Start a new form in Google Forms

Open Google Forms at forms.google.com in your browser. Sign in with your Google account — the same one you use for Gmail or Google Drive. Once you are logged in, click the plus icon (+) in the top left to create a new form, or click "Blank" to start with an empty template.

Google Forms will open a new form with one default question already there. You will see a text field that says "Question title" and another that says "Form description" at the top. The form has a default name like "Untitled form" — click that title to rename it to something that describes what you are collecting (for example, "Customer Feedback Survey" or "Event Registration").

Every form lives in your Google Drive automatically. You do not have to save it manually — Google saves changes as you type. If you want to move it to a specific folder in Drive later, you can do that from the form's menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Forms saves automatically to your Google Drive, so you do not need to manually save your work as you build.
  • Each question type — multiple choice, short answer, dropdown, rating scale — serves a different purpose and changes how respondents answer.
  • You can set questions as required so respondents cannot submit the form without answering them.
  • Share your form using a direct link, embed it on a website, or send it via email, and responses collect automatically in a spreadsheet.
  • The Responses tab shows answers in real time and can generate charts and summaries without you having to count manually.

Add and arrange questions

Click inside the "Question title" field to type your first question. Below that, click the dropdown menu that says "Multiple choice" to pick a different question type. Google Forms offers multiple choice, checkboxes (where respondents pick more than one answer), dropdown lists, short answer text, long answer text, linear scale (for ratings), date, time, and file upload.

For each question type, fill in the question text and then add the answer options. For multiple choice, type each option in its own field. Click the plus icon next to an option to add another one. If you want to let respondents type their own answer instead of picking from your list, click the three-dot menu next to that question and toggle "Add 'Other'" on.

To add another question, click the plus icon on the right side of the form. To reorder questions, hover over a question and drag it up or down. To delete a question, click the trash icon. You can also duplicate a question if you want to ask something similar twice — click the copy icon.

Make questions required and set up sections

By default, respondents can skip any question. If you want an answer to a specific question before they can submit, click the three-dot menu for that question and toggle "Required" on. A red asterisk will appear next to the question title so respondents know they must answer it.

If your form is long, you can break it into sections to make it easier to read. Click the section icon (it looks like a document with lines) on the right side of the form to add a section break. Type a section title and description. Respondents will see each section on a separate page as they fill out the form, which makes long surveys feel shorter.

You can also set up logic so that questions only appear based on earlier answers. Click the three-dot menu for a question and select "Go to section based on answer." This lets you skip respondents past questions that do not explore to them — for example, if someone says they do not own a car, you can skip them past all the car-related questions.

Customize the form's appearance

Click the paint palette icon at the top right to change colors, fonts, and the header image. You can pick a preset theme or upload your own image as the background. The "Customize theme" option lets you change the form's header color, question text color, and answer option color separately.

Add a description under the form title to explain what the form is for and what respondents should expect. This is especially useful if you are sending the form to people who may not know the context. You can also add an image or video to the form header by clicking the image icon next to the title.

Share the form and collect responses

Click the "Send" button in the top right. You will see three options: a link you can copy and paste anywhere, an email field where you can type addresses to send the form directly, or an embed code to put the form on a website. Copy the link and share it however you want — email, social media, messaging apps, or a website.

Responses start coming in as soon as people fill out the form. Click the "Responses" tab at the top to see all answers. Google Forms shows a summary view with charts for multiple choice questions and a list view where you can see each person's full response. You can also read all responses as a Google Sheet by clicking the green Sheets icon in the Responses tab.

If you need to stop collecting responses, click the three-dot menu in the top right and select "Close the form." People who try to access it will see a message that the form is no longer accepting responses, but you can reopen it later if you want to collect more.

Use templates and advanced features

Google Forms comes with templates for common tasks like event registration, customer feedback, quiz creation, and employee surveys. When you create a new form, you will see template options before you pick "Blank." Click any template to start with pre-built questions you can edit instead of building from scratch.

For quizzes, click the settings icon (gear) at the top right and toggle "Make this a quiz" on. You can then mark correct answers for each question and set point values. When respondents submit, they will see their score and which answers were wrong. You can also choose whether to show correct answers when ready or only after a certain date.

In the settings menu, you can also turn on "Collect email addresses" if you want to know who answered what, limit responses to one per person, or shuffle the order of answer options so every respondent does not see them in the same order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a form after people have already answered it?

Yes. You can add, delete, or reword questions at any time without affecting the responses you have already collected. However, if you delete a question, the answers to that question are also deleted. Existing responses stay in the Responses tab no matter what you change.

How do I know who filled out my form?

By default, Google Forms does not collect names or email addresses unless you turn that on. Click the settings icon and toggle "Collect email addresses" to record who answered. If you want respondents to sign in with their Google account before answering, toggle "Sign in required" on instead.

Can I set up a form to send confirmation emails to respondents?

Google Forms does not send automatic confirmation emails, but you can set up a notification email to yourself when someone submits. Click the three-dot menu in the Responses tab and select "Get email notifications for new responses." You will get an email each time someone fills out the form.

What happens if I want to use the same form for multiple purposes?

Make a copy of the form instead of editing the original. Open the form, click the three-dot menu at the top right, and select "Make a copy." You will get a duplicate with all the same questions that you can edit separately. This keeps your original form intact.

Can I embed a Google Form on my website?

Yes. Click "Send," then click the embed icon (it looks like angle brackets). Copy the code and paste it into your website's HTML where you want the form to appear. The form will show up inline on your page, and responses will still collect in your Google Forms account.