Google Forms is a popular tool for creating surveys and lead capture forms. In B2B marketing and campaigns, you might need to stop receiving responses once a deadline passes or when you’ve reached your quota. Closing a form ensures you don’t collect irrelevant data and improves user experience. After all, respondents are busy professionals, one study found 74% of people refuse to answer more than five questions, and even adding one extra question can drop completion by ~18%. By closing outdated or overused forms, you respect your audience and avoid “form fatigue.”

B2B marketers know that lead generation is a top priority, nearly 49% of B2B marketers name lead gen as their #1 priority. That makes it crucial to manage forms effectively. Unfortunately, typical form conversion rates are low, often around 1–2%, so every potential lead counts. Closing a Google Form at the right time (instead of letting it collect junk) helps keep your data clean and encourages higher-quality interactions.

Why Close a Google Form?

Stop unwanted responses: Once a campaign or survey ends, closing the form prevents new (possibly irrelevant or spam) submissions.
Preserve data quality: Keeping a form open indefinitely can clutter your data and lower the value of collected leads.
Reduce form fatigue: If people see an old or irrelevant form, it can annoy them. Remember, 81% of users have abandoned a form before completing it. A closed form can show a polite message like “This form is no longer accepting responses,” rather than letting users start and give up.
Maintain professionalism: Turning off an old form signals to respondents that you’re organized and respectful of their time.

Step-by-Step Guide to Closing Your Google Form

Follow these steps to stop accepting responses to your Google Form:

Step 1: Open the Form Editor

To begin, open your browser and go to Google Forms at forms.google.com. Make sure you are signed in with the Google account that owns the form you want to close. On the homepage, you will see a list of your recently created forms. Click the title of the form you want to edit.

This will open the form in the editor. If you notice that you can only view the form and cannot edit anything, it means you opened the public link by mistake. Go back to Google Forms and open the form directly from your dashboard to ensure you’re in the correct edit mode.

Step 2: Go to the “Responses” Tab

Once the form editor is open, locate the tabs at the top of the screen. You’ll see at least two main sections: “Questions” and “Responses.” Click on “Responses.” This tab shows the total number of submissions your form has received, along with charts or summary data.

This is also where Google Forms gives you the controls to turn responses on or off. Make sure you’re viewing the controls at the top of the Responses section before proceeding.

Step 3: Toggle Off the “Accepting Responses” Option

At the top of the Responses tab, you will find a toggle labeled “Accepting responses.” This toggle controls whether your form is open or closed to new submissions. When the toggle is switched on, your form accepts new entries. To close the form, click the toggle once so it shifts to the off position.

When turned off, the label usually changes to “Not accepting responses.” This means the form is now closed, and anyone accessing the live link will no longer be able to submit answers.

Step 4: Customize the Closed-Form Message (Optional, but Recommended)

After you turn off the response toggle, Google Forms shows a default message on the public form link that says something like, “This form is no longer accepting responses.” You can customize this message. A text box should appear beneath the toggle. Click inside the text area and write your personalized message. For example, you can add a message such as: “Thank you for your interest.

This form is now closed,” or guide users to your website or contact email. Google Forms saves your changes automatically as soon as you type them, so you don’t need to click a separate button to save this message.

Step 5: Save and Confirm That the Form Is Closed

Finally, double-check that the form has been successfully closed. Look at the toggle again and make sure it shows “Not accepting responses.” To be extra sure, click the preview icon (the small eye symbol in the top-right corner). This will open the live version of your form in a new tab. You should now see your closed-form message instead of the answer fields.

No one will be able to submit new responses. Your existing submissions remain safe and accessible in the Responses tab or in the linked Google Sheets, so closing the form won’t affect your collected data.

Advanced Options: Scheduling and Limiting Responses

Google Forms doesn’t have a built-in scheduler to close itself at a certain time, but you have a couple of options:

Use a Form-limiting Add-on:

Install an add-on like FormLimiter or Control Accepting Responses. These tools let you set a close date/time or a maximum number of responses. For example, Google’s Form Limiter (part of the “Email Google Forms” add-on) can automatically stop submissions once a specified response count is reached or when a chosen date arrives. It can even display a custom closed-form message.

Set Response Limits Manually:

Some add-ons allow you to “schedule” your form: you can tell it to start or stop accepting submissions at precise times. (Note: time-based triggers aren’t perfectly exact down to the minute, but they generally work well for most campaigns.)

Prevent Multiple Submissions:

In Settings > Responses, you can also enable “Limit to 1 response”, which requires users to sign in with Google. This ensures each person can only submit once.

Reopen if Needed:

If you need to collect more data later, simply return to the form and toggle Accepting responses back on. All your original questions and answers will still be there.

Key Tips for Managing Google Forms

Double-check published status. The toggle to accept/stop responses is only available when the form is published or shared with a link. If you never “sent” or published the form, you can’t turn on responses.
Monitor your submissions. Keeping an eye on your response count helps decide when to close a form. (Some users set alerts to know when the goal is met.)
Short forms convert better. Research shows adding even a single extra question can significantly drop completion rates. Always keep forms concise for higher engagement.
Use personalized redirects. After closing, you might redirect respondents to a thank-you page or new offer (using a confirmation message with a link) instead of a generic closed notice.

More Tutorials to Explore

FAQs-How to Close a Google Form

Q: Can I schedule a Google Form to close automatically at a set time?
A: Not directly in default Forms. However, you can use a Google Forms add-on (like FormLimiter or Control Accepting Responses) to do this. These tools let you pick a date/time (or max submissions) to stop the form. Alternatively, a Google Apps Script can achieve scheduling but requires coding.

Q: How do I reopen a Google Form that I closed?
A: Simply go back to the same Responses tab and toggle Accepting responses to On. Your questions and previous answers remain intact, and the form will resume accepting submissions immediately.

Q: How can I limit the total number of responses on my form?
A: Use a form-limiter add-on. For example, the “Email Google Forms” add-on lets you set a max number of responses before auto-closing. When that limit is hit, the form stops accepting new entries and shows your custom message.

Q: How do I prevent people from submitting my form more than once?
A: In Settings for the form, check “Limit to 1 response” under the Responses section. This requires responders to sign in to a Google account, and ensures each user can only submit once.

Q: What happens to the data after a form is closed?
A: All existing responses remain saved in Forms (and in the linked Sheet if you use one). Closing just prevents new entries, it doesn’t delete or hide previous data. You can still analyze or export answers anytime.

Conclusion

Closing a Google Form is simple but important: it helps you collect only relevant responses and respect your audience’s time. By following the steps above, you can stop accepting responses whenever needed, customize the closed message, and even schedule automatic shutdowns with add-ons. Remember, long or outdated forms drive away leads (81% of people abandon forms mid-fill), so manage your forms proactively.

For advanced lead capture needs, consider tools beyond Google Forms. Platforms like involve.me offer interactive, multi-step forms and built-in scheduling/limiting features designed for marketers. These tools help you create engaging, responsive campaigns and avoid common pitfalls of basic forms. Give involve.me a try for your next campaign and turn more leads into customers.

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How to Close a Google Form (Step-by-Step Guide)