How to Use Google Forms as a Website Contact Form
Quick answer: Build a Google Form with name, email, subject, and message fields, then click Send → Embed (<>) to get an iframe code you paste into your site's HTML. Google Forms doesn't email you automatically on new submissions — install a notification add-on or check the Responses tab and linked Sheet manually.
You don't need a dedicated form-builder subscription to put a working contact form on your website. Google Forms is free, requires no backend code, and stores every message in a spreadsheet you already know how to use. It's not a perfect fit for every site, but for a simple "get in touch" page, it's one of the fastest options available. Here's how to set it up properly, including the parts most guides skip.
Step 1: Build the contact form
Start a new form at forms.google.com and add these questions:
- Name — Short answer, required.
- Email — Short answer, required.
- Subject — Dropdown, with a few preset categories like "General question," "Support," "Partnership," "Other." A dropdown keeps incoming messages sortable instead of relying on free-text subject lines.
- Message — Paragraph, required.
Step 2: Validate the email field
Click the three-dot menu on the email question and choose Response validation → Text → Email address. This rejects malformed entries — like a name typed into the email box — before the form can even be submitted. For more validation options across other field types, see our guide on Google Forms response validation.
Step 3: Embed it on your website
Click Send at the top of the form editor, then choose the <> (embed) icon. Google Forms generates an iframe snippet with a set width and height — copy it and paste it directly into your website's HTML wherever you want the form to appear. If you're not comfortable editing HTML directly, our full guide on embedding a Google Form on a website covers page builders and CMS platforms too.
A couple of things to know about the embedded version: it renders inside a fixed-size frame, so on narrow mobile screens you may need to adjust the iframe's width/height attributes or wrap it in a responsive container. It also carries Google's own styling, which won't automatically match your site's fonts or colors.
Step 4: Set up notifications (this is the part people get wrong)
A common assumption is that Google Forms emails you the moment someone submits the form. It doesn't, by default. Out of the box, Forms simply logs the response — nothing gets sent to your inbox. You have two realistic options:
- Install a notification add-on. From the form editor, click the puzzle-piece Add-ons icon and search the Google Workspace Marketplace for a notification tool such as "Form Notifications." These add-ons watch for new submissions and email you (or a distribution list) automatically. Review permissions before installing, since add-ons run inside your Google account.
- Check manually. Open the Responses tab periodically, or check the linked Google Sheet, which updates in real time as messages come in. This works fine for low-traffic sites but isn't practical if you need to respond quickly to inquiries.
Spam and bot considerations
Google Forms doesn't expose a dedicated CAPTCHA toggle or a configurable spam filter the way some contact-form plugins do. It does benefit from Google's broader infrastructure-level abuse detection, but that's general and not something you can tune for your specific form. In practice, most low-to-moderate traffic contact forms see very little spam, but a high-traffic public page could attract some junk submissions over time. If that becomes a problem, adding a simple "what is 3 + 4" short-answer question with response validation is a low-effort deterrent, since it filters out basic automated bots without adding a real CAPTCHA.
Google Forms vs. a mailto: link
A mailto: link is the simplest possible option — a plain hyperlink that opens the visitor's email client with your address pre-filled. It requires zero setup, but it has real downsides: it depends on the visitor having a mail client configured on that device (many mobile browsers and work computers don't), gives you no field validation, and produces no organized record of messages. A Google Form works in any browser regardless of email setup, validates input before submission, and stores every message as a row in a spreadsheet you can search, filter, and archive. For anything beyond a purely minimal personal site, the form is the more reliable choice.
FAQ
Can I use Google Forms as a contact form on my website?
Yes. Build a form with name, email, subject, and message fields, then embed it using Google Forms' built-in embed HTML, which places it inside an iframe on your page.
Does Google Forms email me automatically when someone submits?
No, not by default. To get notified, install a notification add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace, or check the Responses tab or linked Sheet manually.
Does Google Forms block spam submissions?
It benefits from Google's general infrastructure-level abuse protections, but there's no dedicated, configurable spam filter or CAPTCHA toggle for form owners. High-traffic public forms may still see some spam.
Is Google Forms better than a mailto: link for a contact form?
For most sites, yes. A mailto: link depends on the visitor having a configured email client and gives no structured data, while a Google Form works in any browser, validates fields, and organizes every submission in a spreadsheet.