How to publish a Google Form
Preview your Google Form, publish it from the editor, and confirm it is live and accepting responses, so people can fill it in with the link.
Quick answer
To publish a Google Form, open it in the editor, check it with Preview, then click Publish. In the Publish form dialog, leave Responders on Anyone with the link and click Publish again. The editor then shows Published, and Published options confirms the form is Accepting responses.
Steps at a glance
- Click Preview to check the form
- Click Close preview and edit
- Click Publish in the editor
- Click Publish in the Publish form dialog
- Look for the Published status
- Open Published options and check Accepting responses
Interactive demo
Summary
A Google Form only collects answers once it is published. Publishing takes two clicks and shows you the responder link straight away. Checking the status afterwards confirms people can actually submit.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1
Preview your form
With your title and questions in place, click Preview at the top of the editor. The form opens in a preview as a respondent would see it, so you can check the wording and the order of your questions.
Step 2
Return to the editor
The preview page shows a Not Published label and a note that the form isn't accepting responses, and Submit is disabled. Click Close preview and edit to go back and make any changes.
Step 3
Click Publish
Back in the editor, click Publish in the top right. A dialog opens so you can review the publish settings before anything goes live.
Step 4
Confirm publishing
The Publish form dialog lists Responders as Anyone with the link, and notes that nobody is notified when you publish. Click Publish to make the form live.
Step 5
Check the published status
The editor now shows Published next to the Share button, and a popup offers the responder link with a Copy button. Click Open published form settings to review the form's status.
Step 6
Confirm it is accepting responses
The Published options dialog shows Accepting responses ticked, and Responders set to Anyone with the link. Click Cancel to leave things as they are, or Save after a change.
Why this matters
You have built a short survey and want people to fill it in. Until you publish, anyone you send it to sees a not-published message. Publishing and then confirming the status means your first respondent can submit on the first try.
Frequently asked questions
Does anyone get notified when I publish a form?
No. The Publish form dialog states that nobody will be notified when you publish the form.
Who can respond once the form is published?
The Publish form dialog shows Responders set to Anyone with the link, so anyone who has the responder link can open the form.
Related guides
Continue with more step-by-step guides for getting work done.
How to share a Google FormPublish a Google Form and copy its responder link so anyone with the link can fill it in. Covers naming the form, publishing, and sharing the link.
How to make a Google Form publicMake a Google Form public by checking the Responders setting, publishing the form, and copying the responder link that anyone can use to respond.
How to close a Google FormClose a Google Form to stop new responses: turn off Accepting responses in Published options, add a closed message, and confirm the change.
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