# Close form rules

Close form rules stop submissions immediately, on a schedule, or after a submission limit. They are free on every plan under **Settings** > **Access**.

Makeform is a free AI form builder: describe what you want to collect and it builds the form for you, with unlimited forms and submissions on the free plan.

:::callout{type="info"}
Closed forms stop accepting new submissions. Existing submissions stay available in your results.
:::

## Ways to close a form

Makeform supports three close form patterns:

- Close the form immediately.
- Close the form after a total submission limit is reached.
- Close the form on a scheduled date and time.

Use these rules for applications, event registrations, waitlists, contests, limited inventory, and forms that should only be open during a specific window.

## Close a form manually

1. Open your form.
2. Go to **Settings** > **Access**.
3. Turn on **Close form**.
4. Add a closed form message if you want respondents to see a custom title or description.
5. Save or publish the form.

Manual close is best when you want to stop submissions right now.

## Close after a submission limit

Use a submission limit when you only want to accept a fixed number of completed responses.

For example:

```text
Close this registration form after 100 submissions.
```

When the limit is reached, Makeform marks the form as closed so new respondents cannot continue submitting.

## Close on a schedule

Use scheduled close when the form should stop accepting submissions at a specific date, time, and timezone.

For example:

```text
Close this application form on June 30 at 11:59 PM America/Los_Angeles.
```

Scheduled close is useful for deadlines. Make sure the timezone matches the audience or business rule you care about.

## What respondents see

When a form is closed, respondents see the closed form state instead of the active form.

Use a clear message, such as:

```text
Applications are now closed.
Thanks for your interest. We are reviewing submissions and will follow up soon.
```

## Testing checklist

- Save or publish after changing close settings.
- Test the public form link in a private browser window.
- Confirm the closed message is clear.
- If using a schedule, double-check the timezone.
- If using a submission limit, submit test responses on a duplicate form before using it live.

## Troubleshooting

### The form still accepts submissions

Check that the close setting was saved or published. Draft-only changes do not affect the live form.

### The form closed earlier or later than expected

Check the scheduled timezone. A correct date with the wrong timezone is still the wrong deadline.

### The form closed after the limit

That is expected. Submission limits close the form when the completed response count reaches the configured limit.