Close a Google Form in three steps

To close a Google Form, open the form in Google Forms, click the Responses tab at the top, then toggle the switch next to "Accepting responses" to the off position. The form will immediately stop collecting new answers. Anyone who tries to open the form after this will see a message saying responses are no longer being taken.

You can reopen the form later by toggling the same switch back on. Closing a form does not delete the responses you have already collected — they stay in the Responses tab until you delete them manually. This makes closing useful when you want to pause collection temporarily or end a survey without losing your data.

Key Takeaways

  • Closing a form stops new responses from being submitted, but all existing responses remain saved in your account.
  • The "Accepting responses" toggle is in the Responses tab, not in the form editor itself.
  • A closed form shows a message to anyone who opens the link, letting them know you are no longer collecting answers.
  • You can reopen a closed form at any time by toggling the switch back on without losing any data.
  • Only people with Editor permission can close a form; Viewers can see responses but cannot change the form status.

Where to find the close button

The control to close a form is not in the main editing view. Open your form in Google Forms, then click the Responses tab at the top of the page. You will see a toggle switch labeled "Accepting responses" with an on/off indicator next to it.

Click the toggle to turn it off. The switch will change color and the form will stop accepting new submissions immediately. If you are working on a form that is currently closed, the toggle will already be in the off position. The toggle appears in the same location whether you are using Google Forms on a computer or mobile device.

What happens when you close a form

Once you close a form, anyone who clicks the link or tries to open it will see a message stating that the form is no longer accepting responses. They will not be able to fill out or submit any answers. The form itself remains in your Google Forms account and can be reopened later.

All responses you collected before closing the form stay exactly as they were. Closing does not delete, archive, or hide any data. You can still view, download, and analyze all previous answers in the Responses tab. The form's questions and structure also remain unchanged, so reopening it later will look identical to how it was before you closed it.

Reopening a closed form

To reopen a form and start collecting responses again, go back to the Responses tab and toggle "Accepting responses" back on. The form will immediately be available to anyone with the link, and new responses will be recorded in the same Responses tab as before.

Reopening a form does not affect the responses you already have. If you reopen a form that was closed for a week, the old responses from before the closure will still be there alongside any new ones you collect after reopening. You can close and reopen a form as many times as you need without any loss of data.

Deleting responses from a closed form

If you want to remove responses after closing a form, click the Responses tab and look for the delete icon (a trash can) near the top right of the response list. You can delete individual responses one at a time, or select multiple responses and delete them together by checking the boxes next to each one.

Deleting responses is permanent and cannot be undone, so double-check before confirming. Closing a form first is a good way to prevent new responses from coming in while you review and clean up old data. Some people close a form, review the responses, delete any they do not want to keep, and then reopen it to continue collecting.

Closing a form shared with others

If you shared a form with collaborators who can edit it, any of them can close the form using the same Responses tab toggle. Closing the form affects everyone — no one will be able to submit new responses, but all collaborators can still see and work with existing data. There is no notification sent to other collaborators when someone closes the form, so they may not realize it has been closed until they check.

If you want to prevent certain people from closing the form, you will need to change their permission level. In the Share button at the top right, you can set collaborators as "Viewer" (can see responses only) or "Editor" (can edit the form and close it). Viewers cannot toggle the "Accepting responses" switch, so they cannot close the form even if they have the link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing a form delete my responses?

No. Closing a form stops new responses from being collected, but all existing responses remain saved in the Responses tab. You have to manually delete responses if you want to remove them.

Can I close a form and then reopen it later?

Yes. Toggle "Accepting responses" off to close the form and on to reopen it. You can do this as many times as you want, and all your previous responses will still be there when you reopen it.

What message do people see when they try to open a closed form?

They see a message stating that the form is no longer accepting responses. The exact wording is "This form is no longer accepting responses." They cannot fill out or submit any answers.

Can I close a form if I am not the owner?

Only if the owner gave you Editor permission. If you have Viewer permission, you can see responses but cannot close the form. Ask the owner to change your permission level if you need to close it.

If I close a form, can people still see it if they have the link?

Yes, they can open the link and see the form, but they will get a message saying it is no longer accepting responses. They cannot fill it out or submit anything.