Can I go to a specific section in a google form with a pre-filled URL?

Question

I have created a Google Form with 6 sections (pages). The answer to the question in the first section goes to sections 2, 3, 4, or 5 based on the answer. Then, the final section (section 6) is answered by all. As a shortcut, I have generated pre-filled URLs with answers to Section 1 and then the corresponding other section (2,3,4,or 5). I am creating QR codes so people can scan from their device. I'd like the QR code URL to go straight to Section 6 with the pre-filled values for the earlier sections. Unfortunately, the pre-filled URL Google Forms generates goes to section 1 and the user could theoretically change the values and has 2 unnecessary steps.

I do want to maintain the option to fill out the first sections in the form, as sometimes people access this form without access to the QR code with the pre-filled sections complete.

Any ideas on how to get the pre-filled url to go straight to section 6 and skip the first two steps?

I looked into triggers for the form to see if I could write a script to go to page, but all of the simple triggers require users to have edit access to the form. I don't see any triggers for opening a form to submit responses.

I also tried this: https://bionicteaching.com/silent-submission-of-google-forms/ I was hoping it attempt to submit the form but kick back to section 6 as that question response is flagged as "required" and it is blank. Unfortunately, that didn't work, it submitted the form without the required response. :(

Answer 1

Facts checking about Google Forms

As of June 9th, 2024,

1. When using a prefilled url, it's impossible to set which section will be shown first to the form respondent.

2. Google Forms has item types that are not questions:

   • Title and Description
   • Image
   • Youtube video

3. When editing a form, each section has a dropdown to select what section should be shown when clicking the Next button.

Options

1. Change the order of the sections.
2. Add a "Start" / "Welcome" section as the first section. You might have the first section with no items, or if you prefer, include a Title and description item and other non-question form items. On the dropdown at the bottom of the section, select the first section that is expected to be filled by the form respondents.

Put the sections that should not be viewed after the first section that should be viewed by the form respondents at the end. If the last section that should be viewed by the form respondents is not the last one, in the After section dropdown select Submit Form.

Bonus

If it makes sense to prefill all the required answers, instead of using a prefilled form, you might use code to create a form submission for each respondent, setting the "default" answers and collecting the edit form response URL instead of using the prefilled URL each to each respondent a prefilled URL.

Answer 2

The OP has two goals:

• a Form Submission URL that enables users to complete the entire form (Sections 1 to 6).
• a QR-based Form Submission URL that will to open at Section 6 and restrict users from changing answers to questions in Sections 1 to 5.

Regarding the QR-based Form URL:
it is not possible to open the Form at Section 6 nor restrict users from changing answers to previous questions. However, I would like to suggest a work-around:

QR-Based Form

• Create a copy of the Form
• Save the copy for use as the QR-based Form
• Delete sections 1 to 5
• The existing link to Sheets will have been deleted when the Form was copied so link the to Sheets using the same spreadsheet as the original form.
  • This will create a new sheet for the QR-based Form.
  • The spreadsheet will now have two active Form Response sheets:
    • one for the complete Form
    • one for the QR-Based Form

The Submission URL

• Distribute the appropriate Form Submission URL for the QR code

Data Analysis

• Create a query that combines the results of both Form Response Sheets.
  • For the QR-based Form, include the actual data (Section 6) as well as data values for the given responses to Sections 1 to 5.