How to Upload Files to Google Forms Without Login
Allowing file uploads in Google Forms typically forces respondents to sign in. With CustomGForm file upload addons, you can accept files on your public form without requiring a Google login while keeping full control of size limits, count limits, and supported file types.
This guide uses the File Upload addon for text fields. It works with Short Answer and Long Answer fields.
Video placeholder: add a YouTube embed showing the File Upload addon setup.
What you need before you start
- A Google Form with at least one Short Answer or Long Answer field
- A CustomGForm project connected to that form
- Access to the CustomGForm dashboard
Step-by-step: add file uploads without login
Step 1: Add a text field in Google Forms
- Open your Google Form.
- Add a Short answer or Paragraph question.
- Give the field a clear label, such as "Upload resume/CV".
Step 2: Sync your form in CustomGForm
- Go to the CustomGForm dashboard.
- Open the form you want to update.
- Click Refetch Google Form to pull the latest fields.
Step 3: Add a File Upload addon
- Open Field addons.
- Choose File upload as the addon type.
- Select the field you just created.
- Click Add field addon.
Step 4: Configure upload settings
In the File Upload addon modal, configure:
- Allowed file types (choose entire groups or specific extensions)
- Max file size (MB) from 1 to 100 (Hobby: up to 4 MB)
- Max files from 1 to 10 (Hobby: 1 file)
- Optional Upload label and Upload description text
Click Save to apply the addon.
Step 5: Test your form
Check your CustomGForm preview and submit a test response with an attachment. Then verify the uploads in both places:
- CustomGForm Results tab to see the uploaded file linked in your form responses.
- Google Forms Responses tab to confirm the submission is stored in Google as well.
Supported file types
The File Upload addon supports grouped file types. You can enable a full group or pick individual extensions. The table below is generated from the addon constants used in the app.
| Option | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Image | extensions | All image files. .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .svg, .heic, .webp, .bmp, .psd |
| Video | extensions | All video files. .mp4, .mov, .webm |
| Audio | extensions | All audio files. .mp3, .wav, .m4a |
| Text | extensions | Text and markup files. .txt, .csv, .html, .xml |
| Application | extensions | Documents and other files. .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .zip, .rar, .json, .gzip, .odt, .ttf, .stl, .dcm |
Selecting a group automatically selects all its extensions. You can also mix and match individual extensions to create a custom list.
How the addon works behind the scenes
- The addon attaches to a Short Answer or Long Answer field.
- It renders a file upload UI in the CustomGForm form.
- Upload limits are enforced by plan:
- Hobby: max 1 file, max 4 MB per file, 100 MB total storage.
- Pro: max 10 files, max 100 MB per file, 20 GB total storage.
- Allowed file types are controlled by the selected extensions.
Tips and best practices
- Use clear labels like "Upload resume" or "Attach receipt".
- Keep max size aligned with your storage limits and user bandwidth.
- If you need multiple uploads, set Max files to 2 or more and update the label to explain the limit.
Troubleshooting
Uploads are blocked
- Make sure at least one file type is selected.
- Confirm the file extension is included in the allowed list.
Field does not appear in the addon list
- The field must be Short Answer or Long Answer.
- Refetch the form after making changes in Google Forms.
Changes not showing on the live form
- Save the addon settings and refresh the form preview.
- Clear cache or open the form in an incognito window.
Conclusion
You now have a public Google Form that accepts file uploads without requiring a login. Use the File Upload addon to control file types, sizes, and counts while keeping a clean, branded form experience.