How to add a choice eliminator to Google Forms

When you use online forms to schedule appointments or sell products, you need to be sure customers aren’t choosing the same time slot or ordering something that’s out of stock. Scheduling, inventory, and event signups can become messy and ineffective when people are still allowed to select options even after the available times or items are taken — leaving more work for you. That’s why using a reliable choice eliminator can be crucial to your form’s effectiveness.

A choice eliminator automatically removes an option from an online form once it’s been selected or a limit on that option has been reached. If Google Forms is your form builder of choice, you should be aware that it doesn’t have this functionality built in. So, what are your options?

Below, we cover how to add a choice eliminator to Google Forms using a third-party add-on, and show you how you can get more out of your forms with Jotform widgets instead.

Can you natively eliminate choices in Google Forms?

No. Google Forms doesn’t have a native choice eliminator feature. If you want your form choices to change dynamically — specifically to remove an option once it’s selected or limit responses per option in Google Forms — you’ll need to use third-party Google Workspace Marketplace add-ons. 

There are several third-party add-ons you can use to do the job, such as Form Choice Limiter, Choice Eliminator for Google Forms, and more.

How to install a choice eliminator add-on

A choice eliminator add-on works great for questions related to scheduling, product sales, or event planning. It’s especially suited for dropdowns in Google Forms as well as multiple-choice questions. 

The steps below show how to download and install a choice eliminator add-on from Google Workspace Marketplace. Note that, before you begin, you’ll need to have a Google Form already prepared that has unique answer options for each question. For example, if you have a Google Form for scheduling, you’ll need to have unique Google Forms appointment slots (days and/or times) as the dropdown answer options.

1. In your Google Form, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.

2. Select Get add-ons.

3. Search for “choice eliminator” and choose the add-on you want to use. Click Install. Provide the necessary permissions and access to install the add-on.

4. Click on the dropdown question you want to limit.
5. Depending on the add-on you’ve chosen, you may need to select the tool specifically from the add-ons list, or it may open up automatically. 
6. In the popup box that appears, configure your option limits.

After you’ve added a choice eliminator add-on to any questions you’d like to place limits on, be sure to test it out. Send yourself a link to make sure your form works before sending it to respondents.

Be aware that, because you’re limited to using a third-party add-on, you may experience a number of issues, such as a sync delay, installation errors, or functionality problems. Some third-party add-ons tend to be glitchy and unreliable, making this a subpar option for small businesses, educators, and other professionals. Thankfully, third-party choice eliminator add-ons are not the only method available when you want to limit choices in online forms.

How to eliminate choices without add-ons using Jotform

If you want to prevent double bookings on your online forms, the best solution is to use a sophisticated form builder that offers choice elimination as a native feature. Jotform is a leading Google Forms alternative that comes with a number of form widgets for choice elimination — no installation issues, sync delays, or glitches to worry about.

Check out these three popular choice eliminator options in Jotform.

1. Appointment Slots Widget

If you want to give your target audience the ability to schedule an appointment online — such as for meetings, interviews, or medical checkups — use the Jotform Appointment Slots Widget. 

All you have to do is add the widget to your form and customize the date and time slots. It lets you configure appointment start and end times, lunch breaks, maximum number of appointments, and more. You can even set vacation days when you’re not able to take appointments. It’s the best way to avoid double bookings.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open your Jotform form.
2. Click Form Elements. Scroll down and click on Appointments. Jotform will open the widget.

3. Click on the Properties (cog) icon. This will open up the Appointment Properties menu, where you can customize the widget.

4. Review the appointment settings and edit them to meet your needs. You can sync the appointments with your calendar, select appointment slot durations, specify appointment limits, set reminder emails, and more. Jotform will automatically customize your form as you update the Appointment Properties.

2. Inventory Widget

If you want to avoid overselling products or overbooking events, the Jotform Inventory Widget is a good option. 

When you add it to your online form, you can specify the number of items you have in stock or the number of spaces you have at the event. Once stock or space has run out, the widget will automatically block users from selecting that option. This widget is useful for collecting product orders with limited inventory, selling tickets to limited-seating events, and collecting signups with group size limits. 

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open your Jotform form.
2. Click Form Elements, then click Widgets. Search for and click on Inventory. Jotform will open the widget.

3. Customize the widget using the Widget Settings menu. You can set the description, image, quantity, error message, and more. Click Update once you’re done.

3. Gift Registry Widget

If you want to make sure multiple people don’t purchase the same gifts from a registry, the Jotform Gift Registry Widget can help. It ensures that the total number of items available is lowered accordingly when someone purchases an item (or items). This widget is ideal for wedding and baby shower registries and similar events.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open your Jotform form.
2. Click Form Elements, then click Widgets. Search for and click on Gift Registry. Jotform will open the widget.

3. Customize the widget using the Widget Settings menu. You can set the item names, maximum selection, counter label positioning, and more. Click Update once you’re done.

Need more reasons to switch to Jotform? Here are a few

You’ve seen how to add a choice eliminator add-on to Google Forms, and the results are lackluster. Many third-party choice eliminator add-ons can be glitchy and unreliable options that businesses, educators, and professionals can’t depend on. With Jotform, on the other hand, you get access to excellent built-in widgets for specific use cases so that you can add the best type of choice elimination functionality to each form. 

Built-in choice elimination isn’t the only benefit of using Jotform. This popular form builder towers over Google Forms in multiple areas, such as: 

• Thousands of form templates: You never have to build a form from scratch with Jotform. Unlike Google Forms, it comes with over 20,000 form templates and over 1,000 designer form themes so that you can skip the manual setup and simply customize a form to meet your needs. This saves you countless hours, which you can use on other important tasks. 
• Advanced form features: Google Forms gives you the basics, while Jotform offers sophisticated features — like granular conditional logic so you can present only the most relevant form fields to your target audience.
• Built-in payment collection: There’s no need for payment add-ons with Jotform. You can accept one-time or recurring payments directly by connecting with popular payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and more.
• Native e-signature collection: When you’re using waivers, petitions, contracts, and other documents that require signatures, Jotform offers built-in electronic signatures with Jotform Sign — no add-on required.
• Multistep workflow automation: You can automate approvals, notifications, and follow-ups based on form responses, minimizing manual work and ensuring nothing important falls through the cracks. 
• Easy access for users: Responders can fill out and submit forms — and even upload files — without having to sign into an account. With Google Forms, sign-in is a requirement for uploading documents. 
• Easy-to-use fillable PDFs: Instantly convert static PDF documents into dynamic, fillable web forms without any coding or configuration.
• Mobile-ready forms: Create responsive forms that work on any device, including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops. No need to fiddle with settings because everything just automatically works.

You can’t leave important scheduling or inventory matters to unreliable third-party add-ons. It’s a recipe for disaster that leads to manual cleanup and headaches. Instead, use a form builder like Jotform, which offers multiple native widgets for choice elimination along with advanced form options. Jotform’s choice elimination widgets are easy to use, completely free, highly customizable, and reliable.

Ready to move your forms to Jotform?

Migrate Forms to Jotform

Best of all, if you’ve already built your form in Google Forms, you don’t have to set it up again in Jotform. Simply migrate your Google Forms to Jotform with a single click, and we’ll move everything over for you automatically. Within a minute, you can start using Jotform’s choice elimination widgets in your form. Try Jotform today, and see why users trust it over Google Forms.