The emergence of COVID-19 presented all countries with numerous challenges—health-related, economic, societal, and political. One of these challenges was the rapid deployment of a responsive, multi-source surveillance system that could be adapted over time to generate the epidemiological indicators needed to manage the outbreak. This article describes the development of the COVID-19 surveillance system in France by Santé publique France and its partners beginning in January 2020 and its evolution throughout the pandemic. The rapid advancement of knowledge about SARS-CoV-2—particularly regarding its transmission, the infection it causes, the populations it affects most, and the various risk factors for illness, hospitalization, or death—made the challenge all the greater, requiring continuous adaptation of surveillance methods and preventive measures against the spread of the virus.