How to See and Manage Google Form Responses | Google Form

How to See and Manage Google Form Responses

Once you send out the form, you’ll want to see the responses. Click on the Responses tab. The number next to it shows how many responses you’ve received. You can also click the Accepting responses slider (don’t worry, it’s reversible).

The default is to store responses in the Forms app, and includes some charts and graphs (which change based on the question type) that can help interpret the data.

If you’d rather see responses in a spreadsheet, there are two options. The first option will sync as responses come in, the second won’t.

1. To view responses in a Google Sheet, click the Select Response Destination icon, and then select Create a new sheet or Select existing spreadsheet.

2, You can save responses as a .csv file. Click the Responses tab, click Form menu icon, then click Download responses.

Quiz Responses

Like a non-quiz form, you can view responses by clicking on the responses tab.

1. The summary response tab shows high-level results and frequently missed questions.

2. If you selected to send the results after review, there will be a section for the creator to send the results. You can send results to all responders or select them individually.

3. Use the question tab to drill down on each question. Navigate through each question via the navigational tools in the upper right area of the screen.

4. The individual tab displays the result for each responder. Use the navigational tools in the upper right corner to navigate through each responder’s results.

Using Google Forms to Gather Data

Once you create a Google form, you can collect the data as a CSV, view it in Google Docs or Google Sheets. You can paste the results into Google Slides or a PowerPoint presentation to defend a proposal, import them into a database and analyze voting trends, or even decide what dishes to bring to a picnic.

You can integrate the form with popular third-party software solutions including:

• MailChimp
• SalesForce
• Trello
• Slack

Are Google Forms Secure?

Google is strict about security, but there are always risks for both form creators and for responders.

Form Creators

If the questions being asked are sensitive, be thoughtful when sending it out for responses. The default sharing option is that only people that have the link can see it, but make sure you (or a collaborator) hasn’t changed that. There are a couple more advanced options for restricting who can see a form:

• Use the response validation feature to restrict who can access the form by either asking for an email address, or by requiring a password you’ve provided.
• If your company uses Google Apps for Work, you can restrict access to people inside your organization.

When sharing a form with collaborators, also be aware of the sharing options. The middle setting (anyone with the link) may seem somewhat secure because the form won’t be indexed on search engines, but once the link is shared, anyone who has it can forward it, and those people can also access the form (and forward the link to others, and so on).

Regardless of the security setting, you use the embed code (which only form creators can get) to embed the form on a website, and again that means anyone can access the form.

Responders

• The data provided is only as secure as the form creator’s password and security procedures.
• Form creators can set the form so that all other responders can see text responses, so be aware that might be possible when completing the form.
• Google forms have add-ons that form creators can use, and those add-ons may have access to the responses as well.
• Form creators can share the form with collaborators, who can also see the responses.

Can Google Forms Be Hacked?

Just like any web-based system, bad actors can sometimes find their way to Google Forms. So, use care with your login credentials.

Google Forms Private?

You can opt to make your Google form private, but keep in mind the security concerns mentioned above.

Are Google Forms Public?

The sharing options allows you to post forms on the web, which search engines will catalogue.

Can Google Forms Be Used Offline?

If a respondent is not connected to the web, they can’t get to Google’s site. There are work-arounds (such as printing the form and sending it) but creators have to be prepared in advance for non-connected respondents. This scenario requires double data entry and causes a delay in collection time (i.e. the responder fills out a paper form, mails it back, then the form creator has to re-enter all the data from the paper form).

Google Forms Tricks and Tips

Here are some suggestions that will make using google forms more powerful easier, or maybe just more fun. Google also offers a video tour.

Basic Operations

• An array of six small dots is a handle you can click or tap to drag that item to a different position on the screen.
• The icon that resembles two arrowheads pointing at each other hides responses while you are creating or editing a form. This is handy if you have a lot of questions.
• Like all Google documents, forms are automatically saved. However, you’ll have to save any settings changes you make to apply them.
• You can quickly navigate to Forms from any of the google apps (Docs, Sheets, or Slides). Just click on the hamburger menu and select Forms. If you open a form from an open Sheet, the responses will be saved in that sheet by default.
• After you enter a response option, clicking enter will move you to the next response option.
• If you accidently add a question or other element, the undo command will remove it.
• Starting with a template, then editing it, may save time over using a blank form.
• If a question fits better in a different section, you can dragged it to that section.
• Don’t use the multiple choice question type if you have more than 5 responses. Instead, consider the drop-down menu to ensure everything will fit on the responder’s screen.
• All the parts of Google Suite have their own color scheme. Docs are blue, Slides are Yellow, Sheets are green, and Forms are purple.

Advanced Operations

• Most items (like questions) have a description field, but it’s hidden by default. To see it, click on the menu icon for that item then under Show, click description. The description field won’t be affected if you change the font. You can add URLs to description fields.
• When setting up a time or date question, the time zone will default to the form creator’s time zone.
• If you’re setting up section jumps based on how a responder answers a question, spend some time plotting who should see which sections. Also, creating all sections before creating the jumps will make the process less complicated.
• If you have a lot of forms, you can create folders to organize them on the Forms main page. Just click the folder icon below the templates.
• Forms saves any responses recorded in preview mode. If you entered any data while testing your form, delete those responses before sending it. Click the Responses tab, click the form menu icon, then click Delete all responses.
• If you have a question that uses the form upload option, then you can’t embed the form on a website.
• You can’t use Forms to collect money.
• If you override a default response validation error message, ensure that your message gives responders enough information to know what they need to change.
• You can get notified whenever anyone fills out the form. Click on Reponses, then click the menu icon just below it (three vertical dots), then click Get email notifications for new responses.

Google Forms FAQs

Are Google Forms HIPPA compliant?

No. For more information in HIPPA security, read this article.

Can Google Forms be merged?

No, but you can add the link for one form at the end of another, then save both form’s results in the same spreadsheet (though the data for each form will appear on different tabs). This video explains the process.

Are Google Forms saved?

Google Forms are saved in your Google drive, which is a cloud storage system.

Are the add-ons?

Google Forms add-ons are extensions created by third parties that customize the operation of a form. They can be a simple template, send customized notifications via different methods, save contacts or responses to CRM systems, or code that changes a form’s response options based on answers that have already been submitted.

To see available add-ons, click the app menu, click Add-ons. Once you add an add-on, a new add-on puzzle piece icon will appear to the left of the palette. To uninstall an add-on, open the add-on menu, find it on the sheet, right-click on it, and click Remove. See a couple lists of add-ons here and here. And if you’re the coding type, you can create your own add-ons via Google’s script editor which is in the same menu as the add-ons.