Start a new survey in Google Forms

Open Google Forms at forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click the plus icon (+) in the top left to create a new form. Google will open a blank survey with one default question already in place. Give your survey a title by clicking "Untitled form" at the top and typing a name — something like "Customer Feedback" or "Event Registration" works well.

Below the title, you can add a description that explains what you're surveying about. This is optional but helpful if you're sending the survey to people who might not know its purpose. Click in the description field and type what you need respondents to know.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Forms starts you with one blank question; delete it and build your survey from scratch, or edit it to match what you need.
  • Each question type — multiple choice, short answer, dropdown, rating scale — appears as a separate option in the toolbar on the right side of the screen.
  • You can make questions required so respondents cannot submit the survey without answering them.
  • Share your survey by copying the link, embedding it on a website, or sending it directly to email addresses through Google Forms.
  • Responses appear in real time in the Responses tab, and Google Forms can automatically create a summary chart of answers.

Add and format your first question

Click on the default question box to start editing. Type your question in the text field. Below that, you'll see a dropdown menu showing "Multiple choice" — this is the question type. Click it to see all available types: short answer, paragraph, multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown, linear scale, multiple choice grid, checkbox grid, and date or time.

For a multiple choice question, type your answer options in the fields that appear. Click "Add option" to add more choices. If you want respondents to pick more than one answer, switch the question type to "Checkboxes" instead. For a rating scale (like 1 to 5 stars), use "Linear scale" and set the range you want.

At the bottom right of each question, you'll see three dots. Click them to see options like "Make this question required" — toggle that on if you don't want people to skip it. You can also duplicate the question, delete it, or add a description that clarifies what you're asking.

Add more questions to your survey

Click the plus icon (+) on the right side of the screen to add a new question. Google Forms will insert a blank question below the one you just finished. Repeat the process: type the question, pick the question type, add answer options if needed, and decide whether it's required.

You can reorder questions by clicking and dragging them. Hover over a question until you see the six-dot handle icon on the left, then drag it up or down. This is useful if you realize a question should come earlier or later in the survey.

If you want to add a section break — a way to group related questions under a heading — click the three-line menu icon on the right toolbar and select "Section." This creates a new section with its own title and description, which helps organize longer surveys.

Customize the look and feel

Click the paint palette icon at the top right to change colors and fonts. Google Forms offers preset themes, or you can upload your own header image and pick custom colors for the background and text. These changes apply to the whole survey.

You can also add a logo or banner image by clicking the image icon in the toolbar. This appears at the top of your survey and helps brand it if you're sending it on behalf of an organization.

Set up how responses are collected

Click the Settings icon (gear) at the top right. Here you can decide whether respondents need to sign in with a Google account, whether they can submit multiple responses, and whether to shuffle the order of multiple choice options so the first answer isn't always picked more often.

You can also turn on "Collect email addresses" if you want to know who answered. This requires respondents to sign in, so use it only if you need to follow up with specific people.

Share your survey and collect responses

Click the Send button (arrow icon) at the top right. You have three options: copy the link and paste it anywhere, send it directly to email addresses, or get an embed code to put the survey on a website. Choose whichever fits how you plan to distribute it.

Once people start answering, click the Responses tab at the top to see their answers. Google Forms shows a summary with charts for multiple choice questions and a list of all text responses. You can download responses as a spreadsheet by clicking the three-dot menu in the Responses tab and selecting "Download responses (.csv)".

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a survey that shows different questions based on what someone answers?

Yes. This is called branching or conditional logic. Click the three dots on a question, select "Go to section based on answer," and choose which section appears next depending on what the person picks. This works best for longer surveys where you want to skip irrelevant questions.

What if I want to limit how many people can respond?

Google Forms doesn't have a built-in response limit, but you can close the survey manually by clicking the eye icon at the top right and toggling it off. Once you do, the link stops working and no new responses come in. You can turn it back on anytime.

Can I see who answered what if I didn't ask for email addresses?

No. If you didn't turn on "Collect email addresses" in Settings, responses are anonymous and you cannot match answers to specific people. You can turn this on anytime, but it only applies to new responses going forward.

How do I share just the results with someone without letting them edit the survey?

Click the Send button, then click the link icon. Copy the "View only" link at the bottom — this shows the results summary but doesn't let people edit the survey or submit new responses. Share that link instead of the regular survey link.

Can I use Google Forms on my phone?

Yes. The Google Forms app works on Android and iOS. You can create and edit surveys on your phone, though the desktop version is easier for building complex surveys with many questions. Viewing responses works fine on mobile too.