The video tutorial below walks through the process of using a Google Form to collect contest entries. The video tutorial also provides 2 methods that can be used to select a random contest winner using formulas in a Google spreadsheet. This is the method that I am using to select a winner of the Autel AL539 giveaway that I’m currently running.

I’ve utilized a similar Google form to collect entries for a YouTube giveaway and I’ll be randomly selecting a winner using the Google spreadsheet formula that I demonstrated in this video. This instructional video demonstrates several techniques that can be used with most spreadsheets, including Excel. I demonstrate how to create a drop-down in a spreadsheet cell using the data validation options. I demonstrate how to select a random record in a spreadsheet. I demonstrate how to add a unique number identifier when a Google form is submitted. I also demonstrate how to use that unique identifier with vlookup to pull information that was submitted with a Google form into the contest winner selection spreadsheet.

The example Google Form that I created in the video tutorial can be found and duplicated here.

The Google spreadsheet that I modified so that it could be used to randomly select a winner can be found here.

The code block below displays the formula that is being used to generate a random contest winner. You can see that it is looking for the term “The Winner Is -” to be entered into cell B4 on the second sheet.
=if(B4="The Winner Is -",iferror(index('Form Responses 1'!A2:A,randbetween(1,counta('Form Responses 1'!A2:A))),"No Name!"),"")

The code block below displays the comma-delimited drop-down selection options that were used in the data validation setting for cell B4 on the second sheet.
Random Winner Selection,The Winner Is -

The code block below displays the function that was added to the script editior. Don’t forget to add the trigger that runs this code on a form submit action.
function onFormSubmit(e) {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var row = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet().getLastRow();
sheet.getRange(row,1).setValue(row);
}

The 2 code blocks shown below are displaying the VLOOKUP formulas that I used to pull the first name and State information from the Google form submission sheet.
=VLOOKUP(D4,'Form Responses 1'!A:F,4,FALSE)
=VLOOKUP(D4,'Form Responses 1'!A:F,6,false)

While using a Google form to collect contest entries may not be as sophisticated as some of the subscription options that are available, it is free and it’s relatively easy to set up.  With a little more time, the Google sheet that is being used to select a random contest winner would be made to look clean and professional. Please leave questions and comments on this page or on my YouTube video is you need help setting up your Google form to collect contest entries. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!