In today’s digital age, having a functional and interactive website is essential for businesses and individuals alike. Whether you’re running a small blog or managing an e-commerce store, incorporating contact forms and interactive features can greatly enhance the user experience and allow you to gather valuable data from your visitors. Google Forms is a powerful tool that enables you to create custom forms and collect responses seamlessly. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to add custom Google Forms to your static site, helping you unlock the full potential of your website.
At Get Digital, we take pride in offering top-notch web development services. As a leading agency in the industry, we are dedicated to creating cutting-edge and user-friendly websites for businesses of all sizes. we also provide SEO short courses to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to optimize their websites for search engines. Whether you’re looking to establish an online presence, revamp your existing website, or incorporate advanced features, our team of experts is here to assist you. Now, let’s explore how you can integrate Google Forms into your static site and elevate your online presence.
Step 1: Create a New Form on Google’s Platform
The first step in the process is to create a custom form using Google’s Form editor. Google Forms offers a user-friendly interface that allows you to design and customize your forms according to your specific needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a Google Form:
Start by visiting the Google Forms website (forms.google.com) and signing in with your Google account.
Once you’re logged in, you’ll be greeted with a “Blank Form” template. Give your form a descriptive title that reflects its purpose.
Next, start adding questions to your form. Google Forms provides a variety of question types to choose from, including multiple-choice, short answer, dropdown menus, checkboxes, and more. Select the question type that best suits the information you want to collect.
Customize the appearance of your form by selecting a theme or adding your own branding elements.
As you build your form, take advantage of the additional options available to enhance functionality. You can enable required fields, add help text for clarification, and even include file upload capabilities.
Once you’re satisfied with the form’s structure and design, click on the “Send” button located at the top-right corner of the page.
In the popup window, you’ll find various options for distributing your form. However, for embedding it into your static site, To view the HTML code, click the “>” sign.
Step 2: Create a Similar Form on Your Own Site
Now that you have created a custom form using Google’s platform, it’s time to integrate it into your static site. By following these steps, you’ll be able to seamlessly add the Google Form to your website:
- In a text editor that supports HTML editing, open the HTML file for your static website.
- Identify the section of the HTML file where you want to place the Google Form. This could be a dedicated “Contact” page, a sidebar widget, or any other location that suits your website’s design.
- Switch back to the Google Forms editor and locate the HTML code for your form. This code encompasses everything between the “<form>” and “</form>” tags.
- Copy the entire HTML code for your form from the Google Forms editor.
- Return to your HTML file and paste the copied code into the appropriate location within the HTML structure.
- Save the changes to your HTML file and preview your static site in a web browser to see the embedded Google Form in action.
Congratulations! You have successfully added a custom Google Form to your static site. Now, when visitors access your website and fill out the form, their responses will be collected and stored securely in your Google account. To access and review the responses, simply visit the Google Forms website, open the form you created, and navigate to the “Responses” tab.
Step 3: Add Name and Action Values to Your On-Site Form:
The first step in adding a custom Google Form to your static site is to create a form using Google Forms and obtain the necessary HTML code to embed it on your site. Start by opening Google Forms and designing your form according to your specific requirements. You can choose from various question types, add options for multiple-choice questions, include text fields for open-ended responses, and more. When the design is complete, press the “Send” button in the form editor’s upper-right corner.
The HTML code for your form is then accessible by clicking the “/>” symbol. Wherever you want the form to appear on your static website, copy the given HTML code and put it there. Locate the form> tag in the HTML code and add the attribute’s name and action. While the action parameter defines the URL where the form data will be submitted, the name attribute gives your form a distinctive identity.
Step 4: Redirect to a Custom Thank You Page:
After a user submits the form, it is customary to display a thank-you message or send them to a specific thank-you page. To implement this functionality, you need to add an event listener to the form submission using JavaScript.
Begin by creating a new HTML file on your static site to serve as the thank you page. Customize this page with a personalized message or any additional information you wish to display. Then, in the HTML file where the form is located, add a script tag at the end of the body section to listen for form submissions.
Within the script tag, write a JavaScript function that will execute when the form is submitted. You can use the addEventListener method to listen for the “submit” event. In the event handler function, you can display a thank you message or use the window. Location. Href property to redirect the user to the custom thanks you page URL.
Step 5: Configure Your Form Settings:
Before your custom Google Form is ready to go live on your static site, there are a few essential settings you should configure in Google Forms. Return to Google Forms and open the form editor for the form you created earlier. Click on the “Responses” tab and then select the three-dot menu icon. From the dropdown menu, choose “Response destination.”
In the response destination settings, you have two options: “Collect email addresses” and “Create a new spreadsheet.” You may select to gather email addresses or save the results in a Google Sheets spreadsheet, depending on your needs. Make the appropriate selection and save your changes.
Additionally, you can turn on email alerts for form submissions by selecting the “More” tab (shown as three dots) in the form editor’s upper right corner. From the dropdown menu, select “Email notifications” and configure the desired email settings. This way, you can receive email notifications whenever someone submits a response through the form on your static site.
Wrapping Up:
By following these step-by-step instructions, you can seamlessly integrate custom Google Forms into your static site. Adding custom forms enhances user engagement, allows you to gather valuable data, and improves the overall functionality of your website. Remember to add the name and action values to your on-site form, redirect users to a custom thank-you page, and configure the necessary settings in Google Forms.
At Get Digital, we specialize in web development services and can assist you with integrating custom Google Forms or any other web development needs. We are committed to helping you create a dynamic and engaging online presence. Contact us today to discuss your requirements and take your static site to the next level.
