When you configure Form Publisher on a Google form, Form Publisher initially asks you to select a single template. Every time someone submits the form, Form Publisher generates a document using the selected template.
If you want to generate multiple types of documents, you must create additional Google forms connected to the first form (called connected forms) on which to configure Form Publisher and select additional templates.
With multiple connected forms and templates, you can:
- generate multiple types of documents at once every time someone submits your Google form
- generate a different type of document depending on what people select in a multiple choice or drop-down question in your Google form
Connected forms
The Google form on which you first configure Form Publisher is the main form.
A connected form is an identical copy of the main form created by Form Publisher that is linked to the main form. With a connected form, you can select a second template document.
You can create multiple connected forms to select a third and more template documents.
When you send a link to people to fill out your Google form, you always send the link to the main form. Do not send links to connected forms.
How connected forms work
When you want to configure a second template, you first use Form Publisher to create a connected form. The connected form is a new Google form titled Connected to <main form title>.
When you configure Form Publisher on a connected form, you must specify a rule that defines which template Form Publisher uses to generate documents.
Rules for generating documents with multiple templates
You can define three types of rules for how documents are generated with multiple templates.
| Type of rule | Description |
| Always create both templates (selected by default) |
Set a condition on the main form to define if Form Publisher generates documents with the main form or the connected form template. You define the condition by selecting an answer in a multiple choice or drop-down list question. When people select that answer in the form, Form Publisher uses the template configured on the main form. When people select a different answer, Form Publisher uses the template configured on the connected form. |
| Create connected template if |
Set a condition on the connected form to define if Form Publisher generates documents with the main form or the connected form template. You define the condition by selecting an answer in a multiple choice or drop-down list question. info Recommendation
We recommend that you always use the option Create current template if because it works with multiple connected forms. |
Rules for two templates
If you are using only two templates, you can use all of the available rules to define how to generate documents.
Rule to use both templates at once
To generate two types of documents at the same time, you can use the configuration listed in the table.
| Google form | Rules configuration |
| Main form | Always create both templates |
| Connected form | No condition needed. |
Set a condition on the main form template to define which template is used
To set a condition on the main form, you use the option Create current template if in the Additional template screen.
You define a single answer in a multiple choice or drop-down list question as the condition. Form Publisher will then use the main form template whenever someone selects the answer you defined.
Form Publisher will automatically use the connected form template whenever someone selects any answer different from the one you defined. Because of this, you do not need to define a condition in Form Publisher on the connected form.
For an example of setting a condition on the main form template, see the table below.
| Google Form | Rules configuration |
| Main form |
|
| Connected form | No condition needed. |
The graphic below shows an example of a configuration of Form Publisher on the main and on the connected form with the Create current template if option.
Set a condition on the connected form to define which template is used
To set a condition on the connected form, you use the option Create connected template if in the Additional template screen.
To define the condition, you select one of the answers in a multiple choice or a drop-down list question. Form Publisher will then use the connected form template whenever someone submits the form with the answer you defined.
When someone selects a different answer, Form Publisher will automatically use the main form template. You do not need to define a separate condition in Form Publisher on the connected form.
For an example of setting a condition on the connected form template, see the table below.
We recommend that you use the Create current template if option because it works with multiple connected forms. Using it makes for an easier configuration if you decide to add more templates with more connected forms.
| Google Form | Rules configuration |
| Main form |
|
| Connected form | No condition needed. |
Rules for three or more templates
If you are using three or more templates, you can define how documents are generated only with the options Always create both templates and Create current template if.
Rules when to use all templates at once
To always generate documents using all three or more templates, configure the Always create both templates option on the main and all connected forms except for the last connected form.
| Google Form | Rules configuration |
| Main form | Always create both templates |
| Connected form 1 | Always create both templates |
| Connected form 2 | Always create both templates |
| ... | ... |
| Connected form n | No condition needed. |
Set multiple conditions to define when each template is used
To generate a different document for each of the three (or more) options in a question, configure the Create current template if option on the main and all connected forms except for the last connected form.
| Google Form | Rules configuration |
| Main form |
|
| Connected form 1 |
|
| Connected form 2 |
|
| ... | ... |
| Connected form n | No condition needed. |