How to create a Google Form

The short answer

Go to forms.google.com, click “Blank” to start a new form, add your questions, and hit “Send” to share it.

Create a Google Form step by step

  1. Go to forms.google.com and sign in with your Google account
  2. Click the “Blank” option (or pick a template if one fits your needs)
  3. Give your form a title and an optional description
  4. Click “Untitled Question” to type your first question
  5. Use the dropdown on the right to pick the question type (multiple choice, short answer, checkboxes, etc.)
  6. Click the ”+” button on the side toolbar to add more questions
  7. When you’re done, click “Send” in the top right

Common question types

  • Multiple choice — respondents pick one answer from a list
  • Checkboxes — respondents can select multiple answers
  • Short answer — a single line of free text
  • Paragraph — longer free-text responses
  • Dropdown — a compact list respondents choose from
  • Linear scale — a rating from one number to another (like 1 to 5)

Useful settings to know

Click the gear icon at the top to open settings:

  • Collect email addresses — requires respondents to sign in
  • Limit to one response — prevents duplicate submissions
  • Make questions required — toggle the “Required” switch on any question so it can’t be skipped
  • Shuffle question order — randomizes the order for each respondent

How to share your form

After clicking “Send”, you have three options:

  • Email — send it directly to specific people
  • Link — copy a shareable URL (check “Shorten URL” for a cleaner link)
  • Embed — get HTML code to put the form on a website

How to see responses

Open your form and click the “Responses” tab at the top. You’ll see a summary with charts and individual answers. Click the green Sheets icon to export all responses to a Google Sheets spreadsheet for easier analysis.