Collect data through Google Forms and manipulate it instantly with Google AppSheet.
Integrating Google Forms with AppSheet is a significant advancement in automating and optimizing data collection. Now, you can collect data through Google Forms and manipulate it instantly with Google AppSheet.
This article explores different integration methods, strengths, limitations, and use cases while offering improvement suggestions.
The simplest method is to add the Google Form directly as a data source.
This allows access to form data without modification. The main advantage is direct access to form data, but it comes with limitations: you cannot add, delete, or update rows, and structural changes to the form require manual adjustments in the app.
Another method is to use the Google Sheet generated by the form as the data source.
This offers more flexibility for adding, deleting, and updating rows. However, structural changes to the Google Form require regenerating the data structure in the app, and some file types may be misinterpreted.
The third approach is using the AppSheet add-ons from the forms.
This method allows adding, updating, and deleting data directly in AppSheet, requiring the creation of a base app and form. The benefits include columns with correct data types and automatic implementation of the “Show if” formula by AppSheet.
Ease of setup is one of the key strengths of this integration.
Setting up basic integrations is simple, and connecting an AppSheet app to a Google Form is an easy process. Moreover, the ability to trigger actions such as sending emails or creating notifications based on form responses is a significant advantage.
Conditions can be set on form responses to control these actions, as with a typical AppSheet table. AppSheet can also manage conditional branches in Google Forms, allowing for more complex and user-friendly forms, though this is only possible with add-ons.
Finally, the integration creates a central point for managing forms and data, simplifying administration.
The limited features of Google Forms present the first limitation. Grids are not supported, and the current implementation only allows linear navigation (top to bottom).
The table generated from a Google Form is read-only in AppSheet. To manage Google Form data, a bot or manual copying of the response sheet data is required, introducing complexity and potential data inconsistency.
Images and videos must be managed via variable URLs, requiring manual updates in the app editor. Creating forms directly in AppSheet is not yet supported, forcing users to create forms in Google Forms and link them to the app.
Although emails can be triggered, linking forms to existing data records in an app requires complex scripts, making it difficult to use the integration for genuine email sending.
The integration between Google Forms and AppSheet can be used to gather feedback from external users without granting them full access to the app, enabling:
For example, we have built a template. It is an app linked to a Google Form that collects service requests within a company's premises. Upon form submission, each request is assigned to the qualified person!
To improve the integration, it should be possible to directly edit Google Form data in AppSheet. Supporting grids and reverse navigation would enhance the form design flexibility. A more automated approach to managing images and videos would be beneficial. Adding the ability to create forms directly in AppSheet would simplify the process for users. Finally, simplifying the process of linking forms to existing data records would enable true email functionality.
The integration between AppSheet and Google Forms shows great potential, offering an easy way to automate tasks and workflows based on form submissions. However, the current limitations, particularly around data management and form creation, must be addressed for the integration to reach its full potential.
Despite these challenges, this integration provides a compelling solution for external feedback collection, simplifying user workflows, and improving data management in AppSheet apps.
Ready to transform your data management and automate your workflows with AppSheet and Google Forms? Contact Idun Group today to discover how we can help you integrate these powerful tools into your business processes and maximize their potential!
.svg){kind=small}
