Open Google Forms and pick a template or start blank

Go to forms.google.com in any web browser. If you are signed into a Google account, you will see a home page with template options on the right side — surveys, quizzes, contact forms, event registrations, and others. Click the blank form icon (a plus sign) to start with nothing, or click any template to begin with a pre-built structure.

If you are not signed in, you will be asked to sign into your Google account first. You need a Google account to create forms, but anyone with the link can fill one out — they do not need their own account.

Name your form and add a description

The form opens with two fields at the top: "Untitled form" and a description box below it. Click "Untitled form" and type the name of your form — for example, "Event Feedback Survey" or "Customer Contact Information". This title appears at the top of the form when people open it.

Click the description box and add a sentence or two explaining what the form is for. This is optional but helpful — it tells people why you are asking them to fill it out. You can also add an image or video to the description by clicking the image icon next to the description field.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Forms is free and requires only a Google account to create; people filling it out do not need an account.
  • Each question can be a different type — multiple choice, short answer, dropdown, rating scale, or others — and you can add, delete, or reorder questions at any time.
  • You share the form by copying the link, emailing it directly to people, or embedding it on a website.
  • Responses appear in a summary view showing charts and counts, or in a spreadsheet where each row is one person's answers.

Add questions one at a time

Below the description, you will see a blank question field. Click it and type your first question. Below the question text, you will see a dropdown that says "Multiple choice" — click it to change the question type. Google Forms offers short answer, paragraph, multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown, linear scale, multiple choice grid, checkbox grid, date, time, and file upload.

For multiple choice, checkboxes, or dropdown questions, type each answer option in the boxes that appear. You can add more options by clicking "Add option" or delete an option by clicking the trash icon next to it. If you want one answer to be the correct answer (for a quiz), click the three dots next to the question and select "Make answer key" — this only works if you have turned on quiz mode in the settings.

To add another question, click the plus icon on the right side of the screen. A new blank question appears below the current one. Repeat this for each question you want to ask.

Organize questions into sections

If your form is long, you can break it into sections to make it easier to follow. Click the section icon (it looks like a document with lines) on the right side of the screen. A new section appears with a title field and description field. Type a section name like "About You" or "Feedback" and add a description if you want.

Move questions into sections by clicking and dragging them, or by creating new questions within a section. Sections help people navigate a long form and can also show or hide questions based on answers — for example, if someone selects "No" to a question, you can skip them to a different section.

Set up branching logic to show questions based on answers

Click the three dots next to any question and select "Go to section based on answer". This lets you send people to different parts of the form depending on what they choose. For example, if you ask "Do you want to receive updates?" and someone selects "No", you can skip them to the end of the form instead of showing them follow-up questions.

This feature only works with multiple choice, dropdown, and checkbox questions. When you select it, each answer option gets a dropdown menu where you choose which section to go to next. This is useful for long forms or surveys where not every question applies to every person.

Customize the appearance and sharing settings

Click the paint palette icon at the top to change colors, fonts, and add a header image. You can pick a preset theme or customize each element. Click the settings icon (a gear) to turn on quiz mode, set a response limit, close the form on a certain date, or require sign-in before people can respond.

To share the form, click the "Send" button at the top right. You can copy the link and paste it anywhere, email it to specific people, or get an embed code to put the form on a website. Anyone with the link can fill it out unless you have turned on the "Require sign-in" setting.

View and download responses

As people fill out your form, responses appear in the "Responses" tab at the top. You will see a summary view with charts showing how many people picked each answer, and a count of total responses. Click the "Individual" tab to see each person's full answers one at a time, or click the Google Sheets icon to open all responses in a spreadsheet where each row is one person.

In the spreadsheet, you can sort, filter, and analyze responses using Google Sheets tools. You can also download the spreadsheet as an Excel file or print it. If you delete a response by mistake, you cannot undo it, so be careful when removing rows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a form after people have started filling it out?

Yes. You can add, delete, or change questions at any time, even while people are responding. However, if you delete a question, the answers people already gave to that question will be lost. Changing the wording of a question does not affect responses already submitted.

What happens if I want to collect file uploads?

Choose the "File upload" question type. When you create it, you will be asked to set a folder in Google Drive where files will be stored. People filling out the form can upload images, documents, or other files up to 1 GB each. You will see the uploaded files in your Google Drive folder and in the responses tab.

Can I make a form that only certain people can fill out?

Yes, if you turn on "Require sign-in" in the settings. This means people must be signed into a Google account to respond. You can also limit responses to people in your organization if you are using Google Forms through a work or school account. Without this setting, anyone with the link can fill it out.

How do I prevent people from submitting the same form twice?

Turn on "Limit to 1 response" in the settings if you want each person to submit only once. This requires people to sign in with a Google account. Without sign-in, Google Forms cannot track who is responding, so you cannot prevent duplicates.

Can I use Google Forms for a quiz with a score?

Yes. Turn on "Make this a quiz" in the settings, then click the three dots next to each question and select "Make answer key". Choose the correct answer for each question and set how many points it is worth. When people submit the quiz, they will see their score and which answers were wrong.