How to Get Notified When a Google Form Is Submitted

When people fill out your Google Form, whether it’s an event sign-up, an order form, or a job application, you probably want to know right away instead of checking the Responses tab all day. Google Forms has a built-in email alert for new responses, and a few other options for notifying other people, sending respondents a confirmation, or getting alerts from a linked spreadsheet. This guide covers each.

Quick Answer

Open your form, click the Responses tab, click the three dots (More) next to Link to Sheets, and select Get email notifications for new responses. You’ll receive an email at your Google account address each time someone submits the form.

Turn On Email Notifications for New Responses

1. Open the form in Google Forms on a computer.
2. Click the Responses tab at the top.
3. Click the three vertical dots in the Responses card.
4. Choose Get email notifications for new responses. A checkmark appears next to it when it’s on.

Notifications go to the account that turned them on. Each editor of the form can turn them on for themselves. To stop them, repeat the steps and click the option again to remove the checkmark.

What the email includes

The built-in alert tells you a new response arrived and links to the form’s responses. It doesn’t include the answers themselves. If you want the answers in the email, use an add-on or Apps Script (below).

Send Notifications to Someone Else

The built-in option only notifies editors. Options for alerting other people:

• Add them as an editor: Click the three dots at the top right of the form, choose Add collaborators, and add their email. They can then turn on notifications themselves (editors can also change the form).
• Use a Gmail filter: Create a filter in Gmail for the notification emails and forward them automatically to another address (Gmail asks you to verify the forwarding address).
• Use an add-on: In the form, click the three dots at the top right, choose Add-ons, and search for “email notifications.” Add-ons such as Email Notifications for Google Forms can send custom emails, including the answers, to any address, and even send different emails based on responses. Review each add-on’s permissions before installing.

Send Respondents a Copy of Their Answers

1. Open the form’s Settings tab.
2. Expand Responses.
3. Set Collect email addresses to Verified or Responder input.
4. Set Send responders a copy of their response to Always or When requested.

Respondents then get an email receipt of what they submitted.

Get Notified From the Linked Google Sheet

1. In the Responses tab, click Link to Sheets and create or choose a spreadsheet.
2. In the spreadsheet, go to Tools > Notification settings > Edit notifications (the exact wording varies).
3. Choose to be notified when a user submits a form, and pick Email – right away or Email – daily digest.
4. Click Save.

A daily digest is handy for busy forms where an email per response would be too many.

Advanced: Custom Emails With Apps Script

If you’re comfortable with a little code, open the linked sheet, go to Extensions > Apps Script, write a function that uses MailApp.sendEmail with the submitted values, and add an On form submit trigger under Triggers. This lets you send the full response, route emails to different people based on answers, and more. Google Workspace accounts have daily email sending limits.

Troubleshooting

• Not getting emails: Check spam and your Gmail Promotions or Updates tabs, and search for emails from [email protected]. Make sure the checkmark is on in the Responses menu.
• Option missing: You may have view-only access. Only editors can turn on notifications.
• Work or school account: Your administrator may restrict add-ons or external emails.

Summary

1. Go to Responses > three dots > Get email notifications for new responses.
2. Add collaborators or use an add-on to notify others or include the answers.
3. Turn on Send responders a copy for receipts.
4. Use the linked sheet’s notification settings for daily digests.

Related: create an order form in Google Forms.

Related: Get Google Forms responses by email.

Kermit Matthews

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.

Read his full bio here.