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Get Form

Retrieves the metadata and structure of 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 retrieve.

Output​

  • form - The complete form object containing metadata and structure information, including:
    • FormId - The unique identifier of the form
    • Title - The title of the form
    • Description - The description of the form
    • Items - An array of questions and sections in the form
    • Settings - Form settings such as quiz options, confirmation message, etc.
    • RevisionId - The revision ID of the form
    • ResponderUri - The URL for respondents to access the form

How It Works​

The Get Form node retrieves the complete metadata and structure of an existing Google Form. When executed, the node:

  1. Validates the required input (Form Id)
  2. Retrieves the Google Form using the provided Form Id
  3. Uses the Google Forms API to fetch the complete form object
  4. Returns the form object with all metadata and structure information

Requirements​

  • A valid Google Forms form ID
  • Appropriate permissions to view the form

Error Handling​

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

  • Empty or invalid Form Id
  • Google Forms API errors during form retrieval
  • Insufficient permissions to view the form
  • Form with the specified ID does not exist

Usage Notes​

  • The returned form object contains comprehensive information about the form's structure
  • This node is useful for inspecting form content or programmatically analyzing forms
  • The form object can be used with other nodes that process form data
  • The output includes all questions, sections, and form settings
  • This node does not modify the form in any way
  • The form object structure follows the Google Forms API specification
  • You must use OpenForm or CreateForm node before this node to establish a connection
  • Use this node to verify form structure before adding or deleting questions

Example Use Cases​

Form Structure Inspection​

Form Id: {{form_id}}

Output: form object with complete structure

Use Case: Inspect form structure to understand question types, order, and settings before making modifications

Question Count Validation​

Form Id: {{form_id}}

Output: form object

Calculate: total_questions = form.items.length

Use Case: Verify the number of questions before deciding where to insert a new question

Form Metadata Extraction​

Form Id: {{form_id}}

Output: form object

Extract:
- Title: {{form.info.title}}
- Description: {{form.info.description}}
- Is Quiz: {{form.settings.quizSettings.isQuiz}}
- Responder URL: {{form.responderUri}}

Use Case: Extract form metadata for documentation or inventory purposes

Question ID Mapping​

Form Id: {{form_id}}

Output: form object

For each item in form.items:
- Question Title: {{item.title}}
- Question ID: {{item.questionItem.question.questionId}}
- Question Type: {{item.questionItem.question type}}

Use Case: Create a mapping of question IDs to titles for response processing

Tips for Effective Use​

  • Structure Analysis: Use GetForm before making modifications to understand the current state
  • Question IDs: Extract question IDs to properly map responses to questions
  • Index Planning: Check the number of items to determine valid index values for adding questions
  • Settings Review: Examine form settings to determine if it's a quiz, if email collection is enabled, etc.
  • Validation: Use GetForm after modifications to confirm changes were applied correctly
  • Documentation: Generate form documentation by extracting all questions and their properties

Form Object Structure​

The form output contains a comprehensive object following this structure:

{
  "formId": "1ABC123xyz",
  "info": {
    "title": "Customer Satisfaction Survey",
    "documentTitle": "Customer Satisfaction Survey",
    "description": "Please help us improve our services"
  },
  "settings": {
    "quizSettings": {
      "isQuiz": false
    }
  },
  "items": [
    {
      "itemId": "item1",
      "title": "How satisfied are you?",
      "questionItem": {
        "question": {
          "questionId": "q1",
          "required": true,
          "choiceQuestion": {
            "type": "RADIO",
            "options": [
              {"value": "Very Satisfied"},
              {"value": "Satisfied"},
              {"value": "Neutral"}
            ]
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "revisionId": "000001",
  "responderUri": "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1ABC123xyz/viewform"
}

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: Use OpenForm or CreateForm node before GetForm to establish a connection.

Error: "Form ID cannot be empty"​

Cause: The Form Id input is empty or not set. Solution: Pass the form_id from CreateForm or OpenForm node output to this input.

Error: "Failed to get form"​

Cause: API error when retrieving the form. Solution:

  • Verify you have permission to view the form
  • Check that the form exists and hasn't been deleted
  • Ensure the Google Forms API is enabled in your project
  • Verify your credentials have the necessary scopes

Error: "Insufficient permissions to view the form"​

Cause: Credentials don't have permission to access the form. Solution:

  • For Service Accounts: Share the form with the service account email
  • For OAuth2: Verify the user owns or has access to the form
  • Check that credentials include the Forms Body Read scope

Integration Examples​

Pre-Modification Validation​

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

2. Get Form
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Output: form

3. Validate:
   - Current question count: {{form.items.length}}
   - Is Quiz: {{form.settings.quizSettings.isQuiz}}

4. If form.items.length < 10:
   - Add new question at index {{form.items.length + 1}}
   - Else:
   - Log: "Form already has maximum questions"

Form Documentation Generator​

1. Query Database: SELECT form_id, form_name FROM forms

2. For Each form in database:
   - Open Form
     - Form URL: {{form.url}}
     - Output: form_id

   - Get Form
     - Form Id: {{form_id}}
     - Output: form_details

   - Generate Documentation:
     - Form Name: {{form_details.info.title}}
     - Description: {{form_details.info.description}}
     - Total Questions: {{form_details.items.length}}
     - Form Type: {{form_details.settings.quizSettings.isQuiz ? 'Quiz' : 'Form'}}
     - Responder URL: {{form_details.responderUri}}

   - For Each item in form_details.items:
     - Question: {{item.title}}
     - Type: {{item.questionItem.question type}}
     - Required: {{item.questionItem.question.required}}

   - Export to PDF or markdown file

Question Type Analysis​

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

2. Get Form
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Output: form

3. Initialize counters:
   - text_questions = 0
   - choice_questions = 0
   - other_questions = 0

4. For Each item in form.items:
   - If item.questionItem.question.textQuestion exists:
     - text_questions++
   - Else If item.questionItem.question.choiceQuestion exists:
     - choice_questions++
   - Else:
     - other_questions++

5. Report:
   - Text Questions (Open-ended): {{text_questions}}
   - Choice Questions (Closed-ended): {{choice_questions}}
   - Other: {{other_questions}}

Form Comparison​

Compare two versions of a form:

1. Open Form
   - URL: "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/version1/edit"
   - Output: form_id_v1

2. Get Form
   - Form Id: {{form_id_v1}}
   - Output: form_v1

3. Open Form
   - URL: "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/version2/edit"
   - Output: form_id_v2

4. Get Form
   - Form Id: {{form_id_v2}}
   - Output: form_v2

5. Compare:
   - Title Changed: {{form_v1.info.title != form_v2.info.title}}
   - Question Count: {{form_v1.items.length}} vs {{form_v2.items.length}}
   - Questions Added: {{form_v2.items.length - form_v1.items.length}}

6. Generate comparison report

Dynamic Index Calculation​

Safely add questions to the end of a form:

1. Open Form
   - URL: {{form_url}}
   - Output: form_id

2. Get Form
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Output: form

3. Calculate next index:
   - next_index = form.items.length + 1

4. Add Open-Ended Question
   - Form Id: {{form_id}}
   - Question Title: "New question"
   - Index: {{next_index}}
   - Type: Short Answer

This ensures the question is added at the end without hardcoding index values

Form Health Check​

Automated form validation workflow:

1. For Each form_url in monitored_forms:
   - Open Form
     - URL: {{form_url}}
     - Output: form_id

   - Try:
     - Get Form
       - Form Id: {{form_id}}
       - Output: form

     - Validate:
       - Has title: {{form.info.title != ""}}
       - Has questions: {{form.items.length > 0}}
       - Has description: {{form.info.description != ""}}
       - Responder URL active: {{form.responderUri exists}}

     - If all valid:
       - Status: "✓ Healthy"
     - Else:
       - Status: "⚠ Issues found"
       - Details: {{validation_errors}}

   - Catch:
     - Status: "✗ Cannot access form"
     - Error: {{error.message}}

2. Generate health report and send to admins