Add a confirmation message in three steps
A confirmation message is text that appears on the screen right after someone clicks Submit on your form. Instead of a blank page or a redirect, they see a message you wrote — something like "Thanks for signing up" or "We received your response."
Google Forms calls this the "confirmation page." You turn it on in the form settings, write your message, and it displays automatically to everyone who submits. The message appears in the same browser window, replacing the form itself.
Here's how to set it up:
- Open your form in Google Forms and click the Settings icon (the gear symbol in the top right).
- Go to the Presentation tab.
- Turn on Show confirmation message by clicking the toggle switch.
- Type your message in the text box that appears — this is what respondents will see after they submit.
- Click Save.
That's it. The next time someone fills out your form and clicks Submit, they'll see your message instead of a blank page.
Key Takeaways
- The confirmation message appears right after someone submits, in the same browser window, replacing the form itself.
- You turn on the confirmation message in Settings > Presentation tab, then type whatever text you want respondents to see.
- The message is optional — if you don't turn it on, Google Forms shows a default "Your response has been recorded" message.
- You can change or remove the message anytime by going back to Settings and editing or turning off the toggle.
What the confirmation message replaces
By default, when someone submits a Google Form, they see a simple message that says "Your response has been recorded." It's plain and doesn't tell them anything specific about what happens next.
A custom confirmation message lets you replace that generic text with something more helpful or personal. You might thank them by name, tell them what to expect next, provide a reference number, or give them instructions for the next step.
The message stays on the screen until the person closes the tab or navigates away. They can't edit their response after they see the confirmation — the form is already submitted by that point.
Examples of useful confirmation messages
The message you write depends on what your form does. Here are some real examples:
For an event signup: "Thanks for registering for the workshop on March 15. We'll send you a calendar invite by Friday."
For a job application: "We received your application. Our team reviews submissions every Monday and will contact you within two weeks if we'd like to move forward."
For a feedback form: "Thank you for your feedback. Your response helps us improve."
For a volunteer sign-up: "You're all set. Check your email for the volunteer orientation schedule."
Keep the message short — one or two sentences usually works best. People are reading it on a phone or computer right after they've submitted, so they won't read a long paragraph.
Edit or remove the confirmation message later
You can change the message anytime, even after people have already submitted responses. Go back to Settings > Presentation, and the toggle will still be on with your original message showing.
Edit the text in the box and click Save. The new message will appear to the next person who submits. People who already submitted won't see the updated message — they saw the old one when they submitted.
If you want to remove the confirmation message entirely, go back to Settings > Presentation and turn off the toggle. Google Forms will go back to showing the default "Your response has been recorded" message.
Combine the confirmation message with email notifications
The confirmation message and email notifications are two different things. The confirmation message appears on the screen right after someone submits. Email notifications are messages that go to your inbox (or to the respondent) after a submission is recorded.
You can use both at the same time. For example, you might show respondents a confirmation message that says "Check your email for next steps," and then set up an email notification so Google Forms automatically sends them an email with those next steps.
To set up email notifications, go to Settings > Notifications and choose whether you want an email every time someone responds, or a daily summary. You can also set up a custom email to send to respondents automatically — that's done through Google Sheets and a tool like Zapier or Apps Script, which is more advanced.
What happens if you don't add a confirmation message
If you leave the confirmation message toggle off, Google Forms shows its default message: "Your response has been recorded." This is perfectly fine for most forms — it tells people their submission went through.
The only reason to add a custom message is if you want to tell respondents something specific. If your form is straightforward and doesn't need extra instructions or thanks, the default message is enough.
Some forms don't need any message at all. If you're collecting data for internal use only and respondents don't need to know anything else, you can leave the default as is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a link or image to the confirmation message?
No. The confirmation message is plain text only — you can't add links, images, or formatting like bold or italics. If you need to send respondents to a specific URL or show them a document, use an email notification instead, which can include links and images.
Do respondents see the confirmation message on their phone?
Yes. The confirmation message appears on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. It shows in the same browser window where they filled out the form.
Can I make the confirmation message different for different people?
No. Everyone who submits the form sees the same confirmation message. If you need different messages based on their answers, you would need to use a tool like Google Apps Script or a third-party form builder.
What if I want to send respondents to a different website after they submit?
The confirmation message doesn't redirect people — it just shows text. If you want to send them to another website, you can mention the URL in the confirmation message and ask them to visit it, or you can set up a redirect using Google Apps Script, which is more technical.
Can I see who saw the confirmation message?
No. Google Forms doesn't track whether someone saw the confirmation message. You only see that they submitted a response. The confirmation message is just a courtesy — it doesn't affect your data or responses.