How to set time limits in Google Forms

How to set time limits in Google Forms

John Boitnott
by John Boitnott
Last updated:

Steps to set time limits in Google Forms

  1. Sign into your Google account
  2. Open the form
  3. Click on the three-dot icon and choose Get Add-ons
  4. Search for the formLimiter add-on and install it
  5. Click Allow
  6. Click Done
  7. Close the add-ons window
  8. Click on the dropdown menu and choose date and time
  9. Click Set
  10. Click Save and Enable

Online forms like Google Forms let you easily collect large amounts of information. But there are also times when you might want to stop collecting submissions to a form. For example, you might only want to collect survey data for a certain time period.

You could manually close the form, but that’s inconvenient and impractical when you have a busy workload.Fortunately, you can set limits for your form submissions in Google Forms to automatically close a form at a certain time. 

Pro Tip

Need a quick way to set time limits on your forms? Jotform’s got you covered.

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How to manually close your Google Form

First, let’s look at how to manually close a Google Form:

  1. Sign in to your Google account and open the form you want to stop accepting submissions for.
  2. Select Responses in the bar right above your form.
A screenshot of the Google Forms builder
  1. Toggle off Accepting Responses. It will now say Not accepting responses. 
A screenshot of the Google Forms builder
  1. Add a message for respondents to tell them that your form is closed.
A screenshot of the Google Forms builder
  1. Now your form will stop accepting new submissions. 

How to automatically close a Google Form at a certain time

While Google Forms doesn’t automatically allow you to put a time limit on your forms, you can accomplish this by installing a Google Forms add-on. Here’s how.

  1. Sign in to your Google account.
  2. Open the form that you want to add a time limit to.
  3. Click on the three-dot icon in the top right and choose Get add-ons.
Screenshot of Google Forms highlighting a three-dot icon in the top right corner
Screenshot of Google Forms selecting the 'Get add-ons' option from the dropdown menu
  1. Search for the formLimiter add-on and install it to your account.
Screenshot of formLimiter add-on in the Google Workspace Marketplace

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  1. You’ll receive a notification asking if you trust formLimiter. Click Allow.
Screenshot of a notification popup asking for user trust for formLimiter add-on
  1. Once formLimiter has been installed, click Done.
  2. Close the Add-ons window.
  3. You should now see a small window to the right of your form. If not, click the Add-ons puzzle piece icon at the top of your form and choose formLimiter.
Screenshot of a Google Form interface clicking on the add-ons (puzzle piece) icon at the top
  1. Under the Limit Type heading, click on the dropdown menu and choose date and time.
Image of the formLimiter interface, highlighting the 'Limit Type' dropdown menu
  1. Choose the due date and time when you want the form to close. Click Set.
Screenshot of the 'date and time' setting within the formLimiter interface, showing fields for entering the desired form closure date and time
  1. Add a custom message that your respondents will see once the form is closed. This message should explain that the form is no longer accepting submissions. Once you’ve drafted the message, click Save and Enable.
Image of the formLimiter interface highlighting a field for entering a custom message and clicking on "Save and enable"

The form will now close to submissions at the date and time that you’ve specified.

Pro Tip

You can also manually close your Google form by toggling off the Accepting Responses button in your form.

Youtube Embed Poster: 5ev3PvXJaho

Setting time limits with Jotform

While it takes a little extra work and an add-on to set time limits with Google Forms, Jotform offers this functionality without requiring you to download an add-on.

  1. Start by logging in to your Jotform account.
  2. Open the Form Builder.
  3. Create or open the form that you’d like to add a time limit to.
  4. Click on Settings and select Form Settings.
Screenshot of the Jotform Form Buidler interface with Form Settings option highlighted
  1. The Form Status dropdown will give you several options, including “Disable on date” and “Disable on submission limit.”
Screenshot of the 'Form Status' dropdown menu within the 'Form Settings' section
  1. Choose Disable on date and enter the time and date when you want the form to stop accepting submissions. The dropdown calendar makes it easy to choose the appropriate time and date. The time is displayed in a 24-hour format and is in Eastern Standard Time.
Jotform time limit feature
Jotforms can be set to expire after a certain date and hour

Jotform offers other time-related options, too, like adding a timer to your form. The timer will limit the amount of time respondents have to complete the form. It’s ideal for timed tests or surveys when you want to encourage respondents to quickly give their initial reactions. The timer displays on all of the form pages, so respondents can keep an eye on how quickly they’re progressing through the form.

  1. To add a timer, start by logging into your Jotform account.
  2. Open up the Form Builder.
  3. Create the form that you’d like to add a time limit to.
  4. Click Add Form Element on the left.
Image of the Jotform Form Builder interface highlighting the 'Add Form Element' button on the left side
  1. Select the Global Countdown Jotform widget.
Screenshot of a list of available widgets with the 'Global Countdown' Jotform widget being selected
  1. Add the widget to your form.
  2. Choose the amount of time that you’d like respondents to have.
Screenshot of the 'Global Countdown' widget settings in Jotform, with an input field for setting the time limit
  1. Update the widget from the bottom of the widget settings menu.
Image of the bottom section of the 'Global Countdown' widget settings menu in Jotform, featuring an 'Update' button

Try the Quiz countdown feature!

Using time limits to create a sense of urgency

When you set time limits on a form, you can generate a sense of urgency in your audience. When you share your form, note the fact that time is limited and the form will stop accepting submissions at a certain date. This sense of urgency can encourage your audience to fill out your form right away, rather than putting it off until later and likely forgetting about it. This strategy may help increase form submissions.

See also Jotform’s in-depth guide about: Google Forms

AUTHOR
John Boitnott
John Boitnott
A journalist and digital consultant, John Boitnott has worked for TV, newspapers, radio, and Internet companies for 25 years. He’s written for Inc.com, Fast Company, NBC, Entrepreneur, USA Today, and Business Insider, among others.

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