Form Publisher for Google Forms generates customized documents (PDF, Google Docs, Microsoft Office) every time a Google form is submitted. For an introduction to Form Publisher and the use cases it supports, see What is Form Publisher?.
Preparing a Google form
You first need a Google form on which to configure Form Publisher. You can use an existing Google form or the template form in Step 1: Prepare a Google Form for leave requests.
Preparing a template document
The next step is to prepare a template document in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. A template is a preformatted document that Form Publisher uses to generate each custom document. Each generated document will look like the template, but it will also include different information.
On the template, you will:
- create the layout and design for the generated documents
- add markers: special keywords that Form Publisher will replace with real data coming from the Google Form when documents are generated.
Markers must be surrounded by opening and closing angle brackets, like so: <<this is a marker>>.
Form Publisher supports two types of markers: question markers and standard markers.
Question markers
Use question markers to add form answers in the generated documents. You define a question marker by typing a question title surrounded by double angle brackets. For example, if the question title is Full name, then the question marker should be <<Full name>>. Question markers are case-sensitive and must match the question title exactly.
Standard markers
Form Publisher also provides you with standard markers that you can use to add generation metadata in your documents. For example:
- The <<Timestamp>> marker will get replaced by the date and time of generation
- The <<Increment>> marker will get replaced by the sequence number of each document
For more information about standard markers, see Standard markers.
Configuring Form Publisher for the first time
After you have the Google Form and the document template ready, you configure Form Publisher on the Google form. The only step needed for the initial configuration is to select the template document.
After you select the template, Form Publisher configures several default settings, and is then ready to generate documents.
The next time someone submits the form, Form Publisher generates a new custom document.
- The generated document is based on the template you selected.
- Question markers are replaced with the submitted answers.
- Standard markers are replaced with the metadata generated by Form Publisher.
Configuration example: Leave request
To do your first Form Publisher configuration, you can set up the leave request example provided in the sections below. After you set up the example, you will understand how Form Publisher configuration works and how you can apply its features for other use cases, such as purchase requests, registration forms, and so on.
The example includes a template Google Form and a template document that you can use without having to start from scratch.