How to Create a Google Form Prefilled Link

Google Forms prefilled links let you populate form fields with default values. Respondents see pre-filled answers they can keep or modify—great for surveys, registrations, and feedback forms.

Creating a Prefilled Link (Easy Way)

Google Forms has a built-in feature that generates prefilled URLs for you. This is the easiest approach and works for most use cases where you need a one-off prefilled link.

The generated URL contains all your prefilled values as query parameters. You can modify these values manually if you understand the parameter format.

URL Structure

Understanding the URL structure helps you create prefilled links programmatically or modify existing ones. Each form field has a unique entry ID that identifies it in the URL.

The table below explains each component of the prefilled URL so you can construct or modify them manually.

The usp=pp_url parameter indicates that the URL contains prefilled values. Google Forms uses this to properly handle the entry parameters.

Prefilling Different Field Types

Different form field types require different value formats in the URL. Text fields are straightforward, but multiple choice, checkboxes, and date fields each have their own syntax.

Text Fields

# Short answer or paragraph
entry.123456789=Your%20text%20here

Text fields are the simplest to prefill. Just URL-encode your text and assign it to the entry ID.

Multiple Choice / Dropdown

# Use the exact option text
entry.123456789=Option%20A

For multiple choice or dropdown fields, use the exact text of the option as it appears in the form. The value must match precisely, including capitalization.

Checkboxes (Multiple Selections)

# Repeat the entry for each selected option
entry.123456789=Option%20A&entry.123456789=Option%20C

Checkboxes allow multiple selections. Repeat the same entry ID for each selected option. In this example, options A and C are both pre-selected.

Date and Time

# Date: YYYY-MM-DD format
entry.123456789_year=2026&entry.123456789_month=1&entry.123456789_day=15

# Time: HH:MM format
entry.123456789_hour=14&entry.123456789_minute=30

Date and time fields use suffixes like _year, _month, and _day to specify each component separately. This format is more complex but gives you precise control.

Building Links Dynamically

When you need to generate prefilled links programmatically, such as for email campaigns or CRM integrations, this JavaScript function handles all the URL encoding and checkbox logic.

function createPrefilledFormLink(options) {
  const { formId, fields } = options;

  const baseUrl = `https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/${formId}/viewform`;
  const url = new URL(baseUrl);

  url.searchParams.set('usp', 'pp_url');

  Object.entries(fields).forEach(([entryId, value]) => {
    if (Array.isArray(value)) {
      // Handle checkboxes - multiple values for same entry
      value.forEach(v => {
        url.searchParams.append(`entry.${entryId}`, v);
      });
    } else {
      url.searchParams.set(`entry.${entryId}`, value);
    }
  });

  return url.toString();
}

// Usage
const link = createPrefilledFormLink({
  formId: '1FAIpQLSd...xyz',
  fields: {
    '123456789': 'John Doe',           // Name field
    '987654321': 'john@example.com',   // Email field
    '456789123': ['Option A', 'Option C']  // Checkboxes
  }
});

The function detects arrays and handles checkbox fields automatically by appending the entry ID multiple times. Use it in your server-side code to generate personalized form links.

Finding Entry IDs

To build prefilled links programmatically, you need to know the entry IDs for each form field. There are a few ways to find these IDs depending on your access level to the form.

If you need to build links programmatically, find entry IDs in the page source:

// In browser console on the form page:
document.querySelectorAll('[name^="entry."]').forEach(el => {
  console.log(el.name, el.closest('[data-params]')?.querySelector('[role="heading"]')?.textContent);
});

This script logs all form field entry IDs along with their question text, making it easy to map entry IDs to specific fields.

Or inspect the network request when submitting the form. Entry IDs appear in the form data payload, which you can see in your browser's developer tools.

React Component

If you are building a web application with React, this component provides a clean interface for creating prefilled form links with proper URL encoding.

interface GoogleFormLinkProps {
  formId: string;
  prefill: Record<string, string | string[]>;
  children: React.ReactNode;
  className?: string;
}

function GoogleFormLink({ formId, prefill, children, className }: GoogleFormLinkProps) {
  const href = useMemo(() => {
    const url = new URL(`https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/${formId}/viewform`);
    url.searchParams.set('usp', 'pp_url');

    Object.entries(prefill).forEach(([entryId, value]) => {
      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
        value.forEach(v => url.searchParams.append(`entry.${entryId}`, v));
      } else {
        url.searchParams.set(`entry.${entryId}`, value);
      }
    });

    return url.toString();
  }, [formId, prefill]);

  return (
    <a href={href} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" className={className}>
      {children}
    </a>
  );
}

// Usage
<GoogleFormLink
  formId="1FAIpQLSd...xyz"
  prefill={{
    '123456': 'Conference Registration',
    '789012': 'john@company.com'
  }}
>
  Register Now
</GoogleFormLink>

The component uses useMemo to rebuild the URL only when props change, efficiently handling both single values and checkbox arrays.

Best Practices

Following these practices helps you create reliable prefilled links that work consistently and avoid common issues that can break your forms.

With these techniques, you can create personalized form experiences that save respondents time and improve completion rates. The FAQ below addresses specific questions about Google Forms prefilling behavior.

Try the URL Builder

Use our Google Form template to build prefilled links interactively.