The easiest way to share a google form is with a link, but did you know you can also embed your form in email? this has some advantages. Viewing the form right away saves people a few clicks and gives them a little extra motivation to submit their responses.
In this article, I will show you step by step how to embed a google form in an email. furthermore, we’ll discuss when it makes sense to use this feature and when it’s better not to.
first, create a google form
google forms are a type of document in google docs, so first make sure you have a google account and are signed in.
To create a new form, simply go to google forms and select one of the options under “start a new form”. you can choose a template or start from scratch by selecting “blank”.
this will open the form builder, which gives you many options to create and customize your form.
how to embed your google form in an email
once you’ve created a google form, you’re ready to submit it. Google offers you many options to share your form. you can generate an email, create a link or use an html iframe to embed the form on another website.
For now, we are concerned with the email option. Here’s how to embed a google form in an email:
1. With your form open, click “submit” in the top right corner of google forms.
2. a “shipping form” will appear. enter the recipient’s email address and customize the subject line and message.
3. Finally, check the box that says “include form in email”.
This will generate an email from you with your form embedded. this is how the form i created above appears in outlook.
when to use this function (and when not)
Embedding your form in an email is a good option for sending it to just a few people, especially if you know your recipients use gmail. however, it is not ideal for mass mailing, as there is no way to enter a large number of email addresses.
It’s also not a method I’d trust outside of the google workspace system. while the technique theoretically works for recipients with other email clients, in practice it is unreliable. sometimes the embedded form just doesn’t work.
for important surveys, I forget to embed and just send the email with a link to the form.
or use another method, such as those described below.
alternatives to embedding google forms in emails
Looking for more reliable alternatives to built-in google forms? Here are some more traditional ways to send a form or survey in an email.
option 1: link to your form with a button
A more traditional way to send a survey in an email is to link it with a featured button. this creates a polished look and email design that fits your usual branding.
You can link to google forms using the share link or embed the form on your website.
option 2: use an email marketing tool instead
If you want to include a form in business emails, check to see if your email marketing tool has a poll or survey content element. mailchimp, for example, allows you to embed simple surveys directly into your email.
unlike google forms, these tools are designed especially for email, providing a more reliable alternative.
final thoughts
As you can see, there are many ways to publish your forms. Whether you embed google forms or use another method, email is a great option for getting your surveys and polls in front of an audience and gathering the responses you need.