Follow the guide below to create google forms for surveys, events, and membership registration.

Google forms are one of the fastest and easiest ways to formally invite a targeted audience for a program, survey participation, and membership registration.

Why use Google forms.

1. It makes the work professional
2. It is web-based. This means you can share a link for participation across the globe
3. Keeps incoming data highly organized
4. Multiple themes to select from
5. Ability to add validations to form

Steps in creating Google forms. Forms can be created in two simple ways. A Gmail account is a requirement in either of the preferred methods.

Method 1:

1. Directly from Forms home page 

Forms can be created directly from the forms home page as demonstrated below. First search for google forms or directly access it here.

From the home page as seen below, select ‘Go To Google Forms‘

Next click ‘Go To Google Forms’ which will populate different templates to select from and a blank template.

To give a full idea of how to create forms from scratch, I will be using the blank template.

Select the ‘Blank’ template which is the first from the left at the time of writing this.

This brings up a blank form to start editing. When the form is presented, click on ‘Untitled form’ and input the name of the form.

In this case, Sample Form is the presumed name of the form and under it, give a description. Description here is ‘Learn how to create forms’

Give form title and description with respect to your needs. Have a look at the two below. The first one was unedited and the second was after editing with the title and description.

Everything is auto-saved when working with Google Forms.

Look at the top left corner of the form and you realized the edited form title is not yet reflected.

To let the title reflect at the main top header, tap or click on ‘Untitled Form’ at the top left corner and it will change to the given form title name.

How to add Questions.

The most important part of every form is the aspect of the question and this is how to add questions.

The default question on the form will be ‘Untitled Question’ Simple click on it to edit and put the question of interest. Example: What is your First Name.

Right after entering the question,, a drop-down appears on the immediate right. This gives the opportunity as to how the given answer or response should be.

Don’t select the ‘Multiple Choice’ answer when asking for a First name. The first name can’t be a multiple-choice answer but a paragraph or short answer.

Short answer is preferred for names and paragraph for large text.

After entering the question, on the immediate right click on the arrow for a drop-down option to appear. Select ‘Short answer’ and that is it.

But is first name optional or a must. This leads us to form validation. Upon selecting the right answer format look at the bottom right for the ‘required’ option.

Assuming the First name is mandatory then the ‘required’ option should be checked. Else leave it when the answer is not mandatory.

To add next question like home town, city, and address among others, simply click the ‘double mirror-like symbol next to the delete symbol. This will duplicate the first question for editing.

Moreover, you can use the vertical tools on the right-hand side to add questions, titles, videos, and sections.

Duplicating the first question 4 more times:

• Region of residence
• Phone number
• Email address
• Why do you want to join us

Select drop-down for region of residence and input the various regions as seen below.

Options will appear after clicking on the drop-down. Input the various regions been targeted.

When asking YES/NO questions, select ‘Check-boxes’

By now you should be able to add your phone number, address, and reasons why you want to join us on the form.

A phone number will be ‘short answer’ and reasons why you want to can be ‘short’ or ‘Paragraph’

Boom!! You now have a complete form. Click on the ‘eye’ icon at the top right-hand side to preview.

To change the form appearance, click on the first icon next to the eye icon atop the right-hand side for different color options. The header image can also be changed here.

Preventing multiple responses from members.

Tap on the settings icon for the settings dialogue and on the ‘General’ tab, check the limit to 1 response to prevent multiple responses.

Giving confirmation message after form submission.

On the settings dialogue page, tab on ‘PRESENTATION’ and under confirmation message, input the desired message and save.

Publishing the form.

Click on the big ‘SEND’ button on the header bar for a dialogue box to appear and form can be published in 3 ways.

1. Sending emails

If you want the form to be sent to an email address, input such a mail under EMAIL symbol.

2. Giving form links to members

To give the form link to the public, click the next icon to the EMAIL symbol and you will have access to the link for copying and sharing.

3. Embedding form on a website or blog

To embed the form on a website or blog, click the last icon from left to have access to the HTML code.

2. Method 2

Above was one way of creating google forms and next method is through a Gmail account.

Log onto Gmail and click on the Google Apps icon located at the top right corner for a dialogue to appear with many applications. Select ‘Drive‘ from these apps to move to the next page.

Here will be a dialogue box if this is the first time ever accessing Google drive. Close it by clicking on the ‘x’ at the top right-hand side of the dialogue box.

Now locate ‘My Drive‘ at the top and click on the down-arrow, navigate down and hover the mouse on ‘More’ then hover again on ‘Google Forms’ and select ‘Blank’ to launch the form wizard.

Editing the form is the same steps as laid out in Method 1 above.

Receiving form response.

When members fill in data and submit it, the information gets into our inbox. This is helpful but in situations where you are receiving 1000+ information right on your Gmail account. It can be difficult in sorting things out.

But thanks to the flexibility of Google forms, all responses can be directed to an excel sheet. This will make sorting of data at the side of the receiver so easy and stress-free.

To do this, just tap on the ‘RESPONSES’ tab on the form wizard and click on create spreadsheet indicated herein GREEN SQUARE WITH A PLUS SIGN.

This will launch a dialogue box. Select create a new spreadsheet and click on create.

A new spreadsheet will automatically be created. Any data submitted by members will be landing on this spreadsheet.

Spreadsheet links can be given to other people to have a look at the incoming data with the right to edit the data or not.

How to give spreadsheet links with administrative priorities.

Inside Google Drive will now be two forms. 1 as the main form members can fill in their data and the second one as the spreadsheet.

Open Gmail and go into Google drive. These two forms will be right there. Right-click on the spreadsheet and select ‘Share’ then input the email address of the one to share with.

Immediate right is a pencil icon. Tab on it to give access priorities to the user been invited.

That is it about Google forms. Keep playing around and explore more.