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Posted on Apr 25

Stop Digging for Google Form Entry IDs: Automate It with This Free Tool

#googleform #automation #node

If you’ve ever tried to programmatically submit data to a Google Form or create dynamic pre-filled links, you already know the headache. Google doesn't make it easy. Instead of clean, readable input names like name="email", Google Forms assigns obscure, randomly generated IDs to every field—like entry.123456789.

Historically, finding these IDs meant right-clicking the page, opening Chrome Developer Tools, and meticulously digging through a maze of HTML code to find the exact entry tags. If your form had 20 questions, you were in for a long, tedious afternoon.

Not anymore.

Today, I’m sharing a completely free, open-source tool that does the heavy lifting for you: the Google Forms Prefill Extractor.

Whether you’re a developer building a custom integration, a marketer automating lead generation, or just someone tired of manually inspecting web pages, this tool will save you hours.

What Does This Tool Do?

The Google Forms Prefill Extractor is a simple, automated script that opens a Google Form and instantly maps out its entire hidden structure.

Instead of manual clicking and inspecting, you run a single command, and the tool spits out a beautifully organized JSON file containing:

The exact entry.ID for every question.
The Question Type (Short answer, Multiple choice, Grid, File Upload, etc.).
Available Options (all the choices inside a dropdown or multiple-choice list).
Scale Limits (the minimum and maximum labels for linear scales).
Required Status (whether the question is mandatory or optional).

The best part? You don’t need any API keys, you don’t need a Google Cloud project, and it works perfectly even if you aren't a hardcore coder.

How It Works (The Magic Under the Hood)

You might be wondering: If Google Forms hides these IDs so well, how does the script find them?

Without getting bogged down in complex code, here is the secret: Google Forms stores its entire structure inside a hidden data object loaded in the background called FB_PUBLIC_LOAD_DATA_.

This tool uses Puppeteer, a browser automation library. When you run the script:

It automatically opens a real Google Chrome window on your computer.
It navigates to your target Google Form.
It quietly looks behind the scenes, finds the FB_PUBLIC_LOAD_DATA_ object, and extracts the raw form blueprint.
It translates Google's messy data arrays into a clean, human-readable file.

Because it uses your local Chrome browser, it can seamlessly handle restricted forms! If a form requires you to be logged into your company’s Google Workspace, the script will pause, let you sign in, remember your session, and then continue extracting.

How to Use It (Step-by-Step)

Even if you aren't a developer, getting this running is incredibly straightforward.

1. Prerequisites

You only need three things installed on your Windows computer:

Google Chrome
Node.js (version 18 or newer)
A Google Account (if the form you want to scan is private)

2. Setup

First, grab the code from GitHub and install the necessary dependencies:

# Clone the repository (or download the ZIP from GitHub)
git clone https://github.com/Mahmadabid/google-forms-prefill-extractor.git

# Navigate into the folder
cd google-forms-prefill-extractor

# Install dependencies
npm install

3. Run the Extractor

To scan a form, simply run the script and pass the URL of your Google Form's prefill link:

node script.js https://docs.google.com/forms/d/your-form-id/prefill

Note: If the form is private, Chrome will open and ask you to log in. Just sign in, press Enter in your terminal, and the script will remember you for next time!

The Output

In just a few seconds, the tool creates an output/form-fields.json file. Instead of digging through HTML, you get a clean, ready-to-use map like this:

[
  {
    "label": "What is your email address?",
    "entry": "entry.104578129",
    "type": "Short answer",
    "required": true,
    "description": "Please use your work email."
  },
  {
    "label": "Which department are you in?",
    "entry": "entry.987654321",
    "type": "Dropdown",
    "required": false,
    "description": "",
    "options": [
      "Engineering",
      "Marketing",
      "Sales"
    ]
  }
]

Boom. You instantly have everything you need to build custom webhook integrations, create dynamic pre-filled URLs, or automate your data entry workflows.

Why You Should Add This to Your Toolkit

If you work with Google Forms and automation (like Zapier, Make.com, or custom Node.js/Python scripts), extracting entry IDs is an unavoidable chore.

This tool eliminates that friction entirely. It’s lightweight, fast, and completely free.

No API limits: It runs locally on your machine.
Handles Complex Forms: It flawlessly detects grids, linear scales, checkboxes, and date/time fields.
Saves Time: What used to take 15 minutes of manual inspecting now takes 3 seconds.

Grab the Code!

Ready to stop digging through developer tools?

You can find the full source code, instructions, and updates here:

👉 Google Forms Prefill Extractor on GitHub

If you find this tool helpful, be sure to drop a ⭐ on the GitHub repository to show your support, and share it with anyone else who spends too much time wrestling with Google Forms!

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