How to Duplicate a Google Form (Make a Copy or Template)
Quick answer: Open the form, click the ⋮ menu in the top-right corner, and choose Make a copy. Name the copy and pick a Drive folder, then click OK. The new form keeps every question and setting but starts with zero responses.
Rebuilding the same form from scratch every time you run a recurring event, survey, or intake process wastes time you don't need to spend. Google Forms has a built-in duplicate feature that clones an entire form — questions, question types, validation rules, theme, and settings — in a couple of clicks. This guide covers how to duplicate your own forms, how to copy someone else's form you don't own, and what does and doesn't carry over.
How to duplicate a Google Form
- Open the form you want to copy in the Google Forms editor.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right toolbar, next to the eye and paint palette icons.
- Select "Make a copy." A dialog box appears asking you to name the new file.
- Rename it if you want something more specific than the default "Copy of [original name]," and choose which Drive folder to save it in.
- Click "OK." Google opens the duplicate as a new tab, ready to edit independently of the original.
You can also duplicate a form from Google Drive without opening it first: right-click the form file in your Drive file list and choose Make a copy from the context menu. This is faster when you're duplicating several forms at once from a folder view.
What carries over — and what doesn't
A duplicated form is a genuinely independent copy, not a linked template, so it's worth knowing exactly what transfers and what resets.
- Carries over: every question, question type, required toggles, response validation rules, section breaks and branching logic, the theme (color, font, header image), and the quiz settings if the original was a quiz.
- Resets to zero: responses. Even if the original form has thousands of submissions, the copy always starts completely empty. There is no way to duplicate a form and bring its response history along.
- Not inherited: the linked Google Sheet. If the original form sends responses to a Sheet, the copy does not automatically reconnect to that same Sheet or create a new one — you have to set that up again from the Responses tab.
- Not inherited: collaborators. Anyone with editor access on the original form does not automatically get access to the copy. You own the new copy outright and have to re-share it if you want others editing it too.
- Not inherited: the share link and embed code. Google generates a brand-new link and QR code for the duplicate, since it's a distinct form in Drive.
Using duplication as a template for recurring events
The most common reason to duplicate a form is to reuse it as a template. If you run a monthly team survey, a weekly sign-up sheet, or an annual event registration, build the form once, get the questions and theme exactly right, then duplicate it each time you need a fresh instance instead of starting from a blank page.
A few practices make this workflow smoother:
- Keep a clearly labeled master copy — something like "TEMPLATE — Event Registration" — that you never open responses on directly. Duplicate from that master every time, and rename the copy with the actual event date or name.
- Store templates in a dedicated Drive folder separate from your live, in-use forms, so you don't accidentally edit the master or mix up which form is currently collecting real responses.
- Reconnect the Sheet immediately after duplicating so responses have somewhere to land from the first submission, rather than realizing later that nothing was captured.
Duplicating a form you don't own
Sometimes you want to reuse a form someone else built — a colleague's onboarding checklist, a template shared in a community, or a form you found online. You can't duplicate a form you don't have access to at all, but if the owner has shared it with you (even at view-only level), you have two options:
- File > Make a copy from inside the form, if you have at least view access. This works the same as duplicating your own form and creates an independent copy in your own Drive.
- A dedicated "make a copy" link. Some form owners deliberately share a special link (ending in a copy parameter) specifically so recipients can clone the form without ever being able to edit or see responses on the original. If someone sends you a form link intended for reuse, clicking it typically prompts you straight to a "Make a copy" confirmation instead of opening the live editor.
Either way, once you've made the copy, it belongs entirely to you — the original owner has no visibility into it, and any changes you make don't affect their form.
Organizing duplicated forms in Drive
Duplicating forms regularly can clutter your Drive quickly if you're not deliberate about where copies land. A simple structure that works well: one parent folder per recurring process (e.g., "Team Surveys"), with the template stored at the top level and each dated copy moved into a "2026" subfolder as you create it. Renaming the copy the moment you create it — before you forget which event it's for — saves confusion later when you're scanning a folder full of similarly-named forms.
FAQ
Does duplicating a Google Form copy the responses too?
No. A duplicated form always starts with zero responses, even if the original had thousands. Only the questions, settings, and theme carry over.
Can I duplicate a Google Form I don't own?
Yes, if the owner shared it with view or edit access. Open the form and choose File > Make a copy, or use a special make-a-copy link they send you. This creates your own independent copy in your Drive.
Where does the duplicated form get saved?
Google Forms saves the copy to the same Drive folder as the original by default. You can move it afterward, or choose a different folder in the Make a copy dialog before confirming.
Is the linked Google Sheet duplicated too?
No. If the original form had responses flowing into a Google Sheet, the copy does not inherit that link. You need to reconnect a new or existing Sheet from the Responses tab on the copy.