How to prefill answers in Google Forms?

"Is it possible to shorten the link of pre-filled responses of Google Forms?"- Google Docs Editors Community

Prefilling saves people from typing details you already know, and Google Forms can do it: Pre-fill form gives you a link with the answers in it. But the link gets long (45 people on Google's forum have asked how to shorten it), it carries every value in its address, people can change any of them, and you make it one person at a time. With Formfacade, the prefill link carries only a name, you can hide or lock the prefilled values and you can email each person their own link.

Below is how to make a prefill link in Google Forms, where it falls short, and how to make one with Formfacade.

1. Google Forms: Pre-fill form

  • Open your Google Forms
  • Click on ⋮ More icon next to the Publish or Published button
  • Click on Pre-fill form option
  • Enter answers for the questions to be pre-filled
  • Click on the Get link button
  • Click on COPY LINK to copy the pre-fill url
The More menu in Google Forms open, with the More icon and Pre-fill form marked

Where Google Forms prefill links fall short

Google Forms makes a prefilled link that fills in answers in your form, but it has four limits:
  1. Prefill values are passed via url parameters. This is not ideal if the data includes sensitive information such as patient details in Healthcare, student records in Education & many others
  2. Prefilled answers can be edited by the users. Google Forms does not have the option to customize the appearance of the fields. Users can change the prefilled values before submitting the form.
  3. Google Forms does not provide the automation capabilities to generate a personalized url for each respondent and share it with them by email. You have to write formulas in Google Sheets to generate the prefill link and use mail merge tools to send the email.
  4. The link gets long, and some values break it. People on Google's forum report links too long to send, dates that turn into numbers and answers cut short at an & or a space.

2. Formfacade: a prefill link for each person

  • Click Create your form, name your form, click Create form and click Proceed.
  • In the Prefill & email dialog that asks "Do you want to prefill this form and send them as email to your contacts?", click No.
  • Click the Share tab, then click Create prefill links under More options
  • Click + Create new prefill, enter a name for the link and the answers to prefill, and click Create prefill link
  • Click Copy link and send it. The link shows only its name, not the values.
To stop people changing a value, read How to add readonly fields in Google Forms? To email each person their own link, read How to send bulk emails with personalized google forms prefill link?

Summary

Google Forms can make a prefill link, but it puts every value in the address, lets people change them and makes one link at a time. With Formfacade, the link carries only a name, you can hide or lock the prefilled values and you can email each person their own link. Create your form and create your prefill links.

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