How to generate a pre-filled form URL for Google Form

Question

I'm looking for a programmatic way to automate the generation of pre-filled URLs for google forms.

In a recent update, Google introduced a new Forms product to Google Docs. If you open the tools menu in a spreadsheet, you'll see some new options.

Tools menu with Legacy Form

In the new Form Responses menu, one option is "Get pre-filled URL". This opens up a dialog containing a version of your form that you can fill out, and when you submit it, you receive a URL that can be used to open a Live Form with the data you pre-filled ready and waiting for you. The URL looks something like this...

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/--Form-ID--/viewform?entry.1094330118=Something&entry.1471717973=stack@example.com&entry.540962741&entry.787941281&entry.1873343651

The questions from the form have a fixed identity, e.g. entry.1094330118. They may be pre-filled with a value (entry.1094330118=Something) or blank (entry.7879412).

In apps-script, I'd like to generate these pre-filled URLs for users of my form, so I can provide them for updates. My users are not members of an Apps Domain, so I don't have the option of embedding an Edit your response link.

If I can get the information about the form, I will be able to piece together the URL. While I can go through the UI to create one URL, and dissect it to get the info for that form, I want a solution that will work with arbitrary forms.

How can I programmatically determine the question IDs?
With the new Forms product, is the form available to me through any apps-script APIs? (I know about getFormURL() - that's not what I mean.)
Armed with a question ID, can I get more information about the question? (Question text, type, etc.)

See [this answer](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20108511/is-it-possible-to-prefill-a-google-form-using-data-from-a-google-spreadsheet/20110656#20110656) for a couple of ways to do this. — Mogsdad, Nov 22 '13 at 18:57

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 26 '13 at 16:57

I required something similar for users to go and edit their response, take a look here: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/docs/LSKKCR3VHC8

Copy / paste code below:

function assignEditUrls() {
var form = FormApp.openById('1MonO-uooYhARHsr0xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx');
//enter form ID here

  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName('Form Responses');

    //Change the sheet name as appropriate
  var data = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
  var urlCol = 4; // column number where URL's should be populated; A = 1, B = 2 etc
  var responses = form.getResponses();
  var timestamps = [], urls = [], resultUrls = [];

  for (var i = 0; i < responses.length; i++) {
    timestamps.push(responses[i].getTimestamp().setMilliseconds(0));
    urls.push(responses[i].getEditResponseUrl());
  }
  for (var j = 1; j < data.length; j++) {

    resultUrls.push([data[j][0]?urls[timestamps.indexOf(data[j][0].setMilliseconds(0))]:'']);
  }
  sheet.getRange(2, urlCol, resultUrls.length).setValues(resultUrls);  
}

Thanks for the example, and for pointing out Adam's code on the Google Docs forum. That will help others, certainly. — Mogsdad, Aug 27 '13 at 01:16

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 05 '13 at 16:22

1

This is not possible right now but this request is being tracked on the Issue Tracker here. Please add your use cases there and watch it for updates.

answered Feb 05 '13 at 16:22

Arun Nagarajan

5,547
1
22
19

Thanks, I've added my vte, and linked back here. – Mogsdad Feb 07 '13 at 00:06
given that the issue ticket is for general Forms Api access/documentation which is marked fixed would it not be better for this use case to be entered as a new issue ticket? – mhawksey Jun 02 '13 at 21:16
4

mhawksey - with the new API it is possible to get prefilled URL. You create a "FormResponse" object and get its prefilled URL. See the documentation here - https://developers.google.com/apps-script/reference/forms/form-response#toPrefilledUrl() – Arun Nagarajan Jun 03 '13 at 02:17
@Arun Is it possible to make an HTTP call and get values from there instead of spreadsheet and fill up the form ? – Kartik Domadiya Jul 13 '15 at 07:17

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 14 '20 at 11:56

I found no way to create a pre-filled URL from the form id itself. It is possible if the form has already an answer:

  var form = FormApp.openById('1nGvvEzQHN1n-----_your_for_id_----zemoiYQA');
  var responses = form.getResponses();
  Logger.log(responses[0].toPrefilledUrl());

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered May 23 '22 at 16:11

0

referring to this answer, it can be used to create prefilled urls, by replacing the last line like this: instead of FormResponse.submit(); it will be FormResponse.toPrefilledUrl();

answered May 23 '22 at 16:11

icarus

85
2
13

How to generate a pre-filled form URL for Google Form

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