How to Make a QR Code for a Google Form
A Google Form link is around ninety characters of letters and numbers. It works fine in an email, but nobody standing in front of a noticeboard, a sign-up sheet or a slide is going to type it into their phone. A QR code does the same job in one scan: point the camera, the form opens, they fill it in.
Google Forms does not have a QR code button of its own, so you need something to turn the form's link into a QR code. This guide uses Linkly, which gives you a QR code that you can edit after printing and that counts every scan, for free.
Static or dynamic?
A free QR generator encodes the form's address directly into the QR code. That is a static QR code, and it is frozen: when next term's sign-up uses a new form, every printed copy still opens the old one.
Linkly makes dynamic QR codes. The QR code points at a short link, and the short link points at the form. Change the link's destination and every QR code already printed follows it, and because each scan passes through the link you can see how many people scanned, when, and where. The static vs dynamic QR codes guide explains the difference in more detail.
How to create a QR code for a Google Form
Copy the form's responder link.
Open the form in Google Forms and click the link icon at the top (next to Publish), or click Send and choose the link tab. Copy the link. This is the responder link, the one people fill in, not the editing link in your browser's address bar.
If the form is new, publish it first. An unpublished form tells scanners it is not accepting responses.
Sign in to Linkly and click Create New Link.
Create a free account if you don't have one yet.
Paste the form link into the Destination field.
Give the link a short ending you could read out loud, such as /signup, and a Nickname such as "Autumn plant fair form" so you can find it again next term. The nickname is private.
Click Save.
Linkly creates the short link and draws its QR code straight away. There is no separate generator to open.
Download the QR code.
Click the QR code to open it. You can change its colours, style and add a logo, then download a PNG for a sign or a slide, or an SVG if a designer is laying out the print. See adding a logo to a QR code and SVG QR codes.
Scan it once before you print.
Point a phone camera at the QR code on your screen. The form should open in the browser with no app and no typing. Test on an iPhone and an Android phone if you can.
Change the form later without reprinting
This is the reason to put a short link in front of the form rather than encoding the form's address directly.
When next term's sign-up is a new form, open the link in Linkly, paste the new form's responder link into Destination, and save. The QR code on the wall does not change; it simply starts opening the new form. The same trick works when you spot a mistake in the form and rebuild it, or when the survey closes and you want the QR code to send people to a thank-you page instead.
See how many people scanned
Every scan is a click on the short link, so Linkly's QR code analytics show you how many people scanned the QR code, when, from which town, and on what kind of phone. That tells you whether the sign is in the right spot, whether the noticeboard gets read at all, and which of several signs is pulling its weight.
If you have the same form in several places, make one short link per place, each with its own QR code. They all open the same form, but you get a scan count for each.
Tips for Google Form QR codes
- Put a short instruction next to the QR code, such as "Scan to sign up" or "Scan to give feedback". People scan when they know what they will get.
- Check who can respond. In the form's Settings, under Responses, an option restricts the form to people in your organisation. Leave it off for a public sign-up, or scanners with personal Google accounts will be asked to sign in and turned away.
- Pre-filled links work too. Google Forms can produce a link with some answers already filled in (⋮ → Get pre-filled link). Put one behind each QR code and you can tell which sign, table or event a response came from, even before you look at the scan counts.
- Keep it big enough. A QR code printed smaller than about 2 cm across is hard to scan from arm's length. Leave a clear margin around it.
- Use your own domain. Attaching a custom domain puts your own name in the link and makes the QR code more trusted by phones and content filters.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google Forms have a built-in QR code generator?
No. Google Forms gives you a link, not a QR code. Some browsers can turn any page into a static QR code from the share menu, but that code is fixed forever and tells you nothing about scans. Linkly's QR code can be redirected later and counts every scan.
Is it free to make a QR code for a Google Form?
Yes. Every Linkly link comes with a QR code, including on the free plan, and the QR codes do not expire.
Can I change the form after the QR code is printed?
Yes. Edit the short link's destination in Linkly and every printed QR code opens the new form from then on. Nothing needs reprinting.
Do people need the Google Forms app to scan it?
No. The QR code opens the form in the phone's browser. The camera app on both iPhone and Android reads QR codes without any extra app.
Can I see who scanned the QR code?
You can see how many people scanned it, when, from roughly where, and on what device. You cannot see who they were unless the form itself asks for their name or email.
Can I add my school or company logo to the QR code?
Yes. Click the QR code in Linkly to change its colours and add a logo. See the guide on adding a logo to a QR code.
Related QR code guides
- Create QR Codes - the complete guide to dynamic QR codes in Linkly
- Google Review QR Code - collect more reviews from a table card
- Location QR Code - one scan opens Google Maps at your venue
- Add a Logo to a QR Code - branded QR codes that still scan
- QR Code Analytics - track scans by time, place and device
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