How to Close a Google Form (Manually or Automatically)
Dvir Atias
Jul 14, 2026
How to Close a Google Form
There are three ways to close a Google Form, and all of them are built in. You can close it manually by turning off Accepting responses, close it on a date you pick in advance, or close it after a number of responses. All three live in the same place: open your published form, click Published in the top right, and look under Accepting responses. Closing never deletes the responses you already have, and you can reopen the form whenever you like.
Until early 2026, Google Forms had no way to close a form automatically, so older guides (including an earlier version of this one) told you to set a calendar reminder or install an add-on. That is no longer true. Google rolled out a native close date and response limit in January 2026 for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers and personal Google accounts. It is off by default, so you only get it when you set it up.
The three ways to close a Google Form
| Method | When it closes | Best for | Where to set it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manually | The moment you switch it off | Closing right now, or when a deadline is flexible | Published > turn off Accepting responses > Save |
| On a date | At the date and time you choose | Homework, sign-up windows, hard deadlines | Published > Set close date or response limit > On a date |
| After a number of responses | When the form reaches your limit | Limited seats, first come first served sign-ups | Published > Set close date or response limit > After a number of responses |
For a deeper look at capacity limits, including limits on individual choices, see our guide to limiting responses in Google Forms.
How to close a Google Form manually
Use this when you want the form to stop taking submissions right away.
Step 1: Open the published form in edit view
Open the form from Google Forms or Google Drive in the editor, the screen where you build questions, not the live answering view. You need to be the owner or an editor.
Step 2: Click Published
Click the Published button in the top right corner of the editor. A panel opens with the form's response settings.
Step 3: Turn off Accepting responses
Switch the Accepting responses toggle off.
Step 4: Click Save
Click Save. The form is now closed. Anyone who opens the link sees a message that the form is no longer accepting responses, and your existing responses stay exactly where they were.
You do not need to unpublish the form, delete it or change the link. If you reopen later, everyone you already shared the link with can use it again.
How to close a Google Form automatically on a date or after a set number of responses
Use this when you know the deadline or the capacity in advance and do not want to remember to close the form yourself. Owners and editors can set it up once the form is published.
Step 1: Publish the form and click Published
The automatic close options only appear on a published form. Open the form in the editor and click Published in the top right.
Step 2: Click Set close date or response limit
Under Accepting responses, click Set close date or response limit.
Step 3: Choose how the form should close
Pick one of the two options:
- On a date: click Choose date and time, pick the date and time the form should close, then click OK.
- After a number of responses: select After a number of responses and enter the maximum number of responses. If the form already has submissions, the number has to be higher than the responses you already have.
Step 4: Check the result
The form keeps accepting responses until the date arrives or the limit is reached, then closes on its own. Respondents who open it after that see the default closed message or your custom one.
One caveat on response limits: if several people submit at exactly the same moment, Google Forms accepts those responses even if they push you over the limit. If a hard cap really matters, for example exactly 20 seats, set the limit slightly lower or check the final count yourself.
How to remove an automatic close date or limit
If plans change, click Published, then under Accepting responses click Manage, choose Remove Expiration and click OK. The form goes back to accepting responses until you close it yourself.
How to write a custom closed message
By default, respondents who open a closed form see a short generic note that the form is no longer accepting responses. You can replace it with something more useful:
- Click Published in the top right.
- Find the section that says responders will see this message when the form is closed for responses, and click Edit.
- Type your message and save it.
The same message is shown whether you closed the form manually, on a date or after a response limit. A good closed message answers three questions in a sentence or two:
- Is this closed on purpose? "This form is now closed."
- Why did it close? "Sign-ups ended on Friday at 5 pm" or "All 30 places have been taken."
- What should I do now? "Email me if you missed the deadline."
For a tour of every other option in that panel and the Settings tab, see our Google Forms settings guide.
How to close a Google Form on mobile
There is no separate Google Forms editing app, so on a phone you close a form through a mobile browser, on both Android and iPhone.
- Open the form's edit link in your phone's browser, or open Google Drive and tap the form. Make sure you are signed in as an owner or editor.
- If the page opens in the answering view, switch to the editor.
- Open the Published panel and turn off Accepting responses, or set a close date or response limit, the same way as on a computer.
The layout is narrower, so buttons may sit in slightly different places. If a close date matters, it is often easier to set it up on a laptop once and let it run.
What reopening a Google Form does
To reopen a form, click Published, turn Accepting responses back on and click Save. The form starts taking submissions again straight away, and the closed message is hidden for anyone who opens the link. Because the link never changed, you do not need to reshare it.
A few things to know when you reopen:
- Existing responses are kept. New submissions are added to the ones you already have. If you want a clean slate, make a copy of the form instead.
- Check for an old close date or limit. If the form closed automatically, look under Accepting responses for a close date or response limit that is still set. Remove it with Manage and Remove Expiration, or set a new one, so the form does not stay closed or close again straight away.
- A new limit must be higher than your current count. If you raise a response limit, it has to exceed the number of responses already collected.
What closing a Google Form does not do
Closing a form controls new submissions only. It does not:
- Delete existing responses. Everything collected before the form closed stays in the Responses tab and any linked spreadsheet.
- Notify respondents. People only find out when they open the link and see your closed message.
- Lock editing. You can still edit questions while the form is closed, which is handy for fixing a mistake before reopening.
- Hide the link. The link still works; visitors just see the closed message instead of the questions.
Do you still need an add-on to close a Google Form?
For most people, no. Closing at a set date and time or after a total number of responses is now built into Google Forms, so you do not need a third-party add-on for either.
Add-ons can still be useful for things the native feature does not cover, such as limiting how many people can pick a specific option (for example, a maximum number of sign-ups per time slot) or more advanced closing rules. If you go that route, review the add-on's permissions before you install it.
If what you really want is a fixed time window for a quiz, a timer may fit better than a close date, because each student gets the same amount of time no matter when they start. Formswrite Proctor adds a timer to a Google Forms quiz and turns it into a timed test.
FAQ
How do I stop a Google Form from accepting responses?
Open the form in the editor, click Published in the top right, turn off Accepting responses and click Save. New submissions stop right away and your existing responses are kept.
Can I schedule a Google Form to close automatically?
Yes. Since January 2026, Google Forms lets owners and editors close a published form automatically. Click Published, then under Accepting responses click Set close date or response limit, choose On a date and pick a date and time with Choose date and time.
Can a Google Form close after a certain number of responses?
Yes. Under Set close date or response limit, select After a number of responses and enter the maximum. Note that if several people submit at exactly the same time, the form can accept a few responses beyond the limit.
Why can I not see the option to set a close date?
The option only appears once the form is published, and you need to be the owner or an editor. The feature rolled out gradually in January 2026 and is off by default, so you have to set it up for each form.
Does closing a Google Form delete the responses?
No. Closing only stops new submissions, whether you close the form manually, on a date or after a response limit. Everything you already collected stays in your responses and any linked spreadsheet.
How do I reopen a closed Google Form?
Click Published, turn Accepting responses back on and click Save. If the form closed automatically, also remove or change the close date or response limit with Manage and Remove Expiration so it does not stay closed.
Can I change the message people see when the form is closed?
Yes. In the Published panel, find the message responders see when the form is closed for responses, click Edit and type your own text. The same message is shown however the form was closed.
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The bottom line
Closing a Google Form no longer depends on you flipping a switch at the right minute. Turn off Accepting responses to close it now, or use Set close date or response limit to close it on a date or after a set number of responses. Write a clear closed message so late visitors know what happened, and remember that closing is fully reversible: your responses stay safe and the same link works again as soon as you reopen.
Ready to transform your documents?
Convert Google Docs, PDFs, and spreadsheets into Google Forms in one click.
Start free →Or go straight to a converter: Google Docs to Forms, PDF to Google Form, Word to Google Form, Google Forms Quiz Generator