How to Share a Google Form (Link, Email, QR, Embed)

Q: What's the difference between sharing a form to edit it and sharing it to fill it out?

Adding someone as an editor (via the people icon) gives them full access to change questions and view responses. Sending the respondent link from the Send button only lets people fill out and submit the form — they cannot see or change its structure.

Q: Can I shorten a Google Forms link?

Yes. In the Send dialog's Link tab, toggle 'Shorten URL' to turn the long form link into a shorter forms.gle address, which is easier to share verbally or print.

Updated July 2026 · 9 min read

Quick answer: Click Send in the top-right of your form. From there you can copy a shareable link (optionally shortened), send it directly to email addresses, or grab embed HTML for a website. For a QR code, paste the link into any QR generator or use an app that creates one for you.

Building the form is only half the job — people need to actually find it. Google Forms gives you several distribution options bundled into one button, and each fits a different situation: a link for social posts and group chats, direct email when you already have a recipient list, embed code for a website, and QR codes for anything printed. Here's how to use each one, and how to tell them apart from the separate question of who gets to edit your form.

The Send button and its three tabs

Open your form and click Send in the top-right corner. A dialog opens with three tabs across the top, each a different way to distribute the same form:

1. Link tab

This shows the form's full URL. Toggle Shorten URL to turn a long address into a compact forms.gle/... link — easier to say out loud, text, or fit on a flyer. Click Copy and paste it anywhere: chat apps, social posts, a calendar invite, wherever your audience already is.

2. Send via email

Switch to the Email tab (sometimes shown as an envelope icon) to send the form as an email directly from Google Forms, without leaving the editor. Type one or more recipient addresses, add a subject and optional message, and check Include form in email if you want recipients to fill it out right inside their inbox rather than clicking through. This is the fastest option when you already have a specific list of people to reach — a class roster, a team, a set of clients — rather than a general audience.

3. Embed HTML

Click the < > icon to get an iframe embed code you can paste into a website's HTML, so the form appears inline on your page instead of sending visitors elsewhere. This is useful for a contact page or landing page where you don't want to interrupt someone's visit with a redirect. We cover the full embedding process, including platform-specific notes for WordPress and Squarespace, in our guide to embedding a Google Form.

Sharing via QR code

Google's Send dialog doesn't build a QR code for you directly, but it's a one-step workaround: copy the link from the Link tab, then paste it into any free QR code generator to get a scannable image. This is the standard approach for posters, table tents, event signage, or printed handouts where typing a URL isn't practical. FormMaker generates the QR code for you automatically from the same screen where you copy the link, skipping the separate generator step. See our full guide on making a QR code for a Google Form for image sizing and print tips.

Collaborator-sharing vs. respondent-sharing

It's easy to conflate two very different kinds of "sharing" on a Google Form, so it's worth being precise:

Respondent sharing — anyone with the link from the Send button can fill out and submit the form. They cannot see or change the questions, settings, or responses of other people.
Editor sharing — adding someone via the people icon (usually near the Send button, sometimes inside the three-dot menu) gives them full edit access: they can change questions, adjust settings, and view every response, exactly like the owner.

Mixing these up is a common mistake — sending someone the editor invite when you only meant for them to fill out the form gives them far more access than intended. Double-check which button you're clicking before sending.

Sharing from a phone

The Send dialog exists in the mobile browser version of Google Forms too, though it can be cramped to navigate on a small screen — the three tabs stack awkwardly and the embed code is hard to select and copy with touch. If you're sharing forms often from your phone, our guide to Google Forms on mobile covers the smoothest ways to do it, including apps like FormMaker that put the link, QR code, and email options directly in your phone's native share sheet.

FAQ

What's the difference between sharing a form to edit it and sharing it to fill it out?

Adding someone as an editor gives them full access to change questions and view responses. Sending the respondent link from the Send button only lets people fill out and submit the form — they cannot see or change its structure.

Can I shorten a Google Forms link?

Yes. In the Send dialog's Link tab, toggle "Shorten URL" to turn the long form link into a shorter forms.gle address, which is easier to share verbally or print.

Can I share a Google Form with a QR code?

Yes. Google's Send dialog doesn't generate a QR code directly, but you can paste the form link into any free QR code generator, or use an app like FormMaker that creates one straight from the share sheet.