If you use Google Forms regularly, you know how handy they can be for gathering information quickly. You create a simple form, send out the link, and watch as the responses roll in automatically to a connected spreadsheet. Nice and easy, right?
But what happens after people submit their responses? Letting all that data sit idle in your spreadsheet is kind of a missed opportunity.
That‘s where automating your Google Forms can be a total game-changer…
With just a few clicks, you can set up workflows to automatically organize, analyze, and act on new form submissions. No more manually transferring data or repeating the same follow-up tasks!
In this post, we‘ll explore 5 popular ways to automate common Google Forms workflows using the integration platform Zapier.
(Before we dive in: You‘ll need a free Zapier account to build the automations covered below. Sign up here to get started.)
Automation Workflow #1: Streamline Project Management with Tasks and Cards
If your team uses project management tools like Trello, Asana or Jira, Google Forms can automatically populate tasks and cards from new submissions.
Here are just a couple ways this could be helpful:
- Intake requests form → Trello board: Create a card for each new client request to triage and assign to the right team member.
- Support form → Asana project: Turn bug reports or feature ideas into task items to review and prioritize in Asana.
Let‘s walk through setting up a Zap template to create Trello cards from Google Form submissions.
How the Zap works:
- New response is submitted to your Google Form
- Zapier detects the new form entry
- Creates a card in your specified Trello board
- Populates card title and description using response data
Setup guide:
- Click on this Zap template and press "Use Template"
- Connect your Google account and choose the form you want to automate
- Select your Trello board to create the new cards in
- Customize which form fields populate the new card‘s title, description, labels, etc.
- Turn on your Zap and watch new cards appear instantly from form submissions!
This is just one example – you can use similar workflows to create tasks in Asana, Jira issues, GitHub issues, and more!
Check out the Zapier templates to connect your Google Form to other popular project management tools.
Automation Workflow #2: Keep Your Team in the Loop with Instant Messages
Need to notify a channel or chat group when a new form comes in? Automated messages can save you from constantly checking back for responses or emailing stakeholders.
Some examples:
- Event registration form → Slack channel: Get real-time alerts when attendees sign up for your upcoming event.
- Support form → Microsoft Teams chat: Notify support reps immediately when a new customer ticket comes in.
Let‘s use Slack as an example for how to set this up…
How the Zap works:
- New submission received to your Google Form
- Zapier bot posts message to specified Slack channel
- Includes response data like name, email address, questions, etc.
Setup guide:
- Find the Send Slack Message template here and press Use Template
- Choose your Google Form and the Slack workspace/channel to post to
- Select which form fields to include in the Slack message
- Customize the message text if desired
- Turn on the Zap and watch real-time alerts come in!
You can follow nearly the same steps to send automated bots to other chat apps like Microsoft Teams, Discord, or Facebook Messenger too. Super handy for keeping teams looped in!
Automation Workflow #3: Get Notified of New Entries via Email and SMS
For personal forms or smaller teams, you may want email or text notifications when new submissions come in.
Imagine setting up automatic confirmations, reminders, or alerts based on form responses. Here are some ideas:
- Volunteer signup form → SMS reminder: Send automated reminder texts to volunteers 24 hours before their shift.
- Job application form → Email to hiring manager: Notify the recruiter each time a new candidate applies.
- Support ticket form → Email alerts: Immediately email the customer service team when priority 1 tickets are submitted.
The setup is straightforward with Zapier‘s email and SMS integrations…
How the Zap works
- New Google Form entry is submitted
- Zapier detects response and triggers notification
- Email or text message is sent to the specified recipient
Setup guide:
- Find a Send Email or SMS template and select Use This Zap
- Connect to your Google Form to watch for new submissions
- Designate who receives the notifications
- Customize subject line and message body with response data
- Turn on your Zap and receive automated alerts!
Between native email and third-party services, Zapier helps send notifications by basically any channel imaginable – Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, phone calls, and more.
Automation Workflow #4: Build Your Calendar Directly from Form Entries
Streamline your schedule by converting Google Form responses directly into calendar events.
For example:
- Meeting request form → Google Calendar: Automatically add new appointments to your calendar.
- Event registration form → Office 365 Calendar: Registered attendees are saved as event guests for reminders.
- Client call request form → Calendly link: Book meetings instantly on your calendar.
Going back to Google Calendar, here‘s an example setup:
How the Zap works:
- Person submits meeting request through your Google Form
- Details like date/time and attendees are converted into a new calendar event
- Event is added directly to your Google Calendar
Setup guide:
- Open the Create Google Calendar Event template and press Use This Zap
- Select your Google Form and Calendar account to connect
- Map form fields like date, description, attendees to event details
- Customize the event title or other properties if needed
- Turn on automation and instantly book events from form entries!
No more manual calendaring or follow-ups needed!
Automation Workflow #5: Connect Forms to Other Apps with Webhooks
If you ever wished your Google Form could integrate directly with another tool not included above, webhooks are your new best friend.
Here are some examples of things you can build:
- Form submission → Start Airtable workflow → Send data to Zendesk
- Form response → Post submission to WordPress/Ghost blog → Notify Slack channel
- New entry → Pass data to Integromat → Update project status in Asana
Webhooks allow your form to connect directly to other web apps via their API/code integration options. So if you can find a service‘s webhook docs, you can probably build something custom with your form.
It does involve light coding rather than just using Zapier‘s graphical templates. But webhooks open the doors to infinite possibilities for creative workflows!
Check out Zapier‘s webhook docs here for guidance on building custom workflows from your Google Forms.
The sky‘s the limit on what‘s achievable!
Start Automating Your Google Forms Today!
As you can see, Zapier makes it simple to build all kinds of automations with Google Forms to eliminate repetitive admin work.
I‘ve really only scratched the surface here – there are tons more pre-made templates and creative options for connecting forms to other apps.
Hopefully these 5 examples have sparked some ideas that could help streamline your own workflows!
Head over to zapier.com/apps/google-forms/integrations start setting up automations for your Google Forms today.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!
