Google Forms creates a survey in your browser with no software to install

Google Forms is a free tool built into Google's suite of office applications. You start at forms.google.com, create a new form, add questions one at a time, and share a link to collect responses. Answers land in a spreadsheet automatically, and Google Forms can show you basic charts of the results without you having to organize the data yourself.

You need a Google account to create a form, but people who fill it out do not. They can answer questions using the link you send them, and they can choose to stay anonymous or give you their name and email address depending on how you set it up.

Key Takeaways

  • Start at forms.google.com, click the plus icon, and name your form before you add any questions.
  • Each question type — multiple choice, short answer, rating scale — appears as a separate card you can reorder, duplicate, or delete at any time.
  • The Share button generates a link you can send by email, text, or social media, or embed on a website.
  • Responses automatically populate a Google Sheet that you can read, filter, or analyze without leaving Google Forms.
  • You can require answers to specific questions, set rules so certain questions only show if someone picks a certain answer, and collect email addresses if you need to follow up.

Starting a new form and naming it

Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click the plus icon (labeled "Create") in the top left. You will see a blank form with two fields: a title field at the top and a description field below it.

Type your survey title in the title field. This is what people see when they open the link. Below that, add a description if you want to explain what the survey is for — for example, "We are gathering feedback on our community center's hours" or "This survey takes about 5 minutes." The description is optional, but it helps people understand why you are asking.

Adding and arranging questions

Below the description, you will see a blank question card. Click in the "Question" field and type your first question. Below that, choose a question type from the dropdown menu on the left side of the card. The most common types are:

  • Multiple choice: One answer from a list (radio buttons).
  • Checkboxes: Multiple answers from a list.
  • Short answer: A single line of text.
  • Paragraph: A longer text box for detailed responses.
  • Linear scale: A numbered range (1 to 5, for example).
  • Multiple choice grid: A table where rows are questions and columns are answer options.
  • Dropdown: A list that opens when clicked.

After you choose a type, add your answer options if the question type requires them. For multiple choice, type each option on a new line. Once you finish the first question, click the plus icon below the card to add another question. Google Forms lets you add as many questions as you need, and you can reorder them by dragging the six-dot handle on the left side of each card.

Making questions required and setting up conditional logic

At the bottom right of each question card, click the three-dot menu and select "Make required" if you want people to answer that question before they can submit the form. This is useful for questions you absolutely need answered, but use it sparingly — required questions can discourage people from finishing.

Google Forms also lets you show or hide questions based on previous answers. This is called conditional logic or branching. Click the three-dot menu on a question card and select "Go to section based on answer." You can then set rules like "If someone picks 'No' to this question, skip to Question 7" or "If someone picks 'Other,' show the next question." This keeps your form shorter for people who do not need to see every question.

Collecting responses and viewing results

Once your form is ready, click the Share button (the arrow icon in the top right). You can copy the link and send it by email, text, or social media. You can also click the link icon to get a shortened URL, or click the embed icon to paste the form directly into a website.

As people fill out your survey, their responses appear in the Responses tab at the top of the form. Google Forms automatically creates a Google Sheet with all the answers, organized by question. You can view a summary of responses (showing charts and counts) or individual responses (showing each person's answers). To read the data, click the three-dot menu in the Responses tab and select "read responses (.csv)."

Controlling who can see responses and requiring sign-in

By default, anyone with the link can fill out your form and responses are anonymous. If you want to collect email addresses, click the three-dot menu at the top right of the form, select "Settings," and turn on "Collect email addresses." You can choose to collect them always, or only if someone wants to.

If you want only people in your organization to respond, go to Settings and turn on "Sign in required." This limits responses to people with a Google account in your organization's domain. You can also restrict responses to a specific list of email addresses by turning on "Limit to 1 response" if you want to prevent duplicate submissions from the same person.

Customizing the look and adding images or videos

Click the paintbrush icon in the top right to change the form's color, font, and background. You can upload a header image or choose from Google's library of stock photos. A straightforward, clean design makes the form easier to read on phones and computers.

To add an image or video to a question, click the image icon on the right side of the question card. You can upload a file from your computer, search Google Images, or paste a URL. This is useful if you are asking people to rate a design, comment on a photo, or watch a video and answer questions about it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit my form after people start answering it?

Yes. You can add, delete, or reorder questions at any time, and existing responses stay in the spreadsheet. If you change an answer option or question wording, only new responses will reflect the change — old responses keep their original data.

What happens if I delete a question?

The question disappears from the form, but the responses people already gave to that question stay in the spreadsheet. If you want to keep the data but hide the question, you can unpublish the form instead of deleting the question.

Can I let people edit their answers after they submit?

Not directly in Google Forms. If you need people to be able to change their answers, you can turn on "Edit after submit" in Settings, which adds an "Edit your response" link to the confirmation page. Responses appear as separate entries in the spreadsheet, so you will need to manually match and remove duplicates.

How do I prevent the same person from filling out the form twice?

In Settings, turn on "Limit to 1 response per user" if you have sign-in required, or turn on "Collect email addresses" and manually check for duplicates. If you do not collect email addresses, Google Forms cannot prevent duplicate submissions.

Can I use Google Forms for a quiz with scoring?

Yes. In the three-dot menu on each question, select "Make this a quiz question" and mark the correct answer. Google Forms will automatically score responses and can show people their score or the correct answers after they submit.