Start with Google Forms, not a separate survey tool

Google Forms is where you create surveys in Google's ecosystem. It is built into your Google account — you do not need to read anything or pay for a separate tool. Open Google Forms by going to forms.google.com, signing in with your Google account, and clicking the blank form icon to start a new survey.

Google Forms works because it stores responses automatically in a Google Sheet, lets you share the survey link with anyone (they do not need a Google account to answer), and shows you results in real time as people respond. The interface is straightforward: you add questions one at a time, choose the question type, and arrange them in the order you want.

If you already use Google Docs, Sheets, or Drive, Google Forms fits into that workflow without learning a new system. If you do not have a Google account yet, create one at accounts.google.com — it takes a few minutes and is free.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Forms is accessed at forms.google.com and requires only a free Google account to create and share surveys.
  • Each survey automatically stores responses in a linked Google Sheet, so you can see results update in real time without exporting data.
  • You add questions one at a time and choose from multiple choice, short answer, dropdown, rating scale, and other question types depending on what you need to know.
  • Share your survey by copying the link and sending it via email, text, or social media — respondents do not need a Google account to answer.
  • You can set the survey to collect email addresses, require sign-in, or allow multiple responses from the same person, depending on your needs.

Create a new form and add your first question

Go to forms.google.com and sign in. Click the blank form icon (a plus sign in a square) to start a new survey. You will see a form with two blank fields: one for the title and one for a description.

Type your survey title in the first field — this is what people see when they open the link. Add a description below it if you want to explain what the survey is for or how long it takes. Neither is required, but a title always helps people understand what they are answering.

Click in the question field (it says "Question title") and type your first question. Below that, you will see a dropdown that says "Multiple choice" — this is the question type. Click it to see all the options: short answer, paragraph, multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown, linear scale, multiple choice grid, checkbox grid, date, time, and file upload. Choose the type that matches what you are asking.

Choose the right question type for what you need

Multiple choice gives respondents one answer to pick from a list you create. Use this when there is one correct answer or one best option. Checkboxes let people select more than one answer — use this when multiple answers can be true at the same time. Dropdown is a multiple choice question that saves space on the screen by hiding the options until someone clicks.

Short answer is a text box where people type a sentence or two. Paragraph is a larger text box for longer responses. Use short answer for names, email addresses, or brief opinions, and paragraph when you expect detailed feedback.

Linear scale (also called a rating scale) shows numbers from 1 to 10 or 1 to 5, with optional labels like "Not satisfied" and "Very satisfied" at each end. Use this for opinions or satisfaction ratings. Multiple choice grid and checkbox grid let you ask the same set of questions about different topics in one table — useful for comparing options or rating multiple items at once.

Date and time give respondents a calendar or clock picker instead of a text box. File upload lets people attach a document or image to their response. Use file upload when you need supporting materials, like a photo of damage or a resume.

Add more questions and organize them

After you finish your first question, click the plus icon (usually on the right side) to add another question. Repeat the process: type the question, choose the type, and add any options if it is multiple choice or a scale.

To reorder questions, hover over a question and click the up or down arrow that appears. To delete a question, click the trash icon. To duplicate a question (useful if you are asking the same thing about different topics), click the copy icon.

You can also add a section break, which groups related questions together and can show different questions to different people based on their answers. Click the plus icon and select "Section" to add a break. This is useful for long surveys where you want to organize questions by topic, or for conditional logic (showing question B only if someone answered "yes" to question A).

Set up response collection and sharing options

Before you share your survey, click the settings icon (a gear) in the top right. You will see three tabs: General, Presentation, and Quizzes.

Under General, you can choose whether to collect email addresses, require people to sign in with a Google account, and whether to allow multiple responses from the same person. Collecting email addresses is useful if you want to follow up with respondents or prevent duplicate answers. Requiring sign-in does the same thing but also means only people with Google accounts can answer. Allowing multiple responses is useful for open surveys where the same person might want to submit again.

Under Presentation, you can shuffle the order of questions randomly so each respondent sees them in a different order (useful for reducing bias), show a progress bar, and choose whether to show a confirmation message when someone submits.

Once your settings are correct, click the send icon (a paper airplane) in the top right. You will see three options: copy the link, email the form, or embed it on a website. Copy the link and paste it into an email, text message, or social media post. Anyone who clicks the link can answer your survey, even if they do not have a Google account.

View and analyze your responses

As people answer your survey, responses appear in real time. Click the "Responses" tab at the top to see them. You will see three options: Summary (charts and graphs of your data), Question (individual question results), and Individual (each person's complete response).

Summary shows a chart for each question — multiple choice questions appear as bar charts, text answers appear as a word cloud or list, and rating scales appear as averages. This is the fastest way to see patterns in your data.

Question lets you click on a specific question to see only the responses to that one. Individual shows you each person's full response, which is useful if you are collecting contact information and want to follow up with specific people.

To export your data, click the three-dot menu in the top right of the Responses tab and select "read responses (.csv)". This creates a spreadsheet file you can open in Excel or Google Sheets and analyze further, or share with someone else.

Common settings and adjustments

If you want to limit who can answer, you can restrict the survey to people with a specific email domain (useful for company or school surveys). Go to Settings, click General, and turn on "Limit to 1 response" or "Require sign-in" to restrict access.

If you realize you need to change a question after people have already answered, you can edit it without losing responses. Click on the question and make your changes — Google Forms will keep the old responses and explore the new question to future respondents. However, if you change the answer options (like changing "Yes/No" to "Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree"), old responses will not automatically update to match.

If you want to stop accepting responses, click the three-dot menu at the top and select "Close form". This keeps the survey visible but prevents new responses. You can reopen it later if you need more answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do people need a Google account to answer my survey?

No. By default, anyone with the link can answer without signing in. If you turn on "Require sign-in" in Settings, they will need a Google account. Most surveys do not require this unless you want to prevent duplicate responses or collect specific email domains.

Can I change my survey after people have started answering?

Yes. You can edit questions, add new ones, or delete old ones without losing responses. If you change the answer options for a multiple choice question, old responses stay as they were, but new responses will use the updated options.

How do I make questions required so people cannot skip them?

Click on a question and toggle the "Required" switch at the bottom right. When turned on, respondents cannot submit the form until they answer that question. Use this sparingly — required questions can frustrate people and increase incomplete submissions.

Can I use Google Forms to create a quiz with a score?

Yes, but you need to switch to "Quiz" mode. Click the settings icon, go to the Quizzes tab, and turn on "Make this a quiz". Then you can mark correct answers for each question and set point values. Respondents will see their score after they submit.

Where does Google Forms store my responses?

Responses are stored in a Google Sheet linked to your form. Click the Responses tab and look for the green Sheets icon — click it to open the spreadsheet. All your data is there, and you can sort, filter, and analyze it like any other Google Sheet.