FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Form Limiter

Common questions about Form Limiter features and usage.

Form Limiter is a Google Forms Add-on that automatically manages form availability based on response counts, schedules, and individual choice limits. It helps you control when and how many responses your form accepts.

Is Form Limiter free?

Form Limiter offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card required. After the trial, a paid subscription is required to continue using the Add-on. View pricing.

What happens to my forms when my trial or subscription ends?

Your forms and settings are never deleted, and any limits you already set up keep working. A form set to close at a response count, on a schedule, or with per-choice limits will still close and eliminate choices exactly as you configured it — respondents see no change. What needs a paid plan is managing limits: adding or changing them, and resuming a form you've paused. You can still turn the add-on off at any time, and Form Limiter never deletes your Google Forms or their responses.

Can my school or organization pay by invoice instead of a card?

Yes. For schools and organizations we can issue an invoice you can pay by bank transfer, and we can provide a quote for a purchase order. We can also provide a VAT-compliant invoice. Contact us with your details and we'll set it up.

Do you offer a domain-wide license or school discounts?

Yes. A domain license covers everyone in your Google Workspace domain under a single annual subscription with centralized billing — no per-user seats — usually the best fit for schools, universities, and companies rolling Form Limiter out organization-wide. Schools, universities, and non-profits can also request reduced pricing. See the Domain plan on the pricing page, or contact us for a quote.

Where can I download Form Limiter?

Install directly from the Google Workspace Marketplace. No separate download required.

How do I access Form Limiter?

Open your Google Form, click the puzzle piece icon (Add-ons), and select Form Limiter. The Add-on opens in a sidebar panel.

Does Form Limiter work on published forms?

Yes. You can configure limits on published forms. Changes take effect immediately - if you set a response limit below your current count, the form closes right away.

Will it slow down Google Forms?

No. Form Limiter works independently and doesn't impact Google Forms performance.

What happens if I disable Form Limiter?

When you disable the master toggle, all automatic limits (response count, schedule, choice elimination) are paused. Your settings are preserved. If the form was closed by Form Limiter, it reopens automatically.

Response Limits

How does the response count limit work?

Set a maximum number of responses. When reached, the form automatically closes and displays your custom message. The count updates in real-time as responses come in.

What message do respondents see when the form is full?

You can customize the closed-form message. The default is "This form is no longer accepting responses."

Can I increase the limit after the form closes?

Yes. Increase the maximum responses value, and the form reopens automatically if your current count is below the new limit.

How accurate is the response count?

The count updates within seconds of each submission. Multiple simultaneous submissions are handled correctly - each increments the count atomically.

Scheduler

How does scheduling work?

Set an open date and close date. The form only accepts responses during this window:

Before open date: Form stays closed
Between dates: Form accepts responses
After close date: Form closes automatically

How precise is the open/close time?

Form Limiter schedules the open and close to run at the times you set (choosable in 5-minute steps). Google's timer runs the action on time or shortly after — usually within a minute, and never early. Set your close time at (or just after) your real deadline to allow for that small delay.

Why must open and close be at least an hour apart?

When you set both an open and a close time, they must be at least 1 hour apart. Google runs a Forms add-on's scheduled check at most once per hour, so a shorter window can't be enforced reliably. Setting only a close time has no minimum.

Can I schedule recurring events?

Not currently. Each form has a single open/close window. For recurring events, you'll need to update the dates manually.

What happens if I manually open a form that was closed by schedule?

If you disable Form Limiter to reopen the form, then re-enable it while still within the close period, the form will close again at the scheduled time. To keep it open, change the close date to a future time.

Can the open date be after the close date?

No. The open time must come before the close time — and when you set both, they must be at least 1 hour apart (a Google platform limit).

Choice Elimination

What is Choice Elimination?

Automatically remove choices from multiple choice, checkbox, or dropdown questions when they reach a response limit. Perfect for sign-ups, reservations, or capacity-limited options.

Which question types support Choice Elimination?

Multiple Choice
Checkbox
Dropdown (List)

How do I set limits per choice?

Open the Choice Elimination modal for a question, then enter a limit for each choice. Set 0 or leave blank for unlimited.

Can I set the same limit for all choices at once?

Yes. In the Choice Elimination modal, enter a number in the "Apply to All" field and click the button. This sets every choice in that question to the same limit. Use 0 to reset all choices to unlimited.

What happens when a choice reaches its limit?

The choice is removed from the form so new respondents can't select it. A "No spots available" placeholder appears if all choices are removed.

Can I restore a removed choice?

Yes, if the current count is below the limit. Click the undo icon next to the removed choice. Choices at or above their limit show a lock icon instead.

Why do I see choices that aren't on my form?

Form Limiter tracks choices that were removed or have existing responses. This includes choices you deleted from the form but still have response data.

How do I delete orphaned choices?

In the Choice Elimination modal, orphaned choices (0 responses, not on form) show a delete button. Click it to permanently remove the tracking data.

How accurate are choice counts?

Choice counts are cached for performance and update on each form submission. Use the "Recount" button for a full recount if you suspect drift.

What happens with concurrent submissions?

If two users submit simultaneously for the last available spot, both submissions are recorded but the choice is removed after the first one pushes it over the limit. This is the expected behavior - Form Limiter doesn't reject submissions, it removes choices for future respondents.

How do choice counts update?

Choice counts are cached for performance and update automatically on each form submission. Use the "Recount" button to refresh them immediately if you suspect they've drifted.

Is there a limit on how many choices a question can have?

Yes. Google Forms enforces a maximum number of choices per question (around 500). If your question has more choices than this, Form Limiter will use only the first 500. This is a Google Forms platform limitation, not a Form Limiter restriction.

Does choice elimination work with the "Add other" option?

Yes. If your multiple choice or checkbox question has "Add other" enabled, choice elimination preserves this setting. Custom "Other" responses are unlimited and don't count toward choice limits. When all predefined choices reach their limits, the "Other" option remains available instead of showing the "No spots available" placeholder.

Clear Responses

What does "Clear responses" do?

It exports all form responses to a new Google Sheet, then deletes them from the form. This resets your form for reuse - choice counts go to 0 and removed choices are restored.

Where is the export saved?

A new Google Sheet is created in your Google Drive with the name "Form Title - Backup - Date".

Is this the same as the linked spreadsheet?

No. If your form has a linked spreadsheet, that data remains untouched. The export creates a separate backup sheet.

What if I have no responses?

The modal shows an informational message explaining the feature. No action is available until you have responses to clear.

Can I undo a clear?

No. Once responses are deleted from the form, they cannot be restored. However, your data is preserved in the exported Google Sheet.

"Clear responses" failed with an error — did I lose my responses?

No. Form Limiter always creates the backup Google Sheet before it deletes anything from the form. If the export fails partway — for example a Google Drive storage-quota or a temporary rate-limit error — nothing is deleted and all your responses stay in the form. Free up Google Drive space (or wait a minute for a temporary error to clear) and try again.

What does "Last export" mean?

Shows the date and response count from your most recent clear operation. Click "Open" to view the exported sheet.

Open the QR Code modal from the Form tab. You can:

Scan the QR code directly
Download as PNG
Copy the link
Share via social platforms (WhatsApp, SMS, Email, X, LinkedIn, Telegram)

What size is the QR code download?

The PNG export is high resolution, suitable for printing on flyers or posters.

Notifications

What notifications does Form Limiter send?

When the form closes (due to response limit or schedule)
24 hours before a scheduled close
When the form reopens (if re-enabled after auto-close)

How do I configure notifications?

Enter your email address and toggle on/off for:

"Notify when limit reached"
"Notify 24h before closing"

Who receives the notifications?

Only the email address you configure. By default, this is the form owner's email.

Troubleshooting

Installing, account, and device questions — finding or opening the Add-on, the wrong Google account showing, multiple editors, and mobile support — are answered in our Common Questions.

I'm not receiving notifications

Check your spam folder. Ensure you enabled notifications in the Add-on settings and entered the correct email address.

Important: Notifications are sent via Google's servers on behalf of your email address. If your email domain has strict DMARC/SPF policies (common with custom domains like iCloud Mail, ProtonMail, or corporate email), messages may be rejected. Use a Gmail address for notifications to avoid this issue.

My form didn't close at the right time (timezone)

Check your Google account timezone settings. Form Limiter uses your account's timezone for scheduling.

Can I edit or delete my settings?

Yes. All limit settings are fully customizable and can be removed anytime through the Add-on interface.

Why isn't my form closing at the set time?

Form Limiter closes the form at the time you set, or shortly after — never early. Google runs the scheduled close through its own timer, usually within a minute, but it doesn't guarantee an exact-to-the-second moment, so a small delay at the boundary is normal. If it hasn't closed after several minutes, check that your Google account timezone is correct.

I copied a form and it stopped enforcing my settings

When you make a copy of a Google Form, Google copies your questions and your Form Limiter settings, but it does not carry over the background trigger that enforces them — counting responses, closing the form, eliminating choices, and sending notifications — a Google Forms limitation with copies. Just open Form Limiter once on the copied form to re-activate it. You only need to do this once per copy, and you don't need any responses first.

Some of my forms stopped working and I see a message about "20 triggers"

Google limits every account to 20 background triggers across all your forms and add-ons combined. When you reach that limit, a new form can't run automatically, and Form Limiter shows a banner: "Form Limiter can't run — you're using all 20 triggers." To free up a slot, open a form you no longer need and turn Form Limiter off there, then reopen it on the form you want enforced. A single form that uses both a response limit and a schedule counts as two triggers.

Why are my choice counts wrong?

Choice counts are cached. Click "Recount" in the Choice Elimination section for a full recount from all responses.

The form closed but I didn't set any limits

Check if you have:

A response limit enabled with current count >= max
A schedule with a close date in the past
Choice Elimination with all choices removed

Paused choice elimination

Why Form Limiter pauses choice elimination on a question and how to resolve it