How do you remove the manual and mundane process of updating your spreadsheets? One way of doing that is by using Google Forms to Google Sheets automation.
Boost Your Productivity with Forms to Sheets Automation
Google Workspace hosts some of the most popular and well-loved digital productivity apps. And Google Forms and Google Sheets are among them.
When collecting data, Forms always come in handy.
Do you need to collect feedback from your employees and product users? Forms got you covered. Thinking to conduct online quizzes for your remote class? Google Forms’ branching logic feature makes it convenient. The branching logic allows relevant only follow-up questions to appear based on the response to a specific question. Got an up-and-coming event and you need an online registration form? Forms can do that in a breeze.
But to effectively use data, you need to organize and manage them properly. This is where Google Sheets comes in.
We transfer the data we collect using Google Forms to Google Sheets. Sheets is the go-to Google App for organizing and managing data. For the most part, we do it mano-a-mano by copy/pasting each answer to the right rows and columns.
No matter how helpful and intuitive Forms and Sheets are, it is the manual data entry that makes it the hardest. For one, it’s time-consuming. Second, it presents a huge window of opportunity for error due to its repetitive nature.
Automating reduces manual work and removes errors when doing data entry. When you automate your Google Forms to Sheets, you can do several things with a click of your finger.
Code vs. No Code Google Forms to Google Sheets Automation
This workflow, or any Google workflow for that matter, can be automated in two ways. One is by coding or scripting, the other is by using drag-and-drop automation platforms.
The number one scripting tool when it comes to automating Google Apps is App Script. But to use App Script, you have to have a good understanding of JavaScript. Now, you can spend weeks or months catching up with JavaScript so you can write comprehensive codes for your Google Workspace automation needs. Or get your IT guy to spare you some time and work on the codes. The third option is hiring a new coder to take care of the scripts you are going to need.
The problem with the first is it takes time, especially for the non-techies personnel. Studying coding language takes dedication and grit. Think about the creatives and marketing people who might want to automate their Google Workflows using App Script. This poses a big roadblock for them.
For the second option, it’s a huge waste of resources. Your IT personnel should focus on working on your product development. The sooner they finish working on the product, the better it is for the business. Adding the task of scripting means he has to take time off working on the main project.
The third option can be a problem for teams working on a tight budget. Hiring a coding specialist is not particularly cheap nowadays, even if it is just for a one-time project.
The next method involves using third-party Google Workspace automation platforms such as zenphi. No more coding. Just drag and drop the right actions and you will have your dynamic Google Forms to Google Sheets automation.
So, if you want to learn how to automate Google Forms to Sheets minus the coding, read ahead.
Creating Google Forms to Google Sheets Automation Using zenphi
Here is our scenario:
Let’s say we are opening an online enrollment process for incoming 7th Graders. During the enrollment, we would like an easier way to compile information.
We normally create a registration form using Forms with the registrant’s information. We also include an option to attach the enrollment form. Every time someone submits the form, we have to copy individual information and paste them into the right rows and columns within Sheets.
Using zenphi, we can drop the manual copy and pasting of data from Google Forms to Sheets. And more.
Create Your Enrollment Form Using Google Forms
In creating our automated enrollment workflow, the first step is the registration form.
This is fairly easy. But if this is your first time, simply head to Google Forms and click the + sign if you want a blank canvass. You can also simply choose from a variety of templates.
Within the simple registration form, we are going to include the following:
- student’s name
- contact email
- parent’s name
- and an option to attach the signed registration form in a PDF file(Assuming that each student already has a registration form).
Organizing and Managing Your Enrollment data Using Google Sheets
Now that our enrollment form is taken care of, it is time to create the spreadsheet using Google Sheets.
For the first-timers, head to your Google Drive and click the + button on the upper left side of your screen. Then select Sheets — the one with the green icon.
Make sure to assign a folder within your Drive to house both form and spreadsheet. This makes pointing the right files in our later steps easier.
Using zenphi to Connect Forms and Sheets
We will sign in to our zenphi account and click the Create Flow button on the top left side of your screen. This will lead you to the next phase, choosing the Trigger Action.
For the first-time zenphi users, Trigger Action is what initiates an established flow to kickstart. In this scenario, our trigger action is when someone submits a response using the Enrollment Form you created.
To get started, click New Response.
Now that you’ve chosen your Trigger Action, let’s get down to building the workflow.
We will configure our Trigger action by pointing to the right Connection. This is the Google Workspace account housing the files we created earlier.
In the Select A Form field, click the Drive icon and select the Enrollment Form from earlier.
Adding Append Row Action into the Flow
The Append Row action is found under Google Sheets section in the Designer panel. This action automatically updates our spreadsheet with the data coming from the Enrollment form new response.
Let’s configure this action by clicking the gear button. We named this step “Add New Row” for naming convention’s sake but you can leave it at its default name.
Make sure that the Connection is pointed to the right Google Drive account housing the spreadsheet we want to update i.e. List of 7th Grade Enrollees.
In the File field, let’s click the Drive icon and choose the “List of 7th Grade Enrollees” file. Let’s also make sure that we have the right sheet name in the Sheet Name field.
Note: Pointing the right files is important in making sure that the flow runs correctly.
Scroll down a bit further and you will see the Column Section.
We will enable the Has Header and Load Column. Has Header will consider the first row of our List of Enrollees spreadsheet as headers. While the Load Column will load all the headers so you can assign their individual value.
Later, when the Google Forms to Google Sheets automation kicks in, the form responses will be loaded into the right columns.
Once done Configuring, hit Publish.
When someone uses the Enrollment form, the automated Enrollment Workflow will then trigger and load the new responses. Your Spreadsheet will look like this:
Conclusion
Coding to automate your Google Forms to Google Sheets automation is a good option if you have the time and resources. But with zenphi, the process is more simplified but no less dynamic and powerful.
For more examples of Google Workflow automation using zenphi, you can head directly to our blog and explore the rest of our resources.
