If you still collect enquiries, bookings, or feedback on paper, you already know the pain: forms get lost, handwriting is hard to read, and there’s no tidy place to look everything up later. A Google Form fixes that. People fill it in on their phone or computer, answers land in one place, and you can share the link by email, WhatsApp, or social without printing a thing.
This guide is written for beginners. If you use Gmail, you already have everything you need. I’ll walk you through creating a form, linking it to Google Sheets so responses save automatically, and sharing it with customers. If you’d rather skip the setup and get help wiring a form into your website, give me a shout.
Before you start
You will need:
- A Google (Gmail) account
- A computer with an internet connection
No software needs to be installed.
Open Google Forms
- Open your web browser.
- Go to https://forms.google.com
- Sign in with your Gmail account if prompted.
You will see a page showing recent forms.
Create a new form
- Click Blank Form.
- A new form will open.
At the top of the page:
- Replace Untitled form with the name of your form.
- Add a short description if you wish.
Add your questions
Your first question is already created.
For each question:
- Click where it says Untitled Question.
- Type your question.
On the right-hand side, choose the type of answer you want.
Common options include:
- Short answer
- Paragraph
- Multiple choice
- Checkboxes
- Dropdown
- Date
- Time
Make questions required
If you don't want people skipping a question:
- At the bottom of the question, switch Required on.
A red asterisk (*) will appear beside the question.
Add more questions
To add another question:
- Click the + button on the toolbar on the right.
Repeat this until your form is complete.
Preview your form
At the top of the screen, click the eye icon.
This shows exactly what people will see.
Complete a test response if you like.
Close the preview tab when you've finished.
Create a spreadsheet for responses
This is the important part.
At the top of your form, click the Responses tab.
You will see a green Google Sheets icon.
- Click the green Sheets icon.
- Select Create a new spreadsheet.
- Give it a name, or leave the suggested one.
- Click Create.
Google automatically creates a spreadsheet.
Every time somebody completes your form, a new row will be added automatically.
You never need to copy or paste anything.
Open your spreadsheet
The spreadsheet opens automatically.
You will notice:
- Each column is one question.
- Each row is one completed form.
The first column records the date and time the form was submitted.
Share your form
Go back to your Google Form.
In the top-right corner click Send.
There are several ways to share it.
Option 1 (recommended): send a link
- Click the Link icon (chain symbol).
- Tick Shorten URL if available.
- Click Copy.
- Paste the link into an email, WhatsApp message, Facebook post or anywhere else.
Anyone with the link can complete the form.
Option 2: send by email
- Click the Email icon.
- Enter the recipient's email address.
- Click Send.
Watch responses arrive
Whenever someone submits the form:
- The response appears instantly in your Google Form.
- It is also added automatically to your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
There is nothing else you need to do.
Viewing responses
There are two ways to view them.
In Google Forms
Open your form.
Click Responses.
You'll see:
- Total number of responses
- Charts
- Summary of answers
- Individual responses
In Google Sheets
Open the spreadsheet you created.
Each new response appears as a new row.
This is useful if you want to:
- Sort responses
- Filter responses
- Print them
- Download them
- Analyse the information
Finding your form later
Everything is saved automatically.
To find it again:
- Visit https://drive.google.com
- Sign in.
- Your Google Form and Google Sheets spreadsheet will both be stored in your Google Drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install any software?
No. If you have a Gmail account and a web browser, you already have Google Forms and Google Sheets.
Do responses appear in the spreadsheet automatically?
Yes. Once you link the form to a spreadsheet, every new submission adds a new row — no copying or pasting.
Can I edit my form after people have started responding?
Yes. You can change questions at any time. Existing responses are not deleted when you edit the form.
What happens if I delete the linked spreadsheet?
Don’t delete it unless you no longer need the responses. That spreadsheet is where your answers are stored.
How do I stop accepting responses?
Open the Responses tab on your form and switch Accepting responses off.