How to upload files to Google Forms without a sign in?

You can add a file upload question in your Google Form to allow your users to upload file(s) as response to the question, but this option requires sign in. You can use the Formfacade add-on to convert Google Forms' file upload question into HTML file upload and let your users upload files without sign in.

You can add a file upload question in your Google Form to allow your users to upload file(s) as response to the question, but this option requires sign in. You can use the Formfacade add-on to convert Google Forms' file upload question into HTML file upload and let your users upload files without sign in.

What is the difference between Google Form's file upload and Formfacade's HTML file upload?

Google Form's file upload question requires your users to be signed in to a Google account to upload their file and submit their response. The files are uploaded to the form creator's Google Drive.

Formfacade converts the Google Drive file upload into a HTML file upload. The users will be able to upload a file using the upload file button and submit the form without having to sign in with a Google account. In the Google form, the file upload question will be converted in to a short answer question, where the url location of file uploaded by the user will be displayed.

Watch this video to learn how to add a file upload question without login.

How to add a file upload question to your forms?

Open your Google Form, click on "Add Question" and select "File Upload".
A confirmation message will be displayed. Click on the "Continue" button.
Enter your question. If you make the file upload question as required, it (& any other file upload attributes) will be ignored when Formfacade converts Google Drive file upload in to HTML file upload. You can enable the required field after it is converted using Formfacade (read below).

How to enable file upload without Google signin?

Install the Formfacade add-on from G Suite Marketplace
Click on the add-on icon and select "Formfacade"
Formfacade popup menu will be displayed. Select "Embed in a webpage".
A confirmation popup message will be displayed (shown below). Click on "Yes" to convert Google Drive upload into HTML upload.
In your Google form, the file upload question will be converted in to a short answer question, where the url location of file uploaded by the user will be displayed. You can mark this converted short answer question as required to make file upload mandatory as shown below.

Using Formfacade form to collect responses

When you embed this form in your webpage using Formfacade, your users will see a file upload button as shown below. Users can upload a file (max size 10MB) using this file upload option. If you want to provide your users with the option to upload multiple files, add an equal number of file upload questions in your Google form.

Viewing form responses with file upload questions

URL link of the uploaded file will be shown as a response to that question. You can use this link to view and download the file.

Key points to remember

  • Formfacade converts the Google Drive file upload into a html file upload. In Google Forms, you will see a short answer question, but in the Formfacade form, you will see the file upload option.
  • Formfacade does not use any of the file attributes such as size, type etc specified in the File upload question. It simply converts the Google Drive file upload into a html file upload.
  • To make file upload mandatory, you can mark the converted short answer question as required in Google Forms.
  • To accept multiple files, you can change the max files for that file upload question in the Formfacade customize interface.
  • To restrict the types of files that users can upload, you can add the valid of file types for that file upload question in the Formfacade customize interface.
  • When a user uploads a file and submits a response, the url link of the uploaded file will be shown as a response to that short answer question in Google Forms and the linked spreadsheet.
  • The files are uploaded on our servers. You can use the link to view and download the files. We do not have Google Drive integration as Google Drive does not allow anonymous users to upload files.