Short answer question in Google Forms

This is a common question from people who ask for a name, an email address or a website. People do not always type what you need. Some leave a typo in their email address and others write only a word or two and by then you cannot reach them to correct it. Google Forms has a short answer question, but the rules that check the answer are tucked away in a menu. With Formfacade, you can add a short answer question and set rules to get the answers you need, so your users see a message when an answer is wrong. Even better, you can check for an email, a URL, a length or a specific word.

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

Short answer question allows users to write answers in a few words. You can use this question to collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, website url & more. You can set rules to get the answers you need.

How to add a short answer question?

On the page that opens, name your form, click Build form and click Proceed. It can take about a minute.
You will land on the form's "Preview" tab.
Click on "Edit" tab

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right and enter your question
A new Short answer question will be added
Enable Required toggle button to make this a mandatory question as shown below

How to add response validation to restrict answers?

You can use pre-built validation to accept correctly formatted email address and urls as responses. You can use number, text, length and regex validations to write complex validation rules and restrict the answers.

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select the validation you need and fill in its boxes
Click Save

How to specify the character limit for short answers?

You can specify the minimum character count for your short answer question by adding the Length response validation as shown below.

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select Length
Select Minimum character count
Enter the number of characters
Enter a custom error message (if required)
Click Save

Maximum character count

You can specify the maximum character count for your short answer question by adding the Length response validation as shown below.

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select Length
Select Maximum character count
Enter the number of characters
Enter a custom error message (if required)
Click Save

How to validate if the answer contains a specific word?

You can use the Contains text validation for short answer question to ensure that the response contains a specific word or special character and accept only those responses.

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select Text
Select Contains
Enter the word or character that must be included in the short answer
Enter a custom error message (if required)
Click Save

How to validate if the short answer doesn't contain a specific word or special character?

You can use the Doesn't contain text validation for short answer question to ensure that the answer doesn't contain specific word or special character and accept only those responses.

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select Text
Select Doesn't contain
Enter the word or character that must not be included in the short answer
Enter a custom error message (if required)
Click Save

How to validate email format and accept only valid responses?

You can use the Email text validation for short answer question to validate and accept email addresses with correct format.

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select Text
Select Email
Enter a custom error message (if required)
Click Save

How to collect URL responses from users?

You can use the URL text validation for short answer question to collect valid urls starting with either http:// or https://

Click on the + icon (Add field) in the toolbar on the right
A new Short answer question will be added
Click on the ⚙️ icon at the bottom right of the question, select the "Answer" tab and click Configure under Validation
Select Text
Select URL
Enter a custom error message (if required)
Click Save

Summary

If you need short answers in the right format, a plain question will accept whatever users type. With the short answer question in Formfacade, users write answers in a few words and you can set rules such as email, URL, length or a specific word to get the answers you need. Create your form and complete the steps above.