Google Forms and Automatic Responses

Say you have a Google Form.  And say you want someone (you, him, her, someone else) to get an email with the submissions automatically when the form is submitted.  Would that be nice?  To me it would.  And fortunately, it can be done!  Here is one way to do it.

1.  Create your form like always.  Make sure to add a field for an email address if you want to send an automatic reply to the submitter.

2.  Go to your docs and open the spreadsheet of the form.

3. Open another window or tab in your web browser and go to http://sites.google.com/site/formemailer/updates for the Google Script for Form eMailer by Henrique Abreu.  Open the newest .js file (version 3.5 as of this post) and copy all the text.  Or you can download and copy the text from the version here. 

4.  Back to the spreadsheet, open up the Script editor... under the Tools menu.

 5.  Click on Untitled Project at the top of the page and rename it Form eMailer.  Click OK.

6.   Erase all the text in the code body and paste in the text you copied in step #3.  Click the Save button.

 7.  Click on the myFunction drop-down, choose onInstall, and click on the Run button (looks like a play button).  You will be asked to autorize the use of the script.  Click Authorize.

8.  Click on the myFunction drop-down again and choose install and then click the run button again.

9.  If you are still in the Scipts editor, go to Triggers > Current script's triggers...

10.  Add two new triggers as follows and save it.

11. Return to the spreadsheet. You should see a new worksheet titled FormEmailer and new menu titled the same. (Note that the running automatically cell may read "no" for a little bit.  It will turn to a "yes" once processed fully.

 12. Now, go to the FormEmailer menu at the top of the page and click Settings.  You will see an email editor.  Here is where you will create the email that will be automatically sent when someone submits a form.

• Use the Insert placeholder link to have the information submitted in that field in the spreadsheet (from the form) inserted into the email (either in the To: line, Sender name: line, or Subject: line).
• Type your email like you would want the submitter to see it once received.  
• Use basic HTML code to make text bold <b>, text go to the next line (line break) <br>, or skip a line (paragraph break) <p>. 

13.  Save and Close and you are ready to send out via email or post online!

Some ideas for use:

• Principals love this tool for observing teachers and sending them instant observation data.
• I love to use this tool to confirm that I received a form submission in regards to the Technology Challenge, the DPS Technology Showcase, and workshop evaluations.

How could you use it?