Why Google Forms asks people to sign in
Google's own help page for question types is clear: for the File upload question, “responders need to sign in to a Google Account”, and uploaded files are stored in a new folder in the form owner's Google Drive. Google also says you can't use the question type at all if the form is stored in a shared drive or if your administrator has turned on Data Loss Prevention (Google Docs Editors Help, “Choose a type of question for your form”).
That rule makes sense for Google – it ties every uploaded file to a known account – but it creates a sign-in wall for anyone who:
- doesn't have a Google Account (common for job applicants, parents and many business clients);
- is signed in with a work or school account that can't be used outside its organisation;
- would rather not share their Google identity with a form they're filling in once.
Those people either give up, or email the file to you instead – which is exactly the mess a form is supposed to prevent.
Your options
| Option | Respondent signs in? | Where files end up | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Forms' File upload question | Yes, Google Account required | Your Google Drive | The sign-in wall; not available in shared drives or with DLP turned on |
| Ask people to email files | No | Your inbox | Files get separated from answers; manual filing and renaming |
| A form add-on that hosts the upload | No | Depends on the vendor – some store files on their own servers | Check storage caps and where your data is kept |
| NoLoginUpload | No | Your Google Drive, one folder per response | Respondents use a NoLoginUpload link or embed instead of the docs.google.com link |
How NoLoginUpload works
- Keep your Google Form. Add a Short answer or Paragraph question wherever you want a file, for example “Upload your CV”.
- Connect it. Sign in with Google and pick the form with Google's own file picker. We ask only for your email and Google's
drive.filepermission, which covers the form you pick and the folders and files NoLoginUpload creates – not the rest of your Drive. - Turn that question into an upload box. Choose allowed file types, how many files it accepts, and how files and folders are named.
- Share your NoLoginUpload link or embed it. Respondents fill in the form and upload without signing in. Files go straight into a per-response folder in your Google Drive, and the answers – with a Drive link in the upload question – are submitted to your real Google Form, so they appear in its Responses tab and linked Sheet.
Naming and organising uploads
File and folder names are built from a template. You can use any question title in braces, plus {date}, {time}, {question} and {n} (the file number when a question accepts several files). Characters that Drive or your computer can't handle are removed automatically.
For example, a folder template of {date} – {Full name} and a file template of {Full name} – {question} turns a CV upload into 2026-10-19 – Thandi Smith / Thandi Smith – Upload your CV.pdf.
What respondents see
A clean, mobile-friendly version of your form with a normal file picker – no account prompt. Uploads go to Drive in chunks with a progress bar. Every hosted form also carries a permanent safety notice and an anti-bot check (Cloudflare Turnstile), and anyone can report a form that looks suspicious.
On the Free plan you get 20 responses a month and files up to 25 MB each. Pro ($4/month billed yearly, or $6 month-to-month) removes the response limit and allows files up to 1 GB each. Files always count against your Google Drive storage – we don't store them. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just turn off the sign-in requirement in Google Forms?
Not for file uploads. You can stop collecting email addresses for other question types, but Google's help page says responders need to sign in to a Google Account to answer a File upload question.
Do the answers still go into my Google Form?
Yes. NoLoginUpload submits each response to your real Google Form, so it appears in the Responses tab and the linked Google Sheet. The upload question receives a Drive link to the file.
Do I need to rebuild my form?
No. You keep editing in Google Forms. For each upload you want, use a Short answer or Paragraph question – NoLoginUpload turns it into an upload box on the hosted form.
Is it affiliated with Google?
No. NoLoginUpload is an independent Nostello product. Google Forms™ and Google Drive™ are trademarks of Google LLC.