Google Forms Word Limit Issue

[Shahzadi111]

We are experiencing a problem in Google Forms where long-answer responses that exceed the word limit do not save or submit. This becomes more challenging when Lock Mode is enabled, as students remain stuck in the locked environment even after the settings are changed. The updated settings also do not apply until the page is refreshed.

Has anyone faced a similar issue? What solutions or workarounds have you used to help students submit long responses without errors? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[ZC]

Hi @Shahzadi111,

I’ve run into this exact friction point before. It is incredibly stressful for students (and Educators)!

The core issue is that the browser caches the form settings (the word limit) when the page first loads. Even if you change the settings on your end, the student's device won't "see" the new rule until they refresh the page—which, as you noted, wipes out their unsaved essay.

Here is a breakdown of how to save the student's work if it happens again, plus a couple of tips to prevent it next time.

If a student is stuck right now:

Don't have them refresh the page yet! Try one of these workarounds to save their data:

1. The "Trim & Submit" Method (Safest) Since the form won't submit until the word count is lower, have the student temporarily comply to get the data saved.

• Step 1: Have the student highlight the "excess" text (the part over the limit) and Cut it (Ctrl+X).
• Step 2: Submit the form with the shortened answer so the core work is recorded.
• Step 3: Once the "Response Recorded" screen appears, the data is safe. They can then paste the excess text into a Doc or a second form if your setup allows.

2. The "Edit After Submit" Workaround If you can change settings in real-time:

• Step 1: On your end, go to Settings > Responses and toggle "Allow response editing" to ON.
• Step 2: Have the student trim the text, submit, and close the window.
• Step 3: You remove the word count limit on that specific question.
• Step 4: The student re-opens the form, clicks "Edit your response," pastes the full text, and resubmits.

Help to prevent this in the future:

• Use "Soft Limits": For long answers, avoid using Response Validation for maximum word counts. Instead, just write the limit in the Question Description (e.g., "Please keep this under 500 words"). This prevents the technical "hard stop" that locks students out.

• Try Google Assignments: For long-form writing, Google Forms isn't always the best tool because it lacks auto-save. Google Assignments (via your LMS or Classroom) gives every student a Doc with full version history, avoiding this risk entirely.

Hope this helps you get those responses submitted!