Got a birthday bash, anniversary celebration, conference, or some other epic event on the horizon? Then, getting a handle on guests’ RSVPs is crucial.
Knowing who’s coming to your event is key, right? An RSVP form gives event organizers the scoop on their guest count so they can plan perfectly.
Now, like all online form builders, Google Forms has some free RSVP templates that you can use. But how do you actually create one? And hey, is there something even better out there?
Time to find out! In this blog, we’ll cover:
- How To Create A Google Forms RSVP?
- 8 Drawbacks Of A Google Forms RSVP
- An Easier Way To Create An RSVP With SurveySparrow
How To Create A Google Forms RSVP?
Sending out invites for your event and waiting for those RSVPs? You’re looking for a yes, no, maybe so, right? Once you’ve got a headcount, sorting out the food and drinks is a breeze.
Naturally, you want a packed house. To ensure that, however, you have to make the RSVP process easier for all your guests. That’s where Google Forms RSVP comes in. Let’s break down the steps so you can easily create an RSVP on Google Forms.
Step 1: Choose a template
- Visit Google Forms. You can open this through Google Apps or go to forms.google.com. Then, select the RSVP template on the homepage.
- You can also create a custom Google Forms RSVP. But the pre-built template has all the basic things you’ll need in an RSVP form.
- Moreover, you can manually add anything that this form lacks. So, it saves you time.
Step 2: Customize your RSVP form template
The RSVP form has got the questions you’ll need. But for further customization, here are 6 pointers to follow:
- Rename the RSVP form as per your liking from the ‘Event RSVP’ tab. An ideal title here is: Name of the event + RSVP. Example: 10th Anniversary RSVP, Scott’s Birthday RSVP, etc.
- To edit the address, and add relevant contact details (like phone number, email, and social medial handles), tap the section below the title.
- For adding more questions, tap on the + icon.
- To edit existing questions in the Google RSVP form, tap on the one you’d like to change and edit it.
- For changing the question type, choose one from the drop down menu in the question field.
- If you don’t want the preset question, select the question field and tap the ‘Trash’ icon to delete it.
Step 3: Share your Google RSVP form
After fully customizing the RSVP form, you can share it via multiple sharing options in Google Forms. Let’s see the 3 options we’re talking about with the steps to use them.
Via Email
- Tap the ‘Send’ at the top-right corner of your RSVP form.
- On the pop-up that appears, enter the email addresses of the people to whom you wanna send the RSVP Form.
- Although optional, type some extra words in the Message section to give better personalization.
- Tap ‘Send’ again and forward the form to all specified email addresses.
Via URL
Aside from sending the Google Forms RSVP via email, you can create a link to let all guests access the form over the web. Here’s how:
- After tapping the ‘Send’ button, navigate to the ‘Link’ section of the ‘Send Form’ window.
- Check on the ‘Shorten URL’ box to create a miniaturized version of your actual URL link.
- Hit the Copy button to copy this link on your device’s clipboard.
- Now share this RSVP link as a text, SMS, via apps like Whatsapp, iMessage, Telegram, or through a QR code.
There’s no option yet for a Google QR code generator. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Here’s how to generate and share the QR code if Google Forms is your survey builder.
- Copy the RSVP form link.
- Find a reliable QR code generator.
- Paste the form link into the relevant section and generate your QR code.
Via Social Media
Planning a public event and need attendees? Your best bet is to share your Google Forms RSVP on social media. Here’s how to do that:
- Tap the Send button after making all the changes to your RSVP form.
- Now tap the Facebook icon to share your RSVP on your Facebook wall or page. Then tap the Twitter icon to share the form on Twitter. Simple, right?
Step 4: Track the results
Lastly, you can manually check the total number of guests who’ve responded to your RSVP form in Google Forms. Here’s how:
- Go to the Google Forms dashboard on your computer.
- Tap the RSVP Form whose response you want to see.
- Tap on ‘Responses’ to navigate to the response section.
- Here, you’ll be presented with a summary of all RSVP responses.
- Select the ‘Get email notifications for new responses’ to let Google notify you when a new response comes.
8 Drawbacks Of Using A Google Forms RSVP
While Google Forms can be a very useful tool for creating RSVPs, it does have some potential downsides.
1. Limited Customization:
Google Forms offers basic customization options. But it might not be sufficient if you’re looking for a highly personalized or branded form. For instance, you cannot fully customize the form’s layout, color scheme, or font beyond the provided themes.
2. No Automatic Reminder System:
Google Forms does not have a built-in reminder system to send follow-up emails to guests who haven’t responded yet. You’d have to do this manually or use an external tool or service.
3. Spam Risk:
If your form is public, and the link is shared widely, you may receive spam responses or responses from uninvited people.
4. Requires a Google Account:
While anyone can fill out a Google Form, you need a Google account to create and manage the forms. This might be a drawback for people who prefer not to use Google services.
5. No Direct Integration with Calendars:
Google Forms does not directly integrate with calendar apps to automatically add the event to the respondent’s calendar once they RSVP. However, you can set up this functionality using Google Calendar and Google Forms together. But it requires additional steps.
6. Limited Conditional Logic:
Google Forms does have some conditional logic features (like showing or hiding questions based on previous responses). But these are limited compared to other form builders.
7. Data Privacy:
Google is a US-based company, and data submitted via Google Forms is stored on Google’s servers. This may not meet the data privacy requirements of all people or organizations – particularly those based in the EU or those dealing with sensitive information.
8. Lack of Advanced Analytics:
While Google Forms does offer basic response analytics, it might not provide the in-depth data analysis capabilities that some users require.
Remember that the right tool for creating an RSVP will depend on your specific needs. For many, the simplicity, ease-of-use, and cost-effectiveness of Google Forms outweigh these downsides.
Create an RSVP Faster And Better With SurveySparrow
Yes, Google Forms RSVPs are good, and they get the job done. But let’s be real, they have some drawbacks and the designs are just so-so. For a big celebration, why settle for plain-Jane RSVPs?
SurveySparrow’s RSVP templates and video invitation surveys are your answer.
With our ready-to-go templates, you can create and send mobile-friendly surveys in a flash. If you’re still mulling it over, let’s dive into a few more reasons why SurveySparrow can be your go-to RSVP tool.
- AI survey creation: Craft smart RSVP forms effortlessly with the power of our AI survey generator.
- Complete customization: Tailor your RSVPs to suit the occasion, mood and brand.
- Automatic reminders: Schedule reminders for guests who haven’t responded yet.
- GDPR compliance: Stay worry-free with GDPR-compliant forms that respect data privacy.
- RSVP sharing options: Reach your guests wherever they are with versatile sharing options – including weblinks, email, Facebook, Twitter, Slack or our native QR code generator.
- Automatic reporting: Get real-time insights such as form visits, form fills, individual responses and more.
Need a free RSVP tool? We have a Forever Free plan with all of the basic features you need. Sign up below to try it out.
14-Day Free Trial • No Credit Card Required • No Strings Attached
Google Forms RSVP: Wrapping Up
Google Forms is a fantastic form builder that many people and businesses use for their surveys. It does a good job, but is it the best option for RSVPs? We’re not so sure.
Why? Well, when you take a closer look (and we’ll help you do that), you’ll see that SurveySparrow outshines Google Forms in many areas, from RSVP templates to key features.
Google Forms provides basic features to help you collect data. But with SurveySparrow, you get tools that not only collect data, but also help you analyze it for better decisions.
Our recommendation? Give SurveySparrow’s free trial a shot. And if you need a product demo, have a technical query, or just fancy a chat, we’re always here for you.
