Google Sheets Destination

Overview

The Google Sheets destination automatically appends approved form submissions as rows in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. This is perfect for tracking submissions, analyzing data, and sharing results with your team.

Setting Up Google Sheets Destination

Step 1: Connect Google Drive

1. Navigate to the Integrations tab in your dashboard
2. Click Add Google Drive
3. Click through the authorization flow
4. Authorize Google Drive access

Step 2: Add Google Sheets Destination to Your Form

1. Navigate to your form's Destinations view
2. Click Add Destination
3. Select Google Sheets
4. A Google Drive picker will open
5. Select a Google Sheet from your Drive
6. Click Save

How It Works

When a submission is received:

1. Filter Forms analyzes the submission against your AI instructions
2. If approved, a new row is automatically added to your selected Google Sheet
3. Submissions appear in real-time (within seconds)

Row Structure

Each approved submission is added as a new row in your spreadsheet. The columns are mapped based on your form questions:

• Column A: First question response
• Column B: Second question response
• Column C: Third question response
• And so on for each question in your form

Using Existing Spreadsheets

You can use an existing spreadsheet:

1. Select an existing Google Sheets file during setup
2. Choose a specific worksheet or create a new one
3. Filter Forms will add header columns if they don't exist
4. Existing data in other columns is not affected

Best Practices

Spreadsheet Organization

• Use a dedicated worksheet for each form
• Keep the header row (row 1) intact - don't modify column names
• Freeze the header row for easier scrolling (View → Freeze → 1 row)
• Apply filters to analyze submissions (Data → Create a filter)

Data Analysis

• Use Google Sheets formulas to analyze submissions
• Create charts and graphs from submission data
• Set up conditional formatting to highlight important submissions
• Use QUERY function to filter and sort data

Example formulas:

Team Collaboration

• Share the spreadsheet with team members
• Set appropriate permissions (View, Comment, or Edit)
• Use comments to discuss specific submissions
• Set up email notifications for new rows (Tools → Notification rules)

Advanced Features

Custom Column Order

By default, columns appear in the order:

1. Timestamp
2. Submission ID
3. Form fields (in form order)
4. Status

You can rearrange columns after initial setup, but don't rename them or Filter Forms won't find the correct columns.

Data Validation

Add Google Sheets data validation to ensure data quality:

1. Select a column
2. Data → Data validation
3. Set criteria (e.g., email format, date ranges)
4. Apply to future submissions

Automated Workflows

Combine Google Sheets with other tools:

• Google Apps Script: Write custom automation scripts
• Zapier/Make: Trigger workflows when new rows are added
• Google Data Studio: Create dashboards from your data
• Export to CSV: Download data for external analysis

Multiple Forms → Same Sheet

You can send multiple forms to the same spreadsheet:

1. Use different worksheets for each form (recommended)
2. Or add a "Form Name" column to distinguish submissions
3. Filter Forms automatically handles column mapping per form

Troubleshooting

Submissions not appearing?

• Verify Google Sheets connection is active in destination settings
• Check if you have edit permissions on the spreadsheet
• Refresh the spreadsheet (sometimes there's a delay)
• Review the Filter Forms dashboard for delivery errors

Columns in wrong order?

• Filter Forms creates columns based on form field order
• You can rearrange columns manually after initial setup
• Don't rename columns or Filter Forms won't recognize them

Permission errors?

• Reconnect your Google account in destination settings
• Ensure the spreadsheet hasn't been deleted or moved
• Check that you have edit access to the spreadsheet
• Verify Filter Forms authorization hasn't been revoked in Google account settings

Missing data in columns?

• Ensure form fields are required if you need data in every row
• Check that field names haven't changed in your form
• Verify submissions are actually approved (check Filter Forms dashboard)
• Look for partial submissions where users didn't fill all fields

Data Privacy

• Submissions are sent directly from Filter Forms to Google Sheets
• Data is stored in your Google account, not on Filter Forms servers
• You control who has access via Google Sheets sharing settings
• Disconnecting the integration doesn't delete existing spreadsheet data

Limits

Google Sheets has the following limits:

• Maximum cells: 10 million cells per spreadsheet
• Maximum rows: Approximately 200,000 rows (depending on columns)
• API rate limit: 100 requests per 100 seconds per user

Filter Forms automatically handles rate limiting and retries failed requests.