What you need to build a Microsoft Form

You can create a Microsoft Form using a web browser on any device — you do not need to install software. You will need a Microsoft account, which is free. If you work at a school or company that uses Microsoft 365, you can use your work or school account instead.

The form itself lives online, so you can share a link to it and collect responses without sending files back and forth. Microsoft stores the responses in a spreadsheet you can download or view in Excel Online.

Key Takeaways

  • Start at forms.office.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and click "New Form" to begin building.
  • Add questions one at a time using the plus button, choose a question type (multiple choice, text, rating, or ranking), and write your question text.
  • Customize the form's appearance by adding a title, description, and background color or image from the theme options.
  • Share the form by copying the link from the Share button, or send it directly to specific people using their email addresses.
  • View responses in real time on the Responses tab, or download them as an Excel file for further analysis.

Sign in and start a new form

Go to forms.office.com in your web browser. If you are not already signed in, click "Sign in" and enter your Microsoft account email and password. Once you are logged in, you will see your dashboard with any forms you have created before.

Click the blue "New Form" button in the top left. A blank form will open with a title field and a description field. Type a name for your form in the title box — this is what people will see at the top when they open it. Add a short description below if you want to explain what the form is for.

Add and arrange your questions

Below the description, you will see a box that says "Add new". Click the plus icon inside it to add your first question. A question card will appear with a text field where you type your question.

To the right of the question text, you will see a dropdown menu showing the question type. Click it to choose from Choice (multiple choice or checkboxes), Text (short or long answer), Rating (star or number scale), Ranking (order items from best to worst), Date, or Likert (agree/disagree scale). Select the type that matches what you want to ask.

If you choose Choice, type each answer option in the boxes that appear. You can add more options by clicking "Add option". If you want only one answer allowed, leave the toggle set to "Multiple answers off". If you want people to pick more than one, turn the toggle on.

After you finish the first question, click the plus icon below it to add another. Repeat until you have all your questions. To delete a question, click the three dots on its card and select "Delete". To move a question up or down, click and drag the six-dot handle on the left side of the card.

Make the form required or optional

By default, people can skip any question. If you want someone to answer a question before they can submit the form, click the three dots on that question's card and toggle "Required" on. A red asterisk will appear next to the question to show it must be answered.

You can require all questions, some questions, or none — it depends on what you need. If you are collecting feedback and want to make sure you get an answer to your most important question, mark only that one as required.

Change the look and feel

Click the paint-bucket icon in the top right to open the theme panel. You can choose a solid background color by clicking one of the color squares, or click "Upload image" to use your own picture as the background. The form will automatically adjust the text color to be readable against whatever background you choose.

You can also add a header image that sits above your title. Click "Add image" at the top of the theme panel and select a file from your computer. The image will stretch across the top of the form.

Share your form and collect responses

When your form is ready, click the blue "Share" button in the top right. A panel will open with options to share. The easiest way is to copy the link — click "Copy" next to the form URL, then paste it into an email, message, or document. Anyone with the link can open and fill out the form.

If you want to send it directly to specific people, click "Email" and type their email addresses. Microsoft will send them an email with a link to your form. You can also click the social media icons to share on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn if your form is public.

As people fill out your form, you will see their responses appear in real time on the Responses tab. Click "Responses" at the top to see a summary of answers, or click "Open in Excel" to download all responses as a spreadsheet file you can analyze further.

Edit your form after sharing it

You can add, remove, or change questions even after you have shared the form. Any changes you make will show up the next time someone opens the link. If you delete a question, the responses people already gave to that question will be removed from your data.

If you want to stop collecting responses without deleting the form, click the three dots in the top right and select "Close form". People will see a message saying the form is closed instead of being able to fill it out. You can reopen it the same way if you need to collect more responses later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I require people to sign in before they fill out my form?

Yes. Click the three dots in the top right, select "Settings", and toggle "Only my organization can respond" on. This limits responses to people with a Microsoft account from your school or company. For a public form, leave this off.

What happens if I want to change a question after people have already answered it?

You can edit the question text, change the type, or add and remove answer options. Existing responses will stay, but if you delete an option people chose, that response data will be lost. It is safer to add a new question than to remove an old one.

Can I see who filled out my form?

Not by default. If you turn on "Only my organization can respond" in Settings, you can see the email addresses of people who submitted responses. For a public form, responses are anonymous unless you add a question asking for a name or email.

How do I make a copy of a form I already created?

Open the form, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Duplicate". A copy will be created with all the same questions and design. You can then edit the copy without changing the original.