Add Open-Ended Question

Adds an open-ended question (short answer or paragraph) to a Google Form.

Common Properties

Name - The custom name of the node.
Color - The custom color of the node.
Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.

info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs

Form Id - The unique identifier of the Google Form to which the question should be added.
Question Title - The title or text of the question to be added.
Index - The position (1-based) where the question should be inserted in the form.

Options

Required - If enabled, respondents must answer this question before submitting the form.
Type - The type of open-ended question:
- Short Answer - Single line text input
- Paragraph - Multi-line text input

How It Works

The Add Open-Ended Question node inserts a new open-ended question into an existing Google Form. When executed, the node:

Validates the required inputs (Form Id, Question Title, and Index)
Retrieves the Google Form using the provided Form Id
Validates the index position (must be greater than 0)
Constructs a request to create a new item with the specified question properties
Uses the Google Forms API to insert the question at the specified index position
The form is updated with the new question

Requirements

A valid Google Forms form ID
Appropriate permissions to modify the form
Valid question title
Valid index position (must be greater than 0)

Error Handling

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

Empty or invalid Form Id
Empty or invalid Question Title
Empty or invalid Index
Invalid Index value (0 or negative)
Invalid Type selection
Google Forms API errors during question creation
Insufficient permissions to modify the form

Usage Notes

The Index is 1-based, meaning position 1 is the first question in the form
Short Answer questions allow for single-line text responses
Paragraph questions allow for multi-line text responses
The question will be inserted at the specified position, shifting existing questions down
Open-ended questions allow respondents to provide free-form text answers
You must use OpenForm or CreateForm node before this node to establish a connection

Example Use Cases

Customer Feedback Form

Form Id: {{form_id}} (from CreateForm node)
Question Title: "What did you like most about our service?"
Index: 1
Type: Paragraph
Required: true

Use Case: Collect detailed customer feedback in their own words

Contact Information Collection

Form Id: {{form_id}}
Question Title: "Email Address"
Index: 2
Type: Short Answer
Required: true

Use Case: Collect contact information with single-line input

Survey Open Comments

Form Id: {{form_id}}
Question Title: "Any additional comments or suggestions?"
Index: 10
Type: Paragraph
Required: false

Use Case: Optional free-form feedback at the end of a survey

Application Form Essay Question

Form Id: {{form_id}}
Question Title: "Why are you interested in this position? (500 words max)"
Index: 5
Type: Paragraph
Required: true

Use Case: Collect detailed essay-style responses for applications

Tips for Effective Use

Short Answer vs Paragraph: Use "Short Answer" for brief responses (name, email, phone) and "Paragraph" for detailed explanations or feedback
Question Positioning: Plan your question order - use Index strategically to place questions logically
Required Fields: Mark critical information fields as required, but keep optional fields for additional comments
Clear Instructions: Include format expectations or character limits in the question title (e.g., "Email Address (example@domain.com)")
Sequential Addition: When adding multiple questions, increment the index for each new question
Validation Hints: Add hints in parentheses for expected formats (e.g., "Phone Number (xxx-xxx-xxxx)")

Common Errors and Solutions

Error: "Form not found. Please use Open Form node first"

Cause: The form_id doesn't exist in the current session or OpenForm/CreateForm wasn't called first. Solution: Ensure you use OpenForm or CreateForm node before this node in your flow to establish a connection to the form.

Error: "Form ID cannot be empty"

Cause: The Form Id input is empty or the variable is not set. Solution: Make sure the form_id output from CreateForm or OpenForm is properly passed to this node's Form Id input.

Error: "Question title cannot be empty"

Cause: The Question Title input is empty. Solution: Provide a non-empty string for the question title. Use meaningful questions that clearly communicate what you're asking.

Error: "Index must be at least 1"

Cause: The Index is set to 0 or a negative number. Solution: Use 1-based indexing. Set Index to 1 for the first question, 2 for the second, etc.

Error: "Invalid index format"

Cause: The Index contains non-numeric characters. Solution: Ensure Index is a valid number (e.g., "1", "2", "3"). If using a variable, verify it contains a numeric value.

Error: "Type must be selected"

Cause: The Type option is not set. Solution: Select either "Short Answer" or "Paragraph" from the Type dropdown.

Error: "Failed to add question"

Cause: API error when trying to add the question to the form. Solution:

Verify you have edit permissions for the form
Check that the index is within valid range
Ensure the form still exists and hasn't been deleted

Integration Examples

Build Survey from Question List

1. Create Form
   - Title: "Customer Satisfaction Survey"
   - Output: form_id

2. Set Variable: questions = [
     {text: "What is your name?", type: "short", required: true},
     {text: "How can we improve?", type: "paragraph", required: false}
   ]

3. For Each question in questions:
   - Add Open-Ended Question
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Question Title: {{question.text}}
   - Index: {{loop.index + 1}}
   - Type: {{question.type}}
   - Required: {{question.required}}

Event Registration with Contact Info

1. Open Form (existing event registration form)
   - Output: form_id

2. Add Open-Ended Question
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Question Title: "Full Name"
   - Index: 1
   - Type: Short Answer
   - Required: true

3. Add Open-Ended Question
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Question Title: "Company Name"
   - Index: 2
   - Type: Short Answer
   - Required: true

4. Add Open-Ended Question
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Question Title: "Dietary Restrictions or Special Requirements"
   - Index: 3
   - Type: Paragraph
   - Required: false

Dynamic Question Insertion

Flow: Insert a new question in the middle of an existing form

1. Open Form
   - URL: "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/abc123/edit"
   - Output: form_id

2. Get Form (to check current structure)
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}

3. Add Open-Ended Question
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Question Title: "Additional Feedback"
   - Index: 5 (insert between existing questions 4 and 5)
   - Type: Paragraph
   - Required: false

Note: Existing question 5 and beyond will shift to positions 6, 7, etc.

Common Properties​

Inputs​

Options​

How It Works​

Requirements​

Error Handling​

Usage Notes​

Example Use Cases​

Customer Feedback Form​

Contact Information Collection​

Survey Open Comments​

Application Form Essay Question​

Tips for Effective Use​

Common Errors and Solutions​

Error: "Form not found. Please use Open Form node first"​

Error: "Form ID cannot be empty"​

Error: "Question title cannot be empty"​

Error: "Index must be at least 1"​

Error: "Invalid index format"​

Error: "Type must be selected"​

Error: "Failed to add question"​

Integration Examples​

Build Survey from Question List​

Event Registration with Contact Info​

Dynamic Question Insertion​