How to stop taking orders after your deadline?

"I need Google Forms to stop accepting responses at a certain date/time."- Google Docs Editors Community

This is a common question from meal prep businesses and others who take orders up to a cut-off. For example, if you take meal orders, then shop and cook for what came in, Google Forms can now stop taking responses at a set date and time. Your customers still need to know when you open again and next week's menu should go out on the link they already have. With Neartail, you can close your form with your own message saying when you open again. Anyone who opens your link sees that message, with no products and no Submit. Even better, when your next menu is ready, it goes out on the same link.

Let's start. Create your order form and follow the steps below.

1. Upload your menu

On the page that opens, upload your menu, a PDF or an image and click Convert. If you do not have one, click Back, click Enter your form name, type your form's name, click Generate, wait about a minute and click Proceed. Once you create the form, you will land on the form's Edit tab. If it asks "Do you want to preview this form?", click No.
The screen to convert your menu, with the Convert button marked

2. Put your deadline on the form

In the EDIT tab, click your form's title card, then its gear. On the Header tab, add your deadline to Description and click Save.
The form settings panel on its Header tab, with the title Weekly meal prep orders and the description Order by Wednesday 6 PM for Friday pickup and the Save button marked

3. Close the form at your deadline

You close the form yourself, so set a reminder. At your deadline, click the same gear, open Advanced, turn on Close this form, write when you open again and click Save.
The form settings panel on its Advanced tab with Close this form switched on, the message This week's orders are closed. Our next menu opens Monday and the Save button marked

4. People see your message

Anyone who opens your link now sees your form's title and your message, with no products and no Submit. To check, click SHARE, click Link and click Open.
Weekly meal prep orders on a phone with the message This week's orders are closed. Our next menu opens Monday and no menu to order from

5. Open again for the next menu

When your next menu is ready, change your products, turn off Close this form and click Save. Your link stays the same, so people order from it again.
The Weekly meal prep orders form open again on a phone, with Chicken and rice at $12 and Salmon and greens at $14

Summary

If you take meal orders up to a cut-off, Google Forms can close on time, but your customers still need to know when you open again. With Neartail, you close the form with your own message and next week's menu goes out on the link they already have. Create your order form and complete the steps above.

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