Google Forms makes it easy to create surveys, quizzes, feedback forms, and registration forms. However, when someone submits a form, they may want confirmation that their response was successfully recorded. As a form owner, you can make this process easier by enabling response receipts in Google Forms.
Response receipts allow respondents to receive an email copy of their submitted answers. This feature is especially useful for event registrations, customer feedback surveys, school assignments, and application forms where people may need to refer to their responses later.
Google Forms includes a setting that lets you control whether respondents can receive a copy of their submissions. You can also choose whether to send receipts automatically or let respondents request them when submitting a form.
In this guide, you will learn how to enable response receipts in Google Forms, configure the required email settings, and test the feature.
Enable Response Receipts in Google Forms
To enable response receipts in Google Forms, follow these steps:
- Open Google Forms and select the form you want to edit.
- Open the Settings tab at the top of the form editor.
- Expand the Responses section.
- Find the Send responders a copy of their response setting.
- Choose When requested or Always, depending on your preference.
- If necessary, enable email collection so Google Forms can identify where to send the receipt.
- Save your changes if prompted, then preview and test the form by submitting a sample response.
Step 1: Open Your Google Form
First, open your preferred web browser and navigate to Google Forms. Sign in with the Google account you used to create the form. On the Google Forms homepage, locate the form you want to update.
If you have created several forms, look through your recent forms or open the relevant file from Google Drive. Make sure you select the form you want respondents to receive receipts from, especially if you manage multiple surveys or registration forms.
Click the form to open it in the editor. You should see the questions, available editing controls, and tabs near the top of the page. These options allow you to change your questions, adjust form settings, and review submissions.
If you have not created a form yet, select the option to create a blank form and add your questions first. You can configure response receipts before sharing the form with anyone.
Step 2: Open the Settings Tab
Once your form is open, look near the top of the editor for the Questions, Responses, and Settings tabs. Click Settings to access the configuration options for your form.
The Settings tab controls several aspects of how respondents interact with your form. Depending on the options available for your account and form type, you may see settings related to quizzes, response collection, respondent access, and presentation.
For this task, you need to focus on the response-related settings rather than changing your questions or editing the form’s appearance.
The navigation path is Google Forms > Open your form > Settings.
Take a moment to review the available options. You do not need to change unrelated settings to enable response receipts, so leave those options as they are unless you have another reason to adjust them.
Step 3: Find the Response Receipt Setting
Inside the Settings tab, locate the Responses section. Expand it if the settings are collapsed. This section contains options that determine how Google Forms collects and handles respondents’ submissions.
Look for the setting labeled Send responders a copy of their response. This is the main option you need to configure.
Google Forms generally provides two choices: When requested and Always. The first allows respondents to choose whether they want an email copy, while the second sends a copy automatically when the necessary conditions are met.
If you cannot immediately find this option, check that you are editing the form rather than viewing its public response page. Also, make sure you are looking at the current Settings interface, since Google’s layout can change over time.
The navigation path is Settings > Responses > Send responders a copy of their response.
Step 4: Choose When to Send Response Receipts
After locating the response receipt setting, choose the option that matches your needs.
Select When requested if you want to give respondents control over whether they receive an email copy. This is a good choice for general surveys, feedback forms, and questionnaires where some participants may not need a receipt.
Select Always if you want Google Forms to send a response copy automatically. This option is useful for event registrations, service requests, and other forms where participants may benefit from having a record of their answers.
Keep in mind that the email address must be available to Google Forms for delivery. If email collection is not configured, you may need to enable it before the receipt feature can work as intended.
For example, if you run a conference registration form, selecting Always can help attendees retain a copy of the information they submitted. For an anonymous customer satisfaction survey, When requested may be more appropriate, provided the form is configured to collect an email address when needed.
Step 5: Configure Email Collection
Response receipts need a destination email address. Therefore, check whether your form is collecting respondents’ email addresses.
Return to the Responses settings and find the Collect email addresses option. Depending on the current interface and your account, you may see choices such as Verified or Responder input.
With verified email collection, Google Forms uses the respondent’s Google account email address when the feature is available and applicable. This can be useful for school, workplace, or organization forms where respondents sign in with their accounts.
With responder-input email collection, participants enter their email addresses themselves. This approach can work for public registration forms where respondents may not be required to sign in.
Choose the method that best suits your audience and privacy requirements. If you want to collect email addresses without requiring respondents to sign in, check the available options and access restrictions before publishing the form.
The navigation path is Settings > Responses > Collect email addresses.
Remember that collecting email addresses changes how much personal information your form gathers. If anonymity matters, consider whether response receipts are necessary before enabling email collection.
Step 6: Review Access and Response Settings
Before sharing the form, check whether any restrictions could prevent respondents from submitting answers or receiving receipts.
For example, a form intended for the general public should not unintentionally require respondents to sign in with a particular organizational account. Review any settings related to access, account requirements, or limiting responses.
If you are using Google Forms for a workplace or school, some settings may be managed by your Google Workspace administrator. In that case, the available options may differ from those in a personal Google account.
Also, remember that response receipts are different from notifications sent to the form owner. Respondent receipts provide a copy of a participant’s answers, whereas owner notifications alert you when someone submits a form or provide access to collected responses through the form editor.
Review the relevant options at Settings > Responses, and make sure the form’s access requirements match the people you expect to participate.
Step 7: Preview and Test the Form
Once you have configured the settings, test the form before sending it to your audience. This is one of the easiest ways to confirm that your configuration works as expected.
Use the Preview option, commonly represented by an eye icon in the editor, to open the form as a respondent would see it. Complete the questions using test information and submit the form.
If you selected When requested, check whether the form offers respondents the option to receive a copy of their answers. If you selected Always, verify that the response receipt is sent to the email address associated with the test submission.
Check your inbox and spam or junk folder if the receipt does not appear immediately. Also, confirm that you entered the correct email address and that the form’s email collection settings are configured appropriately.
For a reliable test, use an email account you can access. Avoid entering real customer or student information into a test submission, particularly if the form collects sensitive details.
After confirming that the receipt works, return to the form editor and remove any test submissions if appropriate. You can manage these entries through the Responses tab, taking care not to delete genuine submissions.
After testing the receipt feature, your form is ready to share. Use the available publishing or sharing controls in Google Forms to make the form accessible to your intended audience.
Depending on the current interface, you may be able to copy a respondent link or share the form through other supported options. Before distributing the link, confirm that respondents have permission to open and submit the form.
You can share the form through email, a website, a company portal, or a messaging platform. Include a short explanation of what the form is for and whether participants should expect a confirmation email containing their answers.
If you are collecting registrations or applications, remind respondents to check the email address they provided. This can help them locate their receipts later and reduce questions about whether their submissions were received.
Once responses start arriving, open the Responses tab to monitor submissions. Keep in mind that enabling receipts does not replace checking your collected responses when you need to confirm that a submission is recorded.
Faqs
Can I enable response receipts in Google Forms without collecting email addresses?
Generally, Google Forms needs an email address to deliver a response receipt. If your form does not collect email addresses, you may need to enable email collection before using this feature. The available settings depend on the form and account configuration.
Can respondents choose whether to receive a copy of their answers?
Yes. Select When requested under Send responders a copy of their response to let respondents choose whether they want a copy. If you select Always, Google Forms sends the receipt automatically when the required conditions are met.
Does Google Forms automatically send response receipts?
It can. Choose Always in the response receipt settings to have Google Forms send copies automatically. You should still test the form to make sure the email collection and access settings are configured correctly.
Why are respondents not receiving response receipts?
Several factors can cause this problem, including incorrect email addresses, missing email collection settings, organizational restrictions, or messages being filtered into spam. Review the response receipt configuration, submit a test response, and check the recipient’s inbox and junk folder.
Can I enable response receipts after people have already submitted the form?
Yes, you can change the setting for future submissions. However, enabling response receipts does not automatically send copies of previously submitted responses to everyone who completed the form. You may need to handle earlier submissions separately if participants require copies.
Can I receive a response receipt as the form owner?
Respondent receipts are intended for people who submit the form. As the owner, you can review collected answers through the Responses tab and configure response notifications if that option is available. These notifications serve a different purpose from respondent receipts.
Do response receipts include every answer submitted?
A response receipt is intended to provide a copy of the respondent’s answers. The information shown may depend on the form’s configuration and the features available. Test your form before distributing it if respondents need a dependable record of particular answers.
Final Words
Enabling response receipts in Google Forms is a straightforward way to improve the submission experience and help respondents keep a record of their answers. You only need to open the form settings, locate Send responders a copy of their response, and select the option that fits your requirements.
Choose When requested when respondents should decide whether to receive a copy, or select Always when you want receipts sent automatically. Make sure email collection is configured appropriately, review any access restrictions, and test the form before sharing it.
With these settings in place, you can make registration forms, surveys, and questionnaires easier to use while helping participants feel more confident that they have a record of their submissions.