Test submissions, duplicate entries, spam, or last year’s answers can clutter a Google Form’s results. Google Forms lets you delete a single response or wipe them all, but the linked Google Sheet works separately, and deleted responses can’t be recovered. This guide covers deleting one response, deleting all responses, cleaning up the linked spreadsheet, and resetting a form to reuse it, plus how to keep a backup first.
Quick Answer
One response: open the form, click Responses > Individual, go to the response, and click the trash icon.
All responses: on the Responses tab, click ⋮ (More) > Delete all responses and confirm. Rows in a linked Google Sheet are not deleted. Remove them in the sheet separately.
Before You Delete: Back Up the Responses
Google Forms has no undo or trash for responses. To keep a copy:
- On the Responses tab, click ⋮ > Download responses (.csv).
- Or click Link to Sheets (or View in Sheets) to keep a spreadsheet copy.
How to Delete One Response
- Open the form in Google Forms (edit mode).
- Click the Responses tab.
- Click Individual.
- Use the arrows (or the drop-down if emails are collected) to find the response.
- Click the trash icon (Delete response) and confirm.
You can’t delete just one answer within a response. The whole submission is removed. The Summary charts update right away.
How to Delete All Responses
- Open the form and click the Responses tab.
- Click the ⋮ (More) icon at the top right of the responses card.
- Choose Delete all responses.
- Click OK to confirm.
What About the Linked Google Sheet?
| Action | Effect on the Form | Effect on the Sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Delete a response in Forms | Removed from Summary, Question, and Individual views | The row stays in the sheet |
| Delete a row in the Sheet | Still counted in Forms | The row is removed |
| Delete all responses in Forms | Response count resets to 0 | Old rows stay. New responses are added below them. |
To clean the sheet, open it, select the rows (not the header row), right-click, and choose Delete rows. To start completely fresh, click ⋮ > Unlink form on the Responses tab, then Link to Sheets again and choose Create a new spreadsheet.
Reuse a Form for a New Event or Year
- Download or link the old responses as a backup.
- Delete all responses.
- Unlink the old sheet and link a new one.
- Turn Accepting responses back on if you had turned it off.
Alternatively, click ⋮ > Make a copy of the form. The copy starts with no responses, and the original keeps its history.
Prevent Unwanted Responses
- Stop accepting responses: on the Responses tab, turn off Accepting responses and add a closing message.
- Limit to 1 response: in Settings > Responses, turn on Limit to 1 response. This requires respondents to sign in to a Google account.
- Restrict to your organization (Google Workspace accounts) in Settings.
- Test with Preview: use the eye icon to preview, and delete test submissions before sharing.
To put a summary in a document, see copying a Forms chart to Word.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see the trash icon or Delete option
You need edit access to the form. Viewers and respondents can’t delete responses. Ask the owner to add you as an editor.
Responses keep reappearing in the sheet
That’s expected. The sheet keeps all rows until you delete them there.
A respondent wants to change their answer
Turn on Allow response editing in Settings > Responses. Respondents then get an edit link after submitting, instead of you deleting and asking them to resubmit.
Related: create an order form in Google Forms.
Related: Get Google Forms responses by email.
Related: How to lock a Google Form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover deleted Google Forms responses?
No, not from Forms. If the form was linked to a sheet, the rows are probably still there. Version history in Google Sheets can also restore deleted rows.
Does deleting a response notify the respondent?
No. Respondents aren’t notified.
Can I delete responses on my phone?
Google Forms has no mobile app. Open the form in your phone’s browser (the desktop site works best) and use the same steps.
Summary
- Back up responses with Download responses (.csv) or a linked sheet.
- Delete one: Responses > Individual > trash icon.
- Delete all: Responses > ⋮ > Delete all responses.
- Clean up the linked sheet separately, or link a new one.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.