Generate PDF Files from Google Form Responses: A Step-by-Step Guide

Generating PDF files from Google Form responses can be incredibly useful for creating printable and shareable documents. Utilizing a PDF generator add-on streamlines the process of saving form responses for record-keeping, creating printable reports, or distributing information in a standardized format. This article demonstrates the step-by-step process for generating PDF files from Google Form responses.

Create a Google Form:

To create a Google Form that generates PDFs, you can use one of the following add-ons or services:

  1. Form Publisher: Form Publisher is a document generator that lets you generate PDFs, Google Docs, and Office documents from your form’s submissions. To use Form Publisher, create a Google Form, install the add-on, and configure the settings to generate PDFs.
  2. Portant Workflow: Portant Workflow is an online service that lets you convert Google Form responses into PDFs. To use Portant Workflow, select your Google Form, connect a Google Slide or Google Doc template, add question tags to your template, and select “Save as PDF.”
  3. Generate PDF with Google Forms: Generate PDF with Google Forms is an add-on available on the Google Workspace Marketplace that lets you generate PDFs from your form’s submissions. To use this add-on, install it from the marketplace, create a Google Form, and configure the settings to generate PDFs.

By using one of these add-ons or services, you can generate PDFs from your Google Form’s submissions and automate the process of creating and sharing PDFs.

Sources:

1. Form Publisher – Generate PDF from Google Forms with Form Publisher
2. Portant Workflow – Google Forms to PDF – Easy, Online & Free
3. Google Workspace Marketplace – Generate PDF with Google Forms
4. The Jotform Blog – How to Save a Google Form as a PDF
5. Labnol.org – How to Automatically Create PDFs with Google Form Responses
6. Educators Technology – 3 Good Add-ons to Generate PDFs from Google Forms

Install an add-on:

To install a PDF generator add-on in Google Forms, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open your Google Form in the form editor.
  2. Click on the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the form editor.
  3. Select “Add-ons” from the dropdown menu.
  4. Click on “Get add-ons.”
  5. Search for “Form Publisher” or “PDF Monkey” in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  6. Click on the add-on you want to install.
  7. Click on the “Install” button.
  8. Follow the prompts to grant necessary permissions and complete the installation process.

By installing a PDF generator add-on in Google Forms, you can generate PDFs from your form’s submissions and automate the process of creating and sharing PDFs.

Sources:

Configure the add-on:

To configure the add-on for generating PDFs in Google Forms, follow these steps:

  1. Install the add-on “Form Publisher” or “PDF Monkey” by clicking on the three-dot menu icon in the form editor.
  2. Select “Add-ons” from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click on “Get add-ons.”
  4. Search for “Form Publisher” or “PDF Monkey” in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  5. Install the desired add-on by clicking on the “Install” button.
  6. Follow the instructions provided by the add-on to set it up and link it to your Google Form.
  7. Configure the settings within the add-on to generate PDFs based on the form responses.

By installing and configuring the PDF generator add-on, you can generate PDFs from your Google Form’s responses.

Sources:

1. Google Docs Editors Help – Send out your form
2. Zapier – Google Forms: A guide for how to create Google Form surveys
3. Form Publisher – Allowing Access and How to Share a Google Form Document
4. Business Insider – How to upload a file on Google Forms or let respondents upload their own files
5. Form Publisher – Building a Google Forms Addon with Apps Script
6. Paperform – How to Create a Quiz in Google Forms

Customize the PDF template:

To customize the PDF template generated from Google Forms, you can use add-ons like Form Publisher or PDF Monkey. Here are the steps to customize the PDF template:

  1. Install the Form Publisher or PDF Monkey add-on by clicking on the three-dot menu icon in the form editor, selecting “Add-ons,” and searching for the desired add-on in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  2. Follow the instructions provided by the add-on to set it up and link it to your Google Form.
  3. Customize the layout and design of the generated PDF by selecting options to customize the paper size, page orientation, margins, and other options.
  4. Include form response variables in the PDF content to personalize the PDFs based on the user’s answers.
  5. Format the PDF content and add branding or styling elements to match your requirements.

By customizing the PDF template, you can generate PDFs from your Google Form’s responses that match your branding and design requirements.

Sources:

Test the PDF generation:

To test the PDF generation in Google Forms, you can follow these steps:

  1. Install the Form Publisher or PDF Monkey add-on by clicking on the three-dot menu icon in the form editor, selecting “Add-ons,” and searching for the desired add-on in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  2. Follow the instructions provided by the add-on to set it up and link it to your Google Form.
  3. Submit a test response in your Google Form to ensure that the add-on successfully generates a PDF based on the form responses.
  4. Review the PDF format, layout, and data to ensure they meet your expectations.

By testing the PDF generation, you can ensure that the add-on is working properly and that the PDFs are being generated correctly.

Sources:

Enable automatic PDF generation (optional):

To enable automatic PDF generation in Google Forms, you can use add-ons like Form Publisher, PDF Monkey, or Generate PDF with Google Forms. Here are the steps to enable automatic PDF generation:

  1. Install the desired add-on by clicking on the three-dot menu icon in the form editor, selecting “Add-ons,” and searching for the add-on in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  2. Follow the instructions provided by the add-on to set it up and link it to your Google Form.
  3. Configure the add-on settings to enable automatic PDF generation. Some add-ons provide the option to set up rules or triggers to generate PDFs automatically when a form response is submitted.
  4. Test the automatic PDF generation by submitting a test response in your Google Form and reviewing the generated PDF.

By enabling automatic PDF generation, you can automate the process of generating PDFs from your Google Form’s responses.

Sources:

Save and distribute PDFs:

To save and distribute PDFs generated from Google Forms, you can use add-ons like Form Publisher, PDF Monkey, or Generate PDF with Google Forms. Here are the steps to save and distribute PDFs:

  1. Install the desired add-on by clicking on the three-dot menu icon in the form editor, selecting “Add-ons,” and searching for the add-on in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  2. Follow the instructions provided by the add-on to set it up and link it to your Google Form.
  3. The generated PDF files will typically be saved in your Google Drive. You can manually download the PDFs and distribute them as needed.
  4. Alternatively, you can set up sharing settings to automatically share the PDFs with specified recipients.

By saving and distributing PDFs generated from Google Forms, you can share the form responses with others in a format that is easy to read and understand.

Sources:

FAQs

Question: Can I use any PDF generator add-on with Google Forms?

Answer: Yes, you can choose from various PDF generator add-ons available in the Google Workspace Marketplace. Popular options include “Form Publisher” and “PDF Monkey,” but feel free to explore other add-ons to find the one that suits your needs.

Question: Are PDF generator add-ons free to use?

Answer: PDF generator add-ons typically offer both free and premium versions. The free versions usually have some limitations on the number of PDFs generated or advanced customization options. You may need to upgrade to a premium version for unrestricted access to all features.

Question: Can I customize the layout and design of the generated PDFs?

Answer: Yes, most PDF generator add-ons provide customization options. You can typically format the PDF layout, include form response variables, add headers, and footers, and apply styling to match your desired design.

Question: Can I ge nerate PDFs in different languages using these add-ons?

Answer: Yes, you can generate PDFs in different languages using PDF generator add-ons. The add-ons usually support multilingual capabilities, allowing you to customize text and variables according to your language preferences.

Question: Will the PDFs automatically update when new form responses are received?

Answer: PDFs generated using the add-ons are typically static copies of the form responses. They will not automatically update when new form responses are received. You will need to generate new PDFs or use add-on features (if available) to automate the process.

Question: Can I generate PDFs with a specific naming convention?

Answer: Yes, some PDF generator add-ons allow you to define naming conventions for the generated PDFs. You can include form response variables or add prefixes/suffixes to create meaningful and organized file names.

Question: Is it possible to generate multiple PDFs from a single-form response?

Answer: Yes, certain add-ons support generating multiple PDFs from a single form response. This can be useful if you need to distribute personalized PDFs to different recipients or create separate documents based on specific criteria.

Question: Can I generate PDFs without using add-ons?

Answer: By default, Google Forms does not have a built-in feature to generate PDFs. Using add-ons is the most convenient way to accomplish this task and access advanced customization options.

Question: Are the generated PDFs stored securely?

Answer: The generated PDFs are stored in your Google Drive, which offers security features to protect your data. Ensure that you have appropriate sharing settings and access controls in place to maintain the security and privacy of the generated PDFs.

Question: Can I edit the generated PDFs after they are created?

Answer: The generated PDFs are typically static documents that cannot be directly edited. If you need to make changes to the content, you will need to edit the original form responses and regenerate the PDFs using the add-on.

Conclusion:

By following these steps and utilizing a PDF generator add-on, you can easily generate PDF files from Google Form responses. This allows you to save form responses in a printable and shareable format, providing a convenient way to store and distribute the collected data.

Trending now

best way to earn passive income with cryptocurrency in 2024
Unleashing Financial Freedom: The Best Way to Earn Passive Income with Cryptocurrency in 2024How to Create Personalized Place Cards for EventsAuto-Format Google Form Responses with Google SheetsStreamline Parent-Teacher Communication with Google Forms