a Google Form

Go to “Responses” and toggle off the “Accepting responses” option to stop further submissions.

How to Remove an Email from Google Forms

In "Settings," uncheck “Collect email addresses.”
For existing responses, remove emails manually in the linked Google Sheet.

How to Get Notification When Someone Fills Out Google Form

Open your form, go to “Responses” and click the three dots.
Select “Get email notifications for new responses.”

With Formester you can also set up a conditional autoresponder which sends a specific email based on the respondent’s answers, or adds a delay to automated email responses.

How to Save Google Forms Responses as PDF

Open the form’s responses in Google Sheets.
Print or export the sheet as a PDF from the File menu.

How to Edit Responses in Google Form

Go to "Responses" > "Individual," select the response, and click “Edit response.”
This only works if you or the respondent have edit permissions.