Introduction:

Google Forms has become ubiquitous for data collection, surveys, quizzes, and more. It offers a user-friendly interface for gathering information. However, managing and analyzing the data collected through Google Forms can be a daunting task. This is where Google Sheets comes to the rescue. With its powerful data management capabilities, Google Sheets becomes the ideal companion for wrangling and making sense of your form responses.

In this article, we’ll explore 15 formulas that will empower you to enhance your Google Form responses within Google Sheets. These formulas automate tasks, analyze data, and help you gain deeper insights from your collected information.

5 Real World Applications of Google Sheet Formulas

(1) Find Duplicate Google Form Submissions: Duplicate submissions can skew your data and create confusion. By using the COUNTIF formula, you can easily identify and manage duplicate responses. This ensures that your analysis is based on clean, unique data. Use the formula below

=ArrayFormula(

  IFS (

    ROW(A:A)=1, “Is Duplicate Entry?”,

    LEN(A:A)=0, IFERROR(1/0),

    LEN(A:A)>0, IF(COUNTIF(B:B, B:B) > 1, “YES”, “”)

  ))

(2) Email Form Responses with AutoFill Values: Imagine sending personalized confirmation emails to respondents automatically. The VLOOKUP formula, coupled with Google Sheets’ built-in email capabilities, allows you to achieve this efficiently. Respondents receive customized confirmation emails with their form data. You can also use Document Studio to send email to the form respondent automatically.

(3) Extract the First Name of the Form Respondent: Personalization is key in communication. By extracting the first names of respondents using the SPLIT and INDEX functions, you can address them by name in your correspondence or analysis.

=ArrayFormula(

  IFS(

    ROW(A:A)=1, “First Name”,

    LEN(A:A)=0, IFERROR(1/0),

    LEN(A:A)>0, PROPER(REGEXEXTRACT(B:B, “^[^\s+]+”))

  ))

(4) Assign Quiz Scores in Google Forms: If you’re using Google Forms for quizzes, the IF and SUM functions are your allies. You can set up conditional scoring to automatically grade quizzes and calculate total scores. This simplifies the grading process, especially for large groups of respondents. For example, which urban center is famously referred to as the large citrus fruit? This is a brief-response inquiry on Google Forms, allowing students to provide answers such as New York, New York City, NYC, and still receive full credit. The instructor needs to allocate 10 points to the accurate response.

=ArrayFormula(

    IF(ROW(A:A) = 1,

      “Quiz Score”,

      IFS(

        ISBLANK(A:A), “”,

        REGEXMATCH(LOWER({B:B}), “new\s?york”), 10,

        {B:B} = “NYC”, 10,

        TRUE, 0

      )

    )

)

(5) Auto-Number Form Responses with a Unique ID: Maintaining a unique identifier for each form response is essential for data organization and tracking. By using the custom formula provided in the link, you can assign a unique ID to each response, making it easy to reference and analyze your data.

=ArrayFormula(

  IFS(

    ROW(A:A)=1, “Invoice ID”,

    LEN(A:A)=0, IFERROR(1/0),

    LEN(A:A)>0, LEFT(CONCAT(REPT(“0”,5), ROW(A:A) -1),6)

  )

)

VLOOKUP Formula:

The VLOOKUP formula is a powerful tool for matching data from different sheets or ranges within Google Sheets. Here’s how it works:

VLOOKUP stands for “Vertical Lookup.” It allows you to search for a specific value in a column (usually the first column of a range), and once it finds a match, it returns a value from the same row in a specified column within that range.

Formula =VLOOKUP(search_key, range, index, [is_sorted])

Use Case: Linking Form Responses to Relevant Data

Imagine you have a Google Form where students submit their names along with their scores. In a separate sheet, you have a list of all the students’ names and their corresponding IDs. You can use VLOOKUP to match the student names from the form responses with their IDs from the other sheet. This ensures that you have an organized record of each student’s score linked to their unique ID.

HLOOKUP Formula:

While VLOOKUP focuses on vertical lookup, the HLOOKUP formula is all about horizontal lookup. Here’s a brief introduction.

HLOOKUP stands for “Horizontal Lookup.” It’s used to search for a specific value in the first row of a range, and once it finds a match, it returns a value from the same column in a specified row within that range.

Formula =HLOOKUP(search_key, range, index, [is_sorted])

 

Use Case: Retrieving Specific Details

For example, suppose you have an employee database where each row represents an employee, and the first row contains their unique IDs. You can use HLOOKUP to search for a specific employee ID and retrieve their details, such as their name, department, and contact information from the corresponding columns. This is particularly useful for quick data retrieval based on a unique identifier like an employee ID.

 INDEX-MATCH Formula:

The INDEX-MATCH combination is a versatile way to perform lookup operations in Google Sheets. Here’s how it works:

• INDEX: This function returns the value of a cell in a specified row and column of a given range.
• MATCH: This function searches for a specified value in a range and returns the relative position of that item.

When used together, INDEX and MATCH allow you to perform two-dimensional lookups, which are incredibly flexible and accurate.

Formula =INDEX(range_to_return_value_from, MATCH(lookup_value, range_to_match_against, [match_type]))

Use Case: Retrieving Data from Large Datasets

Imagine you have a large dataset where you want to retrieve specific information based on two criteria. For example, you have sales data with regions and product categories, and you want to retrieve sales figures for a particular region and category. The INDEX-MATCH combination allows you to do this with precision. It’s especially handy when working with extensive datasets where VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP might not be sufficient.

SUMIFS Formula:

The SUMIFS formula is a fantastic tool for calculating sums based on multiple conditions. Here’s how it operates:

How SUMIFS Can Calculate Sums Based on Multiple Conditions

• SUMIFS allows you to add up values that meet multiple criteria. You specify the range to sum, the criteria ranges, and the criteria themselves. It then sums only the values that meet all the specified criteria.

=SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2, …])

Use Case: Aggregating Responses That Meet Specific Criteria

Let’s say you have a dataset containing sales figures, and you want to calculate the total sales for a specific region and a particular product category. SUMIFS is perfect for this task. You can set the criteria to match the region and category, and it will sum only the sales that meet both conditions, providing you with an accurate total.

COUNTIFS Formula:

The COUNTIFS formula is a versatile tool for counting occurrences based on specific criteria. Here’s how you can utilize it:

COUNTIFS allows you to count the number of cells within a range that meets multiple criteria. You specify the range, followed by pairs of criteria range and criteria. It then counts the cells that meet all the specified conditions.

=COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2, …])

Use Case: Tallying Responses Meeting Specific Conditions

Suppose you have a feedback form where respondents rate your product, and you want to count the number of positive feedback responses with a rating of 4 or 5. COUNTIFS can help you tally these responses by specifying the range of ratings and the criteria for positive feedback. This gives you a quick count of satisfied customers.

AVERAGEIFS Formula:

AVERAGEIFS is your go-to formula for calculating averages with specific conditions:

• AVERAGEIFS calculates the average of values in a specified range that meets multiple criteria. You specify the range to average, followed by pairs of criteria range and criteria. It calculates the average for cells that meet all the specified conditions.

=AVERAGEIFS(average_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2, …])

Use Case: Calculating Average Ratings for a Particular Product Category

Imagine you have a dataset with product ratings and product categories. To find the average rating for a specific product category, you can use AVERAGEIFS. Set the criteria to match the desired product category, and it will give you the average rating for that category, helping you identify the most highly rated products.

CONCATENATE Formula:

The CONCATENATE formula is your solution for merging text strings:

• CONCATENATE combines multiple text strings into one. You simply input the text strings or cell references you want to merge, and it creates a single, concatenated string.

=CONCATENATE(text1, text2, …)

Use Case: Combining First and Last Names for a Complete Name Column

Suppose you have separate columns for first and last names, and you want to create a single column with complete names. CONCATENATE can help you merge these columns, providing you with a consolidated “Full Name” column. This is particularly useful for personalization and addressing respondents by their full names.

TEXT Formula:

The TEXT formula is your tool for formatting dates, numbers, and text:

• TEXT allows you to format values as text with specified formats. You input the value or cell reference and the desired format, and it converts the value into the specified format.

=TEXT(value, format_text)

Use Case: Formatting Date and Time Responses to a Consistent Format

When respondents provide date and time responses in various formats, using TEXT can standardize them to a consistent format. For example, if you have dates in different formats (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY and DD-MM-YYYY), TEXT can convert them all into a uniform format, making data analysis and visualization more manageable.

LEFT and RIGHT Formulas:

The LEFT and RIGHT formulas are essential for extracting specific characters from a string:

How LEFT and RIGHT Can Extract Specific Characters from a String

• LEFT extracts a specified number of characters from the beginning (left) of a text string.
• RIGHT extracts a specified number of characters from the end (right) of a text string.

=LEFT(text, num_chars)

=RIGHT(text, num_chars)

Use Case: Splitting Full Names into First and Last Names

Suppose you have a column with full names, and you want to split them into separate columns for first and last names. LEFT and RIGHT can help you achieve this by specifying the number of characters to extract from the left and right sides of the full name, respectively. This simplifies data organization and analysis.

LEN Formula:

The LEN formula is a straightforward yet valuable tool for counting characters in a cell:

LEN returns the number of characters in a specified cell. It helps you quickly determine the length of text within a cell.

=LEN(text)

Use Case: Validating Input Length

Imagine you have a Google Form with a comment box where respondents can provide feedback. You might want to restrict the length of their comments to ensure brevity. You can use LEN to validate the input length and set up conditional formatting or alerts to notify respondents when they exceed the character limit.

UPPER and LOWER Formulas:

The UPPER and LOWER formulas are handy for changing the case of text:

How UPPER and LOWER Change Text Case

• UPPER converts text to all uppercase letters.
• LOWER converts text to all lowercase letters.

=UPPER(text)

=LOWER(text)

Use Case: Standardizing Text

Suppose you have data with inconsistent text cases, making analysis challenging. UPPER and LOWER can standardize the text by converting all entries to either uppercase or lowercase, ensuring uniformity in your dataset.

IF Formula:

The IF formula introduces conditional logic to your data:

• IF allows you to perform different actions based on a specified condition. It returns one value if the condition is true and another if it’s false.

=IF(logical_expression, value_if_true, value_if_false)

Use Case: Assigning Labels

For example, if you’re conducting a test with a passing score of 70, you can use IF to assign labels like “Pass” or “Fail” to each respondent’s score. This automates the grading process and provides clear outcomes based on specific conditions.

ARRAYFORMULA:

The ARRAYFORMULA is a powerful tool for applying a formula to an entire range:

Demonstrating ARRAYFORMULA for Applying a Formula to a Range

• ARRAYFORMULA allows you to perform calculations, transformations, or operations on a range of cells. It’s particularly useful when you want to apply a formula to an entire column or row, saving you time and effort.

=ARRAYFORMULA(array_formula)

Use Case: Automatically Calculating Totals

Suppose you have a Google Form with multiple-choice questions, and you want to calculate the total score for each respondent. ARRAYFORMULA can automatically apply a formula to each row, summing up the scores for all questions without the need to drag the formula down manually.

IMPORTRANGE Formula:

The IMPORTRANGE formula fetches data from other Google Sheets:

How IMPORTRANGE Can Fetch Data from Other Google Sheets

• IMPORTRANGE allows you to import data from a different Google Sheets document. You specify the document URL and the range of data to import.

=IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, range_string)

Use Case: Consolidating Data

If you have multiple Google Forms collecting data into separate sheets and want to consolidate this information into one master sheet, IMPORTRANGE can help. It retrieves data from different sheets, making it easy to centralize your data for analysis.

QUERY Formula:

The QUERY formula is a powerful tool for filtering, sorting, and summarizing data:

• QUERY enables you to create customized reports by selecting specific columns and rows from your dataset. It also allows you to apply filters, conditions, and sorting options.

=QUERY(data, query, [headers])

Use Case: Creating Customized Reports

Imagine you have a large dataset with responses from various Google Forms, and you want to create customized reports for different stakeholders. QUERY can help you extract the relevant data, apply filters to select specific subsets, and sort or summarize it to generate tailored reports.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, these 15 formulas expand your data management capabilities in Google Sheets. Whether you’re validating input length, standardizing text cases, applying conditional logic, automating calculations, importing data from other sheets, or creating customized reports, these formulas offer efficiency and precision in handling your data.

Ensure to explore and adapt these formulas to your unique data management needs. As you harness the power of these tools, you’ll find that working with Google Forms responses in Google Sheets becomes more efficient and effective, allowing you to gain deeper insights and make informed decisions from your collected data.