How to send Google Forms with prefilled answers?

This is a common question from people who send a form to one customer at a time. For example, you may want to add a line just for them. An email generated from a template reads the same for everyone. Google Forms cannot email a prefilled link at all, so you would copy the link into your own email and write it each time. With Formfacade, an email is generated automatically based on the email template that you have set up and you can edit this message before sending it to your customer. Your customer will get your message with their own link and the form will open with their answers already filled in. Even better, you can sync their response to Google Sheets with the details you prefilled.

Let's start. Create your form and follow the steps below.

How to create a prefill link?

  • On the page that opens, name your form, click Create form and click Proceed.
  • You will land on the form's "Edit" tab, with the "Prefill & email" dialog open. It asks "Do you want to prefill this form and send them as email to your contacts?". Click No.
The Prefill and email dialog asking Do you want to prefill this form and send them as email to your contacts?, with No marked
  • Click on "Share" tab
The tabs Edit, Preview, Share and Responses, with Share marked
  • Click Create prefill links under More options
The More options panel on the Share page, with Create prefill links marked
  • Prefill links page will be displayed
  • Click + Create new prefill
The Prefill links page saying No prefilled links yet, with + Create new prefill marked
  • Enter the unique name for the link
  • Enter the answers for the fields to be prefilled
  • Click Create prefill link. The dialog's note says that email and name are replaced by the contact's details when an email is sent. On this link, they stay as you typed them.
The Create prefill link dialog with renewal-0417 under Link name, and Maria Lopez, maria@example.com and C-20417 filled in on the Policy renewal form, with Link name and Create prefill link marked

How to personalize the message?

  • Click on the three dots ⋮ More icon next to the prefill link
  • Click Compose email
The Prefill links page with renewal-0417, its More menu open and Compose email marked
  • Subject and message will be automatically generated based on the template
  • Enter your customer's email address in To, if it is empty
  • Edit the subject, message for this customer
  • Click Send email
The Email page for one customer, with Subject, the message and Send email marked
Your customer gets your message with their own link. When they click on it, the form opens with their answers already filled in. The name and email you typed in the link are replaced by your customer's contact details when the email is sent.
You can use this along with HIPAA form to avoid showing PII information in plain text in email or prefill links

Summary

If you want to change the message for one customer, you do not have to write it from the start. With Formfacade, the subject and message are generated from your template and you can edit them before you send the email. Create your form and complete the steps above. If you have any questions, write to support.

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