How to Share Google Forms Responses [Complete Guide]

Need to share your Google Form responses with other people?

Launch your online form on Google Forms, then click the “More” button (the three vertical dot icon) at the top-right corner. Next, pick “Add collaborators” from the drop-down list. Enter your collaborators’ email addresses in the provided field. Lastly, hit the “Done” button.

In this post, we’ll explore how to share Google Forms responses with others so everyone can access and analyze the data. We’ll also teach you how to share attachments submitted to your form.

Let’s begin!

How to Share Google Forms Responses

There are several methods to share Google Forms responses with others. Choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.

• Add other people as collaborators: Use this method if you want to allow them to edit your form altogether, not just access the responses.
• Share a Google spreadsheet synced with your form: Pick this option if you want to control sharing permissions. Assign people as viewers, editors, or commenters.
• Download your responses in a CSV: This generates a file with comma-separated values, which you can open on Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. You can also send the CSV file to others as an attachment.

Method 1: Adding People as Collaborators on Google Forms

By adding people as collaborators to your online form, you give them direct edit permissions. They can view and delete form responses.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Go to https://forms.google.com/.
2. Open the form containing the responses you want to share.
3. Click the “More” button (the three vertical dot icon) in the top-right corner of your screen.
4. Next, click on “Add collaborators” from the appearing drop-down menu.

5. Wait for the “Add editors to ‘[Form name]’” dialog box to appear.
6. Ensure that the option chosen is “Restricted” under the “General access” section.
7. Enter the email addresses of your collaborators in the “Add people and groups” field.

8. Once finished, click the “Send” button at the bottom-right corner of the dialog box.

Note: For step 6, you can also choose “Anyone with the link” under “General access.” This allows every user with access to the form to edit it. However, beware — using this option may compromise the truthfulness of your results. Another downside is that it might leak personal information (depending on the details in the form).

Method 2: Sharing Form Responses Using Google Sheets

The previous method only allows you to add editors to your forms. If you want others to view or give feedback on your responses without making any changes, use this method instead.

Link Your Google Form to a Google Sheet

As you link your form to a spreadsheet, all new responses will reflect on both platforms. This would be great if you want to keep the form responses you share up-to-date.

Here’s how to do it:

1. First, head over to https://forms.google.com/, then open your form.
2. Go to the “Responses” tab.
3. Next, click “Link to Sheets” at the topmost block.

4. From the appearing dialog box, select “Create a new spreadsheet.”
   1. Type a spreadsheet file name in the provided field.
   2. Then, click on the “Create” button.

5. Alternatively, you can pick “Select existing spreadsheet” and click “Select.”

3. Choose a spreadsheet file in the appearing window.
4. Then, click on the “Select” button.

6. Wait for Google to redirect you to a new spreadsheet in another tab.

Share the Google Sheet Containing Your Responses

7. Click on the “Share” button at the top-right corner of the Google Sheets interface.

8. Under “General access,” select from “Restricted” and “Anyone with the link.”

9. If you picked “Restricted:”
   1. Enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the responses with.

2. Assign them as a viewer, commenter, or editor using the drop-down menu at the side.
3. Hit the “Send” button.
4. Alternatively, you can click the “Copy link” button and send the link to your recipient using messaging software.

10. If you selected “Anyone with the link:”
    1. Adjust the access permissions using the provided drop-down menu.
    2. Click on the “Copy link” button.
    3. Open a messaging app, then paste and send the link you copied to others.
    4. Hit the “Done” button.

Method 3: Download Responses as CSV

The concept here is to attach your CSV file to an email or message. In this section, we’ll only demonstrate how you can download it. After that, whichever communication software you use (and how you use it for sharing) is at your discretion.

To download responses as CSV, follow these steps:

1. Go to https://forms.google.com/.
2. Open the form with the responses you want to share with others.
3. Next, head over to the “Responses” tab.
4. Click on the three vertical dot icon beside the spreadsheet option in the topmost block.

5. Select “Download responses (.csv)” from the drop-down menu.

6. Wait for the download process to finish, then send the file as an attachment to your recipient(s).

Note: You can only download the current responses at the time you attempt this method. So if you want to keep your shared responses fresh all the time, it is best to avoid using this method.

How to Share Google Form Attachments

You can skip this section if you have already added others as collaborators on your Google Forms. However, they will be given access to the Google Drive folder that contains the attachments by default.

To share Google Form attachments, here’s what you can do:

1. Go to https://forms.google.com/.
2. Open your form, then go to “Responses” > “Summary.”

3. Locate the question or block that requires the file upload, then click the “View folder” button.

4. Wait to be redirected to the Google Drive folder containing the attachments.
5. Click on the folder name at the top, then pick “Share” from the drop-down menu.

6. Select the relevant sharing method under the “General access” section.

7. If you opted for “Restricted:”
   1. Add people using their email addresses in the given field.
   2. Click “Copy link” or “Send.”

8. If you picked “Anyone with the link:”
   1. Set the access permissions — viewer, commenter, or editor — in the drop-down menu under “General access.”
   2. Hit “Copy link.”
   3. Click on the “Done” button.
   4. Share the link you copied with others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There a Way to Share the Results of Google Forms?

Yes. Go to your Google form, then head to the “Responses” tab. Next, click on “Link to Sheet” > “Create a new spreadsheet.” After that, hit the “Create” button and wait to be redirected to the linked sheet. Let others access this spreadsheet using the “Share” button.

How Do I Share Google Forms Responses via Email?

To share Google Forms responses via email, link your forms to a Google Sheets file. On your Google spreadsheet, go to “File” > “Email” > “Email this file.” Next, fill out the fields “To,” “Subject,” and “Message.” Under “File type,” choose whether to send it as a PDF, Open Office Spreadsheet, or Microsoft Excel. Once done, hit “Send.”

How Do I Share Google Form Responses as a PDF?

To share your Google form responses as PDF, open your Google form, then go to the “Responses” tab. Find and click on the three vertical dot icon at the topmost block. Then, select “Print all responses” from the appearing list. After that, choose “Save as PDF” (or any equivalent option) on the printing interface of your computer. Then, proceed to save or download the file.

How Do I Export Responses from Google Forms?

On your Google Form, go to the “Individual” tab. Select the response that you want to export. Once done, click on the “Print response” button (this is the printer icon beside the delete symbol). Proceed according to the instructions on your computer’s printing interface.

Final Thoughts

Remember to only share the responses with trusted individuals and adjust the access levels accordingly to ensure the data remains secure. By collaborating with others, you can gain valuable insights and make informed decisions based on the data collected from your Google Form.

With the right tools and strategies, sharing Google Forms responses can help you achieve greater productivity and success. So, don’t hesitate to share your form responses with your team or collaborators to work together towards your goals.

Don’t know where to start? Take Spreadsheet Point’s Google Forms and Sheets Masterclass today!

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