How to Make a Google Form (Step-by-Step, Any Device)
Quick answer: Go to forms.google.com, sign in with a Google account, and click Blank. Add a title, then use the + button to add questions and pick their type. Click Send when you're ready to share the link. The whole process takes under five minutes.
Google Forms is the free, no-install way to build surveys, quizzes, sign-up sheets, and order forms that collect answers straight into a spreadsheet. It comes with any Google account and works in a browser on desktop, tablet, or phone. This guide walks through every part of making one — from opening a blank form to sending it out — and covers each question type you'll actually use.
What is Google Forms?
Google Forms is Google's free form and survey tool, part of the same family as Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Every form you create is tied to your Google account and lives in your Google Drive. Responses can be viewed inside Forms or exported automatically to a connected Google Sheet, which makes it a favorite for event RSVPs, classroom quizzes, customer feedback, job applications, and internal sign-up sheets. Because it's built into Google's ecosystem, there's nothing to install and nothing to pay for — you just need a Google account.
Three ways to start a Google Form
There's more than one entry point, and which one you use depends on where you already are.
- forms.google.com (desktop, fastest). Go directly to the Forms homepage, sign in, and click the Blank tile or pick a template. This is the most direct route if you're already thinking "I need a form."
- Google Drive → New → Google Forms. If you're already organizing files in Drive, click + New, hover over More, and select Google Forms. The form saves into whichever Drive folder you were in, which is handy for keeping projects organized.
- Mobile browser or an app like FormMaker. Google doesn't ship an official Forms app for phones, so on mobile you either open forms.google.com in your browser and request the desktop site, or use a purpose-built app. See the callout below.
On your phone? The desktop-oriented Forms editor is cramped on a small screen. Read our full guide to Google Forms on mobile, or jump straight to creating a Google Form on iPhone for the fastest phone-first method.
Step-by-step: building your form
1. Create the form
Whichever entry point you used, you'll land on a blank form with a plain title bar at the top. This is your starting canvas — nothing is saved as a "real" form yet until you add content, but Google Forms autosaves every change from this point on, so you never need to click a save button.
2. Add a title and description
Click directly on "Untitled form" at the top and type a clear name — this becomes both the form's internal name in Drive and the heading respondents see. Below it, add an optional description explaining what the form is for, how long it takes, or any instructions respondents need before starting.
3. Add questions
Click the + icon in the floating toolbar on the right (or tap it at the bottom on mobile) to insert a new question block. Type your question text, then use the dropdown on the right side of the question to choose its type. You can duplicate a question with the copy icon if you need several similar ones, and drag the six-dot handle on the left to reorder.
4. Choose the right question type for each answer
Google Forms supports several answer formats — picking the right one keeps your form quick to fill out and your data easy to analyze:
- Short answer — a single line of text, good for names or short responses.
- Paragraph — a multi-line box for open-ended feedback.
- Multiple choice — respondents pick exactly one option from a list.
- Checkboxes — respondents can pick multiple options.
- Dropdown — a compact single-select list, useful for long option lists.
- File upload — respondents attach a file, which saves to your Drive.
- Linear scale — a numbered scale (like 1 to 5) for ratings.
- Multiple choice grid — a matrix where each row gets one selected column.
- Checkbox grid — a matrix where each row can have multiple selected columns.
- Date — a date picker, useful for RSVPs or bookings.
- Time — a time picker for scheduling questions.
Toggle Required at the bottom-right of any question if respondents must answer it before submitting.
5. Customize the theme
Click the paint palette icon in the top toolbar to open theme options. You can set a header image (or pick from Google's built-in image library), a background and question color, and a font style — from formal to playful. This doesn't change how the form works, but it makes it feel less generic, especially for public-facing forms.
6. Preview your form
Click the eye icon near the top-right to open a preview in a new tab exactly as respondents will see it. Fill it out yourself once — this catches typos, awkward question order, and missing "required" toggles before anyone else sees the form.
7. Configure settings
Click the gear icon to open Settings, split into three tabs:
- General — collect email addresses, limit to one response per person, let respondents edit after submitting, or show a progress bar.
- Presentation — shuffle question order, show a progress bar, or customize the confirmation message shown after submission.
- Quizzes — turn the form into a quiz, assign point values to questions, and choose whether respondents see their grade and correct answers immediately or after manual review.
8. Share and send
Click the Send button in the top-right. You'll get three options: copy a shareable link (you can shorten it), send it as an email directly from Forms, or grab embed HTML to place the form on a website. From the link dialog you can also generate a QR code for print flyers or posters.
Where your responses go
Click the Responses tab at the top of the form to see a running summary with charts, or flip to individual responses to read one submission at a time. Click the green Sheets icon to create a linked Google Sheet — every new submission appears as a new row automatically, which makes it easy to sort, filter, or share the raw data with teammates.
Tips for a form people actually finish
- Keep it short. Every extra question increases the chance someone abandons the form partway through.
- Prefer multiple choice over free text when the answers are predictable — it's faster to answer and easier to analyze.
- Group related questions into sections using the "Add section" icon so long forms feel less overwhelming.
- Test on the device your audience will actually use. If you're sending a form to be filled out on phones, preview and fill it out on a phone first.
- Turn off "Collect email addresses" for anonymous surveys — it's on by default in some Workspace accounts.
FAQ
Is Google Forms free?
Yes, completely free with any Google account, personal or Workspace. There's no paid tier for the core form builder.
Do I need a Google account to make a Google Form?
Yes, you need to be signed in to create and own a form. Respondents usually don't need a Google account unless you specifically require sign-in.
Can I make a Google Form on my phone?
Yes — open forms.google.com in your phone's browser and request the desktop site, or use a mobile app like FormMaker built for creating Google Forms with a touch-friendly editor.
How do I see the responses to my Google Form?
Open your form and click the Responses tab for a summary and individual answers, or click the green Sheets icon to send responses to a Google Sheet automatically.