Connect results to Excel as a data source rather than opening a new workbook each time
The form is great in terms of collecting responses. That said, if you need to view all the data at once, you need to open the form results in Excel. If you do that, it appears to open a separate result each time. There is no way to edit the results workbook. For example, I want to add a column to the results where I can keep track of whether or not I have contacted the person since they have filled out the form. If I add that column to the table, it will be gone when I next click "Open in Excel" to get the latest data. It would be great if it creates a connection to the workbook and is treated like a data source for the workbook.
Ashleigh
shared this idea
Hi Forms users,
Thanks for using Microsoft Forms and providing feedback.
We just enabled a new feature “Forms for Excel” for all Microsoft Forms customers. When you create Forms for Excel in your OneDrive for Business / modern SharePoint team sites, you will get an Excel workbook at the same time. All the responses data will show up in your Excel workbook in real time.
You could get more detail from – https://aka.ms/formsforexcel
Please be free to leave comments if you have any question.
Regards,
Microsoft Forms Team
125 comments
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Elizabeth
commented
I am not satisfied with this solution as my initial thought when creating a Form is to open Forms, not Excel. In addition, I do not want to be forced to download the data when our company is aiming at going digital.
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Anonymous
commented
This does not work as intended. I have used the excel survey option many times and short of rebuilding it in powerapps with excel as the data source in onedrive I end up with responses in the wrong columns if you open up the excel file in web excel it then modified three columns and placed the information in the next table. I cant reliably consider this excel based option over Microsoft forms. Google has this feature however with IT security restrictions I cannot use them. Thus I am stuck trying to work around limitations I did not have in a free alternative and now going the slower route to rebuilt an extensive form into a powerapp in order to complete the form we need. Please link MS forms to excel for onedrive business at least!
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Anick
commented
Same here. I'd really like to be able to connect an existing form to an excel document in OneDrive for Business. The same way it is possible with Forms for Excel. Normal users will open Forms to create a form and will search afterwards to connect it to excel. Not the other way around. In google, a worksheet in google Drive is automaticaly created. It's much more user friendly.
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James
commented
I have the same issue in my application of Forms. I need to have the results push through to a live Excel which also needs a column added to acknowledge that the Forms entry has been reviewed. Forms is great, and very powerful, but without a way to better work with the results without manually editing the data, alot of efficiency and value is lost.
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Anonymous
commented
When you start the questionnaire by Forms, you allow access as it does SharePoint, without the need to download a spreadsheet with each new update or new response.
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Judi Stewart
commented
Would be great if I could get the form responses to sync to the workbook reliably... When I create either an excel workbook in SharePoint Online, and use the create form tool, or create a forms for excel document, the form is created ok, but the workbook doesn't always check in properly and it never gets sync'd with the responses - but, then again, sometimes it's fine and I can't see what's different that might cause the different outcomes :(
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S
commented
I have connected a mySQL data source to my excel, Can other users with no access to the mySQL db get updated data everytime they open the excel?
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Anonymous
commented
It would be good if we could save the comments on the Excel form within the OneDRIVE and share it with others.
Generating a dynamic file that is updated with each comment, instead of downloading an Excel file every time. -
Anonymous
commented
Hi,
Can we generate the response in Excel automatically so that it should get integrated with different system as a source file.
Regards,
Madhu -
Anonymous
commented
Hi,
Can we generate the Responses in Excel automatically and integrate it to different system as source file.
Thanks,
Madhu -
Anonymous
commented
Try this, perhaps it could help - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Microsoft-Forms-Blog/Forms-for-Excel-new-experience-for-Excel-survey-in-Office-365/ba-p/109195
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Beth
commented
This functionality already exists if you build the form within Excel online - but i can't find a way of moving existing forms over to this system. It would be really nice if there was an option by the download to excel button, to choose as a download or as part of Excel online in real time.
Then you wouldn't have to re-make entire forms. -
Anonymous
commented
回答を確認するたびにエクセルをダウンロードしているのですが、毎度ダウンロードせずともオンラインのエクセルフォームで確認することが出来たらとっても便利です。
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Perry
commented
Save the Excel as on online doc in OneDrive For Business, so it can be edited and ... well, because of all the reasons to use OneDrive to begin with. Have a new Excel file each time the form is submitted is no good
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Anonymous
commented
Can you link several forms to different spreadsheets. i.e., I want to have one form connect to multiple excel files.
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Miguel Chumbo
commented
I created the form on the excel workbook. As I passed the 30MB threshold I cannot use the online excel. I can only use the excel from the PC. However, this excel isn´t getting the answers in real time and doesn´t have connections. Is there any solution?
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Tom
commented
Now there is a major issue with no set linkage between the two methods of creating a Form. If you start a new form from Microsoft Forms, it does not create or enable the creation of excel online in OneDrive with the data.
Only if you create a new 'Form for Excel' in OneDrive will it create the spreadsheet.
The how to information is not clear on this, so this also needs updating.
You need to enable the option to choose to store the data in onedrive or Sharepoint if required. Do this and it will become a viable alternative.
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Alison Trinidad
commented
I've created a "Form for Excel" on a Sharepoint drive, but now am unable to connect the form as a trigger on Microsoft Flow. Only Forms created in Forms (not Excel) are showing up in the Flow drop-down. I would like to create an email notification and approval workflow for every response submitted through the Form. Possible?
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Anonymous
commented
I have the same issue as @Erik Olsson, I've published the form and advertised it, down want to retract it, can we link form back to onedrive "form for excel"?>?
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Amber
commented
I have a form created in my OneDrive for Business account and it's linked to an ective Excel spreadsheet in the same OneDrive account. But to your comment, "All the responses data will show up in your Excel workbook in real time." I have a very important question. What happens to those responses which are received WHILE I'm actively working in that Excel workbook.
To test this, I left my Excel workbook open and then went and submitted a test form. That survey result shows in my forms responses, but even after closing and reopening the Excel spreadsheet, it is NOT found in my Excel workbook. Do I lose the data from those responses submitted while I'm working my workbook? This could be very problematic.