Missing or Incorrect Data
Is your generated document showing blank spaces or {{Markers}} instead of real answers? Follow this checklist to fix data merging issues.
1. The Case-Sensitive Checklist
The most common reason for missing data is a mismatch between the Form Question and the Template Marker.
Valid vs. Invalid Examples
{{Full Name}}{{ Full Name }}(Extra spaces inside)
2. Unlinked or Changed Sheets
Smart Form Publisher relies on the Google Sheet linked to your Form. If you break this link, data stops flowing.
- Did you unlink the Sheet? If you clicked "Unlink Form" in Google Sheets, the add-on cannot see new responses.
- Did you rename a column? If you manually renamed a column header in the Sheet (e.g., changing "Your Name" to "Name"), the add-on might still be looking for the old name.
Fix: Change the column header back or update your template marker to match the new header.
3. Optional Questions & Blank Answers
If a respondent leaves an optional form question blank, there is no data to merge. By default, the add-on will either leave an empty gap in your document or leave the original {{Marker}} text behind.
Quick Fix: If a field is critical to your document's layout, make sure to toggle "Required" on that specific question inside your Google Form.
4. Weird Date & Number Formats
Are your dates showing up as random 5-digit numbers (like 44192 instead of 10/10/2020)? Or are currencies losing their dollar signs?
Google Sheets stores dates and currencies as raw numbers behind the scenes. When we merge the data, we might grab the raw number instead of the formatted text.
- Fix 1: Select the column in Google Sheets, go to Format > Number > Plain Text.
- Fix 2: Use our advanced marker syntax in your template:
{{Date Question::format=MM/DD/YYYY}}.
5. Images & Signatures Not Rendering
If you are requesting File Uploads (like photos, receipts, or drawn signatures) and you are seeing a long Google Drive URL printed in your PDF instead of the actual image, check the following:
Check Your Syntax
To tell the add-on to render an image instead of text, you must prefix the marker with an image tag.
Instead of {{Signature}},
Use <<image:Signature>>.
Check Folder Permissions
The folder where Google Forms saves your user uploads is private by default. Right-click the uploads folder in Drive and change the sharing settings to "Anyone with the link can view".