Microsoft Forms step-by-step: create, share, view responses

You need a clear, step-by-step guide to create and share a survey or quiz in Microsoft Forms. Open forms.office.com or Forms from the Office 365 app launcher, sign in with the account you’ll use, choose New Form or New Quiz, add questions and branching, set who can respond, then share the link, QR code, email or embed code. This article walks a nontechnical office worker through each step, shows every common question type with examples, explains branching and required questions, lists settings and sharing options, and explains how to view, export and act on responses.

Do I have the right account and where do I open Microsoft Forms

Prerequisites:

• A Microsoft work or school account (Office 365 / Microsoft 365) usually includes Forms.
• A personal Microsoft account (Outlook.com, Hotmail) can use a limited version at forms.office.com when signed in with that account.
• Your organization’s admin can disable Forms; if you can’t open it, contact your IT admin.
• A modern browser: Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
• Internet access.

Where to open Forms:

1. Open a browser and go to forms.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Or open the Office 365 app launcher from office.com while signed in, then choose Forms.
3. In Microsoft Teams, add Forms as an app or a tab in a channel.

Expected result: the Forms home page shows your existing forms (if any) and buttons for creating a New Form or New Quiz.

How do I create a new form or quiz

Steps:

1. Sign in at forms.office.com or open Forms from the Office 365 app launcher.
2. Click New Form to create a regular survey, or click New Quiz to create a graded quiz.
3. Click the title area and type a name for your form.
4. Click the subtitle area and add a short description so respondents know the purpose.
5. Click Theme in the top-right to choose colors or a background.
6. Convert a paper question into Forms by choosing the question type that matches the paper item (for example, single choice, multiple choice, or date).

Forms autosaves as you edit.

Expected result: you should see the form title, description, chosen theme, and a blank question placeholder ready for input.

How do I add and configure each question type

Add a question by clicking Add new and selecting a type. Each step below shows when to use it and gives a short example.

1. Choice — use for multiple choice or single-select lists.
2. Click Add new, choose Choice.
3. Enter the question text and type each option.
4. Toggle "Multiple answers" if respondents can pick more than one.

Example: "Which training session will you attend?" Options: "Morning", "Afternoon", "Both".

2. Text — use for short answers or long-form responses.
3. Click Add new, choose Text.
4. Toggle "Long answer" for longer responses.
5. Toggle "Restrictions" to require numbers or set length limits.

Example: "Please list any dietary requirements." (Long answer enabled)

3. Rating — use to collect scores, satisfaction, or importance.
4. Click Add new, choose Rating.
5. Choose stars or numbers and the scale (for example, 1–5).

Example: "How satisfied are you with the training?" 1–5 stars.

4. Date — use when you need a calendar date.
5. Click Add new, choose Date.

Example: "What date can you start the new schedule?"

5. Ranking — use to have respondents order options by preference.
6. Click Add new, choose Ranking.
7. Enter the items to be ranked.

Example: "Rank these communication channels from most to least preferred: Email, Teams, Phone, In-person."

6. Likert — use to capture agreement across multiple statements with the same scale.
7. Click Add new, choose Likert.
8. Add statements as rows and response options as columns (e.g., Strongly disagree to Strongly agree).

Example: Several statements about meeting logistics with agreement options.

7. Net Promoter Score (NPS) — use to ask how likely someone is to recommend something.
8. Click Add new, choose Net Promoter Score.
9. Enter the question; respondents pick a score on the 0–10 scale.

Example: "How likely are you to recommend this workshop to a colleague?"

8. File upload — use when you need others to send documents or images.

File upload stores files in your organization's OneDrive; responders without appropriate accounts may be blocked.

1. Click Add new, choose File upload and confirm you want to allow uploads.
2. Set max number of files and allowed file types/size if those options appear.

Example: "Upload your expense receipt (PDF or JPG)."

For each question you add, use the three-dot menu for options such as Subtitle, Shuffle options (Choice), Restrictions (Text), or Add branching. Mark questions required using the Required toggle if the question must be answered before submission.

How do I add branching and required questions so respondents only see relevant items

Steps to require answers and add branching logic:

1. Mark a question required:
2. Click the question, toggle Required to on.

Expected result: the question shows a red asterisk and respondents cannot submit the form without answering it.

2. Add branching logic:
3. Create the follow-up questions you might show later.
4. Click the three-dot menu on the question that will control branching and choose Add branching.
5. For each answer option, pick which question the form should go to next or End of form.

Example branching flow (event attendance):

1. Question A: "Will you attend the event?" (Choice: Yes, No)
2. Question B: "Which sessions would you like to attend?" (Choice, multi-select)
3. Question C: "What dates are you unavailable?" (Date)

Branching setup:

• If respondent selects Yes on Question A, go to Question B.
• If respondent selects No on Question A, go to Question C or End of form depending on whether you need a reason.

Branching can hide questions unexpectedly if you later reorder items; always test after editing.

Expected result: respondents who choose Yes see session options and scheduling prompts; those who choose No skip those follow-ups.

Which Form settings and sharing options should I pick before sending

Steps to set response rules and share the form:

1. From the form editor, click the three-dot menu and choose Settings.
2. Under Who can respond, pick one option: "Anyone with the link" to accept external responses or "Only people in my organization" to restrict access.
3. To record who responded or limit to one response per person, enable the required sign-in option and toggle "One response per person" or "Record name." This requires sign-in.
4. To schedule collection, set Start and end dates if those options are available.
5. Toggle Response receipts if you want respondents to get an email copy when applicable.
6. Toggle Allow responders to edit responses after submission if you want people to change answers later.

How to share:

1. Click Share in the top-right.
2. Choose the respondent restriction you set in Settings.
3. Pick a sharing method and copy or download what you need:

• Link: copy and paste into email or chat.
• Email: send directly from Forms.
• QR code: download to print on a poster.
• Embed: copy the embed HTML for a webpage.

When to pick each:

• Link: use for email and chat distribution.
• Embed: use for intranet or a web page.
• QR code: use for printed materials or in-person events.
• Email: use for a quick, one-off send through Forms.

File upload and recording responder identity typically require respondents to sign in with an organizational account.

How do I view, export and act on responses

Steps to review and export responses:

1. Open the form and select the Responses tab.
2. Summary view: review charts, average scores, and answer breakdowns for a quick group view.
3. Individual view: step through each respondent’s answers and any uploaded files.
4. Export to Excel:
5. Click Open in Excel or the Excel icon on the Responses tab.

Excel file with each question as a column and each response as a row

• If you choose Open in Excel (desktop), the file downloads or opens in the Excel app. If you choose Open in Excel online, it opens a live workbook stored in your OneDrive.

Simple analysis examples:

• Filter the Excel table to show respondents from a given department.
• Create a pivot table to aggregate counts by answer option.
• Use Excel charts to visualize rating averages.

Actioning responses:

• Download uploaded files from the OneDrive folder Forms created if you need to archive them.
• Enable email notifications in Settings or check the Responses tab regularly for new answers.

Expected result: you should see a graphical summary in the Responses tab and be able to open or download an Excel sheet with individual answers.

What common pitfalls should I check before I send it

Pre-send checklist and quick fixes:

• Test run: send the form link to yourself and one colleague and submit test responses to confirm branching, required fields, and file upload work.
• Mobile view: open the form on a phone to check layout; long matrices and tight grids can be hard to read on small screens.
• Accessibility: use clear language, short questions, and provide an alternative contact method (email or phone) for people who cannot use the form.
• Question wording: keep each item single-focused and avoid leading or double-barreled questions.
• Duplicates: scan the form to ensure you haven’t accidentally added the same question twice.
• File upload limits: confirm allowed file types and size limits; if upload fails, ask for a compressed file or an alternate submission method.
• Storage limits: check with IT if you expect very large files or many responses; Organization-level OneDrive or storage limits can affect uploads.

Quick fixes:

• If branching hides questions incorrectly, disable branching, reorder questions, and re-enable branching.
• If external users can’t access the form, switch Settings to "Anyone with the link" or ask responders to sign in with a supported account.
• If file upload fails, provide an email address or a shared drive folder as an alternative submission route.

FAQ: quick answers to issues you’ll run into

Q: How do I limit one response per person?

A: Turn on the setting that requires sign-in and enable "One response per person" or "Record name" in Settings; this requires the person to sign in with a work or school account.

Q: How can I delete or restore a form?

A: From forms.office.com, find the form in your list, click More options and choose Delete. Deleted forms usually go to your Forms recycle bin or the Deleted items in OneDrive where they can be restored; if you don’t see restore options, check OneDrive or your organization’s retention policies.

Q: Can I use Forms inside Teams?

A: Yes. Add Forms as a tab in a channel or use the Forms app to send quick polls. Tabs store the form in the team context which may affect ownership and where responses are stored.

Q: Responders can’t upload files—what should I do?

A: Confirm the form’s File upload option is enabled and that responders are using an account type allowed by your settings. If they still can’t upload, provide an alternative such as an email address or SharePoint/OneDrive upload folder.

Conclusion

After you build and test the form, choose the correct responder restriction and sharing method, then send a short message telling recipients why you’re asking for responses and how long the form will be open. Monitor the Responses tab, export to Excel when you need to analyze or report, and accept alternate submissions for people who can’t use the form. A few quick tests before a full send will prevent most problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can people outside my organization respond?

Yes if you set Who can respond to "Anyone with the link." If you restrict responses to your organization, external users will be blocked or asked to sign in.

Will uploaded files count against my OneDrive storage?

Yes. Uploaded files are stored in the OneDrive account linked to the form owner; check storage limits with IT if you expect many or large files.

Can I change a form after people have responded?

You can edit questions after responses arrive, but editing question text or branching can make older responses harder to interpret. Test edits on a copy of the form if the existing responses must remain consistent.