Google Forms Import

Import existing Google Forms into NetPad with intelligent field mapping, preserving structure, validation rules, and multi-page layouts.

Overview

NetPad can import forms directly from Google Forms, automatically mapping field types, validation rules, and form structure. This allows you to:

Migrate existing forms from Google Forms to NetPad
Leverage Google Forms as a design tool before customizing in NetPad
Consolidate forms from multiple sources into one platform

Two Import Methods

NetPad offers two ways to import Google Forms, depending on whether your form is public or private:

Method	Authentication	Best For
URL Import	None required	Public forms, quick import, no setup
OAuth Import	Google account	Private forms, full access, better field detection

URL Import (Public Forms)

For publicly accessible Google Forms, simply paste the form URL. NetPad parses the form structure directly from the page without requiring authentication.

How it works:

Paste any public Google Form URL
NetPad fetches and parses the form structure
Preview the field mappings
Import into your project

Supported URL formats:

Full URLs: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/FORM_ID/viewform
Short URLs: https://forms.gle/XXXXX

tip

URL import is the fastest way to import a form. Make sure your Google Form is set to "Anyone with the link can view" for this to work.

OAuth Import (Private Forms)

Connect your Google account to browse and import any form you have access to, including private forms.

Benefits:

Access all your Google Forms, including private ones
Better field type detection using the full Google Forms API
Browse and search your forms library
Pagination support for large form collections

OAuth scopes used (read-only):

forms.readonly - Read form structure and fields
drive.readonly - List forms from your Drive

Supported Field Types

NetPad maps Google Forms field types to equivalent NetPad fields:

Google Forms Type	NetPad Type	Confidence
Short Answer	Text	Exact
Paragraph	Long Text	Exact
Multiple Choice	Radio	Exact
Checkboxes	Checkbox Group	Exact
Dropdown	Dropdown	Exact
Linear Scale	Rating	Exact
Date	Date Picker	Exact
Time	Time Picker	Exact
File Upload	File Upload	Exact
Multiple Choice Grid	Matrix	Approximate
Checkbox Grid	Matrix	Approximate

Mapping Confidence

Each field mapping shows a confidence level:

Exact: Perfect 1:1 mapping between Google Forms and NetPad
Approximate: Mapped to the closest equivalent (e.g., grid questions become matrix fields)

Preserved Features

The import process preserves many Google Forms features:

Field Properties

Required/optional status
Field descriptions and help text
Options for choice fields (radio, checkbox, dropdown)
Scale ranges and labels for rating fields

Validation Rules

Number validation → Number field type
Email validation → Email field type
URL validation → URL field type
Min/max length constraints
Regular expression patterns

Form Structure

Form title and description
Multi-page structure with page breaks
Field ordering

File Uploads

Maximum file count
Maximum file size
Allowed file types

Import Wizard

The import wizard guides you through the process:

Step 1: Choose Method

Select URL import or OAuth import based on your needs.

Step 2: Enter Source

URL method: Paste the Google Form URL
OAuth method: Connect your Google account and select from your forms

Step 3: Preview

Review the import before committing:

See all field mappings with confidence indicators
View any warnings about unsupported features
Check which fields will be created

Step 4: Import

Execute the import with progress tracking.

Step 5: Complete

View import summary
Open the form directly in the Form Builder
Customize and enhance your imported form

How to Import

Navigate to the Forms page within an application
Click the Import dropdown button
Select Import from Google Forms
Follow the import wizard steps

Limitations

Some Google Forms features cannot be imported:

Feature	Status	Notes
Go-to section logic	Not imported	Conditional navigation not supported
Image items	Skipped	Images embedded in forms are not imported
Video items	Skipped	Videos embedded in forms are not imported
TEXT_CONTAINS validation	Warning	Cannot be directly translated
TEXT_NOT_CONTAINS validation	Warning	Cannot be directly translated
Grading/quiz features	Not imported	Quiz metadata is not preserved

warning

These limitations are shown in the preview step so you can review them before importing.

Import Metadata

Each imported form stores complete provenance information:

{
  "source": "google_forms" | "google_forms_url",
  "sourceFormId": "original-google-form-id",
  "sourceFormUrl": "https://docs.google.com/forms/...",
  "sourceFormTitle": "Original Form Title",
  "importedAt": "2026-01-26T10:30:00Z",
  "mappingReport": {
    "totalSourceItems": 15,
    "successfulMappings": 14,
    "warnings": [...],
    "unsupportedItems": [...]
  }
}

This enables:

Tracking where forms originated
Audit trail of imports
Future re-import capabilities

After Import

Once imported, your form is fully customizable in NetPad:

Add advanced features not available in Google Forms:
- Conditional logic (show/hide fields)
- Computed fields with formulas
- Lookup fields for database references
- Repeater fields for dynamic arrays
Connect to workflows for automation:
- Email notifications on submission
- Data processing pipelines
- Integration with external services
Publish with more options:
- Custom URLs and slugs
- Embeddable forms
- Access control (public, authenticated, restricted)
- Bot protection

API Endpoints

For programmatic access, NetPad provides API endpoints for Google Forms import:

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	`/api/integrations/google-forms`	List credentials or forms
POST	`/api/integrations/google-forms/parse-url`	Parse public form from URL
GET	`/api/integrations/google-forms/preview`	Preview OAuth form import
POST	`/api/integrations/google-forms/import`	Execute OAuth import
POST	`/api/integrations/google-forms/import-url`	Execute URL import

Parse URL Example

curl -X POST https://your-netpad-instance/api/integrations/google-forms/parse-url \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/FORM_ID/viewform"}'

Import URL Example

curl -X POST https://your-netpad-instance/api/integrations/google-forms/import-url \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/FORM_ID/viewform",
    "orgId": "your-org-id",
    "projectId": "your-project-id",
    "customizations": {
      "name": "Custom Form Name"
    }
  }'

Best Practices

Preview before importing - Always review the field mappings and warnings before committing to an import.
Check validation rules - Some Google Forms validation types cannot be directly translated. Review the warnings and add equivalent validation in NetPad after import.
Test the imported form - After import, test the form to ensure all fields work as expected.
Enhance with NetPad features - Take advantage of NetPad's advanced features like conditional logic, computed fields, and workflow automation.
Keep source reference - The import metadata preserves the source URL, making it easy to reference the original form if needed.

Overview​

Two Import Methods​

URL Import (Public Forms)​

OAuth Import (Private Forms)​

Supported Field Types​

Mapping Confidence​

Preserved Features​

Field Properties​

Validation Rules​

Form Structure​

File Uploads​

Import Wizard​

Step 1: Choose Method​

Step 2: Enter Source​

Step 3: Preview​

Step 4: Import​

Step 5: Complete​

How to Import​

Limitations​

Import Metadata​

After Import​

API Endpoints​

Parse URL Example​

Import URL Example​

Best Practices​