A pre-order form in Google Forms that stops taking orders when stock runs out
Set how many of each item you have. When an item is sold out it closes on the form, and later orders can go on a waiting list.
Install from MarketplaceFree for one form up to 25 responses. Then $12 once, with no subscription.
Class trip lunch, Friday
What would you like for lunch? (multiple choice)
- Cheese sandwich30 left
- Chicken wrapFull · 2 waiting
- Falafel wrap20 left
- Pasta salad20 left
Who it is for
People order on your ordinary Google Form. Choice Limit counts each item for you and closes it when the last one is taken.
Lunch and pre-orders
- Schools taking lunch orders for a trip or a special lunch day.
- Bake sales and fundraisers taking pre-orders for a fixed batch.
- Clubs and teams selling a limited run of shirts, hoodies or tickets.
Class trip lunch, Friday
What would you like for lunch? (multiple choice)
- Cheese sandwich30 left
- Chicken wrapFull · 2 waiting
- Falafel wrap20 left
- Pasta salad20 left
The options and their limits
Four lunches, each limited to the number the kitchen can make. When the falafel wraps are gone, that option closes and people choose another.
In this example Chicken wrap is full and two people are waiting for it.
95 places in total. That is more than the free plan covers. Setup tells you before you share the form, and unlocking costs $12, paid once.
How to set it up
Start from a copy of this form, or from a form you already have.
- 1List the itemsMake a multiple-choice question for one item each, or a checkbox question if people can pick several items. Add a short-answer question for the name.
- 2Collect email addressesIn the form's Settings, under Responses, turn on Collect email addresses, so people hear if an item sold out before their order arrived.
- 3Type your stock beside each itemOpen Choice Limit from the add-ons button and type how many you have of each.
- 4Choose what happens when an item sells outHide it, or show it as full with a waiting list in case more stock arrives.
- 5Turn on and sharePress Turn on, then send the form link as usual.
Class trip lunch, Friday
You are on the waiting list for Chicken wrap
Every place for Chicken wrap is taken at the moment, so you are on the waiting list.
Option
Chicken wrap
On the waiting listWhat people see
People fill in your ordinary Google Form. Under the question they see how many places are left for each option. A full option is hidden, or marked "full, join the waiting list".
- Anyone who joins a waiting list gets an email with their number in line.
- When a place opens up, the next person gets it and an email saying so.
- Emails come from your own Google account, so replies come to you.
Good to know
What Choice Limit does and does not do for this kind of form. Read the help page for more.
One of each item per response
Each response takes one of an item. If someone needs three, they fill in the form three times, or you add an option such as "Box of 3".
More stock arrives
Raise the number in Setup. The first people on the waiting list get the new places and an email.
Payment
Choice Limit does not take payments. Collect money the way you do now.
Two orders at the same moment
If two people take the last item within the same few seconds, the second goes on the waiting list and gets an email.
Set limits on your lunch and pre-orders form
Install Choice Limit from the Google Workspace Marketplace, then make a copy of this form. Free for one form up to 25 responses, then $12 once.
