In 4 simple steps, this guide will show you how to disable a Google Form.
Whether you’ve gathered enough responses or need to stop collecting data, disabling a form is quick and easy.
Let’s get started!
Why You Might Need to Disable a Google Form?
Before we dive into the step-by-step guide, let’s quickly cover why you might want to disable a Google Form:
You’ve received enough responses: Once you’ve gathered all the data you need, keeping the form open can lead to unnecessary responses.
Deadline reached: You might be running a survey, a quiz, or a registration that has a deadline. Once the deadline passes, you can close the form to ensure no late submissions.
Avoid spam responses: Keeping a form open for too long can expose it to spam submissions, especially if the form link has been widely shared. By disabling the form once you’re finished collecting responses, you can prevent Google Forms spam and protect the integrity of your data. This ensures that only legitimate, timely responses are recorded, helping you maintain both the quality and accuracy of your results.
Now, let’s go through the steps to manually close your form.
Steps:
- Open Your Google Form
- Go to the Responses Tab
- Turn Off the “Accepting Responses” Toggle
- Optional — Customize the “Form Closed” Message
Step 1: Open Your Google Form
Open the form you want to distable.
Step 2: Go to the Responses Tab
Once your form is open, look at the top of the screen where you’ll see several tabs: Questions, Responses, and Settings.
Click on the Responses tab. This is where you can manage all the responses your form receives, including turning off the ability to accept any new ones.
Step 3: Turn Off the “Accepting Responses” Toggle
Alt tag: red arrow pointing to the “Accepting responses” toggle when it is on
This switch determines whether your form is open or closed to new submissions.
To disable your form, simply toggle this switch off.
Once you toggle it off, Google Forms will automatically stop accepting any new responses. Anyone who tries to access your form after this point will see a message saying, “This form is no longer accepting responses”.
Step 4: Optional — Customize the “Form Closed” Message
When you disable your Google Form, the default message that appears to respondents is: “This form is no longer accepting responses”.
However, you can customize this message to provide additional information, like thanking users for their interest or giving them alternative ways to get in touch with you.
Here’s how to customize the message:
Go to the Settings tab at the top of the form editor.
Under the Presentation section, look for the field labeled Confirmation message.
Type in your custom message here, such as, “Thank you for your interest! We are no longer accepting responses at this time, but feel free to contact us for more information.”
This gives your form a more polished look and ensures that users receive a personal message when the form is closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can I reopen the form after disabling it?
Yes! If you need to start accepting responses again, just head back to the Responses tab and toggle the Accepting responses switch back to On. Your form will immediately reopen, and people will be able to submit their responses.
Q2: Will respondents still be able to see the form after it’s disabled?
Yes, respondents will still be able to access the form URL, but they won’t be able to submit any responses. Instead, they’ll see a message saying, “This form is no longer accepting responses.” You can customize this message, as we covered earlier in the guide.
Q3: What happens to the responses that were already submitted?
Disabling the form doesn’t affect the responses that have already been submitted. You can still view, analyze, and download all the existing responses. You just won’t receive any new ones.
