1. The first step is to open Google Forms and click Template gallery

2. Scroll down and click to check out the Job Application

3. Scroll down and click to see the order form

4. Scroll down and click to open the Time Off request template

5. Scroll and check questions, then edit if needed, for example click Short-answer text

6.  click to change the question type

7. Click Date to ensure all dates are always in correct format

8. Click Question title to change it

9. Click here to duplicate the question

10. Click Question title to edit

11. Click and change to Last

12. Click the 3 dots for more options

13. With your mouse, hover Include year

14. Click to add a Description

15. Type Description

16. Scroll down and click to off as we don't need this to be a required question.

17. Scroll up and click to preview

18. Fill in the form

19. Scroll down and click Date

20. Scroll down and click Full day

21. Scroll and click other

22. Click to add Your reason

23. Click Other response to add details

24. Type in Other response

25. Click Submit

26. Click Responses

27. Scroll and you can see which dates are busy at a glance - Here Feb 3 has already been selected by someone.

28. Scroll up and click Send responses to a new spreadsheet

29. Click Create

30. Click in column H to add an approval column.

31. Doubleclick to add header

32. Click Data

33. Click Data validation 

34. Click List from a range

35. Change to List of items

36. Enter items separated by a comma

37. Click Save

38. Click Share. 

39. Click to add the person or people who would give approval

40. Click Send

41. Click Tools

42. Click Notification rules 

43. Click Any changes are made

44. Click Email - straight away

45. Click Save

46. Click Done

47. Now anyone with edit access can update the sheet. You could even consider protecting cells. 

48. Here we can see it has been updated but we might like it more obvious.

49. Highlight the column and click Format

50. Click Conditional formatting 

51. Click Text is exactly

52. Scroll up and click Value or formula

53. Type one of the 3 possible Values

54. Click Fill colour

55. Click yellow

56. Click +Add another rule

57. Doubleclick and add a second Value 

58. Click Value or formula

59. Type Value 

60. Click Fill colour

61. Click green

62. Click +Add another rule

63. Click Value 

64. Type final possible Value 

65. Click Fill colour

66. Click red

67. Click Done

68. Click Close

69. Now the responses will change colour making them easier to spot.

Interactive tutorial