How to Create Fillable Forms in Google Docs

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Google Docs, which you can access via Google Drive, provides a gallery of templates to help you create custom forms in which you can select the format for your responses -- such as a drop-down list, check boxes or paragraph text -- to help engage your respondents and receive the data you need. You can then send your fillable form to a social media website or to your email contacts for feedback. Google also provides a "Summary of Responses" page or a time-saving spreadsheet that automatically records your responses.

1 Sign in to your Google Drive account

Sign in to your Google Drive account, click the red "Create" button in the sidebar, and then select "Form" from the drop-down list to open the gallery of form templates.

2 Click the Title'' box

Click the "Title" box, and then enter your form’s title. Click a template, and then click "OK" to open the plain form template. The template’s graphic design elements will display in the View Live Form mode later.

3 Enter your text in the Form Description

Enter your text in the Form Description, Question Title and Help Text fields. For example, enter a 50-word description in the Form Description field about your company’s newest service and include a friendly request for customer feedback.

4 Click the Question Type

Click the "Question Type" drop-down list and select the format for the responses, such as "Multiple Choice," "Grid" or "Time." Enter the text or values in the fields. Click to add a check mark next to "Required Question" to ensure a response.

5 Click Add Item to extend your form with more questions

Click "Add Item" to extend your form with more questions, if necessary.

6 Scroll up to the header

Scroll up to the header, and then place a check mark in the check box next to "Show Progress Bar at the Bottom of Form Pages," if preferred. Review every detail on your form from top to bottom.

7 Click Done .''

Click "Done." Click "View Live Form" to preview your content with the template’s graphics. Click "Edit This Form" to return to the template and update, if necessary.

8 Click Send Form to open the window that displays the hyperlink in the Link to Share field

Click "Send Form" to open the window that displays the hyperlink in the "Link to Share" field. Click the preferred website icon for sharing, such as Google Plus, Facebook or Twitter. As an alternative, enter your email contacts in the “Send Form via Email” field. Click "Done" to share your custom form.

  • Insert more layout elements by clicking the "Insert" menu, and then selecting "Section Header," "Page Break," "Image" or "Video" in the Layout section.
  • Click the "Choose Response Destination" menu, select "New Spreadsheet" to record your responses, and then click "Create." As an alternative, select "Keep Responses Only in Forms."
  • If your Google Chrome browser opens with the default page that lists the blue Google Docs icon, click "Google Docs" to open an Untitled Document with a menu bar. Click the "File" menu, point over "New" on the drop-down list, and then select "Form" to open the window with the gallery of form templates. Enter your title, select your preferred template, and then click "OK" to open the editable form.
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