Easy Guide: Streamlining Data Collection with Custom Google Workspace Forms - Tips & Tricks

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When you need to gather information from people, where do you turn? Do you simply send an email and then cobble together the data into a spreadsheet or document based on the various responses?

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Although that has probably worked for you over the years, it’s not exactly the most efficient use of your time. And when the number of people you need to gather information from grows, using that method can slow the roll of your workflow.

What do you do?

You use forms.

Simply put, a form is a way for you to easily gather information from multiple people and have it collected into a single repository, from where you can then use the data collected for whatever purpose you need.

Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? It’s not. Thanks to Google, creating a form is so simple you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along.

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How to create a form in Google Workspace to simplify collecting information

Let me walk you through the process.

Requirements

The only thing you’ll need is a valid Google Workspace account. Google Forms can be used with both the free and paid accounts, so there’s no need to upgrade if using the freebie option. That’s it. Let’s make a form.

1. Log in to Google Workspace

The first thing you’ll need to do is log in to your Google Workspace account.

2. Go to the Forms tool

Once you’ve logged in, you can either click the app icon and scroll down until you see Forms in the menu, or simply point your browser to forms.google.com.

Accessing Google Forms from the app menu.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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3. Create a new form

There are two ways you can go about this. You can either select a predesigned form from the template gallery or start from scratch.

For those who have never created a form, I would suggest you look through the gallery to find a form that can serve as a base. For example, you might want to use the Work Request form in the gallery. Locate and click that template to open the form in the editor.

You’ll find plenty of templates to help make creating a new form simple enough.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

4. Customize the form

Since we’re using a template, you will only have to go through the prebuilt items in the form and edit them as needed. If you find the form needs additional questions, click + (the plus sign), and you can add short answers, paragraphs, multiple choice, check boxes, drop-downs, file uploads, linear scale, multiple choice grid, date, or time.

Fill out the necessary information for the question and you’re good to go. You can also move items up and down, add images and videos, and add sections. You will also want to make sure to customize the header of the form and include your own information.

Adding a new item to a Google Form.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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5. Send the form

Once you have the form customized to your liking, click Send at the top right corner. A new pop-up will appear, where you can select to send the form via email, a shareable link, or an embed code.

If you go the email route, you’ll need to add the necessary recipients. Once you’ve shared the form, the recipients will fill it out, and the results will automatically be collected in the Responses tab for the form.

Choose the easiest method of sending your new form here.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

And that’s all there is to create a form with Google Forms. Using this tool is one of the easiest ways to collect data from users. And because it’s free, anyone can take advantage of this tool.

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