How to Create a Survey in Microsoft Forms: A Step-by-Step Guide

Microsoft Forms is a user-friendly tool that allows you to create basic surveys, quizzes, and polls quickly and efficiently. Whether you’re gathering feedback from customers, employees, or students, Microsoft Forms provides a seamless experience for both creators and respondents. 

In this guide, we’ll take you step-by-step through the process of creating professional-looking forms, engaging your respondents, and gathering meaningful results in your very own Microsoft survey.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft Forms allows quick creation of surveys, quizzes, and polls with a variety of question types, from multiple choice to file uploads.
• Branching logic, sections, and question shuffling help tailor surveys for each respondent, improving engagement and response quality.
• Themes, branding, and design options make surveys visually appealing and aligned with brand identity.
• Surveys can be shared easily via links, email, QR codes, embeds, or Microsoft Teams for wide accessibility.
• Responses can be tracked in real-time, summarized in charts, and exported to Excel for further analysis and review.
• While Microsoft Forms is great for simple surveys, Activity Messenger replaces multiple tools by combining surveys, registrations, payments, waivers, and automated SMS/email communications in one platform.

 

Table of Contents

• Step 1: Access Microsoft Forms
• Step 2: Create a New Survey
• Step 3: Add and Organize Survey Questions
• Step 4: Customize the Design
• Step 5: Configure Settings
• Step 6: Preview and Test
• Step 7: Share Your Survey
• Step 8: Analyze Responses
• Pro Tips for Building Better Microsoft Surveys
• Why Consider a Microsoft Forms Alternative for Surveys?
• Quick Comparison: Microsoft Forms vs Google Forms vs Activity Messenger
• Final Thoughts: Which Survey Platform is Best for You?

Step 1: Access Microsoft Forms

To get started, navigate to forms.office.com. Note that you’ll need a Microsoft account, such as a Microsoft 365 or Outlook account, to begin building your first survey. You can always click “Try for free” to test it out, but note that you need an account to save any changes.

Once logged in, you’ll be presented with options to create a new form or quiz.

Step 2: Create a New Survey

Click on the “survey” option to begin creating your form. Once selected, you’ll be prompted to enter a title for your form and an optional description to inform respondents about the purpose of the survey.

Step 3: Add and Organize Survey Questions

Microsoft Forms offers a variety of question types to suit your survey needs:

• Choice: Multiple-choice questions with single or multiple answers.
• Text: Open-ended questions for short or long responses.
• Rating: Scale-based questions to gauge satisfaction or agreement.
• Date: Allows respondents to select a date.
• Ranking: Respondents rank items in order of preference.
• Likert: Measures attitudes or opinions on a scale.
• Net Promoter Score: Measures customer loyalty.
• Section: Organize your categories for a cleaner look.

To add a question, click on “Quick start with” and select the desired question type. Consider organizing your questions into sections, with subheadings, to improve the flow of your survey. Additionally, Microsoft Forms supports branching logic, allowing you to direct respondents to different questions based on their previous answers.

Step 4: Customize the Design

Enhance the visual appeal of your survey by customizing its design:

• Templates: Click on “Templates” on the left-hand side to choose from a variety of pre-designed themes or upload your own background image.
• Style: Choose “Style” above the form to personalize your layout with suggested or customizable images.

These customization options help make your survey more engaging and aligned with your brand identity.

Step 5: Configure Settings

Adjust the settings of your survey to control who can respond and how responses are collected:

• Start and end date: Set a timeframe during which the survey is active.
• Set time duration: Only allow respondents to answer within a set time frame.
• Shuffle questions: Randomize the order of questions to reduce bias.
• Disable question number for respondents: Hide the number of questions in the form.
• Show a progress bar: Available for multi-page surveys, forms, and quizzes.
• Email notifications: Receive immediate updates when each respondent completes the form.
• Hide “submit another response” option: Only allow one answer per respondent per question.
• Customize thank you message: Include a customized thank you message once the survey has been submitted.
• Saving and editing responses: Allow respondents to save and/or edit their responses.

These settings ensure that your survey is tailored to your specific needs and audience.

Step 6: Preview and Test

Before sharing your survey, it’s important to preview and test it:

• Preview: Click on “Preview” to see how your survey will appear on both desktop and mobile devices.
• Test: Fill out the survey yourself to ensure that all questions are clear and that the branching logic functions correctly.

Testing helps identify any issues before distributing the survey to your intended audience. Don’t forget to delete your test responses to ensure they don’t affect your results!

Step 7: Share Your Survey

Once you’re satisfied with your survey, it’s time to share it:

• Link: Click on “Collect responses” and select “Copy link” to share the survey via email, social media, or other platforms.
• QR Code: Generate a QR code that respondents can scan to access the survey.
• Embed: Embed the survey directly into your website or blog.
• Email: Send the survey directly to recipients via email.

Choose the sharing method that best reaches your target audience.

Step 8: Analyze Responses

After collecting responses, analyze the data to gain insights:

• Overview: View automatic charts and graphs summarizing the responses.
• Excel: Export the data to Excel for more detailed analysis and reporting.
• Individual Responses: Review each respondent’s answers individually.

Analyzing the data helps you make informed decisions based on the feedback you’ve received.

Pro Tips for Building Better Microsoft Surveys

• Use Templates: Microsoft Forms offers a variety of templates for different survey types, such as customer feedback or employee engagement.
• Enable Branching Logic: Create dynamic paths that adapt based on responses.
• Set Response Limits or Deadlines: Use form settings to control timing and the scope of respondents.
• Leverage Formatting: Bold, italics, colour, and bullets help clarify questions.
• Test Thoroughly: Preview on mobile and desktop to ensure smooth real-time flow.
• Export Regularly: Keep data safe and analyze deeper via Excel.
• Set Notifications: Enable email notifications to be alerted when new responses are submitted.

Why Consider a Microsoft Forms Alternative for Surveys?

While Microsoft Forms makes it easy to create basic surveys, quizzes, and polls, it’s not the only way to collect meaningful feedback. Alternatives like Activity Messenger offer advanced features that can help your organization gather more insightful responses and streamline operations.

Benefits of Activity Messenger:

• Multi-Channel Distribution: Send surveys via email and SMS to reach participants wherever they are and boost response rates.
• Automation: Schedule surveys to be sent automatically after classes, events, or programs, reducing administrative work.
• Custom Branding: Design fully branded surveys with logos, colours, and full Canva integration to maintain a professional look.
• All-in-One Platform: Combine surveys with registration forms, digital waivers, payment processing, and automated participant communication, eliminating the need for multiple tools.

Regardless of the tool you choose, surveys remain one of the most valuable ways to understand your audience. Using a platform like Activity Messenger ensures you’re not just collecting responses, but improving data collection overall.

Quick Comparison: Microsoft Forms vs. Google Forms vs. Activity Messenger

Feature	Microsoft Forms	Google Forms	Activity Messenger
Ease of Use	Simple, intuitive interface for creating surveys within the Office 365 ecosystem.	Simple interface for creating surveys.	User-friendly with additional features and automation.
Customization	Limited customization for themes, fonts, and branding; offers basic colour and image options.	Limited customization for themes, fonts, and branding.	Advanced branding options with custom logos, colours, and full Canva integration.
Question Types	Offers multiple choice, text, rating, date, ranking, Likert, NPS, file upload; supports branching logic.	Offers basic question types (multiple choice, dropdown, short answer, etc.).	Offers more advanced survey question types, conditional branching, and integration with workflows.
Distribution Methods	Share via link, email, QR code, Teams, or embed on websites.	Share via email, link, or website embed.	Send surveys via email, SMS, QR code, or embed on websites; allows multi-channel distribution for higher reach.
Response Tracking	Responses stored in Microsoft Forms; can be exported to Excel for analysis.	Responses stored in Google Forms or exported to Google Sheets.	Tracks responses directly in the platform with detailed analytics; integrates responses with attendance or class data.
Automation	Limited; no built-in automation for recurring surveys or reminders.	No automation for follow-up or recurring surveys.	Automates survey distribution (e.g., post-event surveys or reminders).
Integration	Integrates with Office 365 apps (Excel, Teams, SharePoint).	Integrates with Google Workspace and other tools.	Integrates with registration forms, newsletters, and payment processing tools like Stripe.
Real-Time Analytics	Basic summary charts; detailed analysis requires Excel export.	Basic response overview; requires exporting for advanced analysis.	Advanced reporting and analytics built in, with real-time insights.
Audience Engagement	Relies on respondents accessing the survey via link or email; no built-in SMS option.	Relies on respondents clicking links; no built-in SMS option.	Combines email and SMS to improve response rates and engagement.
Cost	Free with Office 365 subscription.	Free to use for most features.	Paid plans tailored to small and medium-sized organizations.
Best For	Teams or organizations using Microsoft 365 who need basic survey functionality.	Individuals or small teams needing basic survey functionality.	Organizations needing professional, branded surveys with automation and multi-channel distribution.

 

Final Thoughts: Which Survey Platform is Best for You?

Choose Microsoft Forms if you need a simple, intuitive way to create surveys within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It’s ideal for quick polls, quizzes, or collecting basic feedback.

Choose Google Forms if your priority is a free, flexible survey tool that integrates with Google Workspace and allows easy collaboration.

Choose Activity Messenger if you want an all-in-one platform that manages the entire participant lifecycle, including registrations, payments, waivers, attendance, surveys, and automated SMS/email communication. Activity Messenger is built to save time for program-based organizations while boosting participant engagement.

 

Creating a Microsoft Forms survey is a straightforward process that allows you to gather valuable feedback from your audience. By following these steps and utilizing the features available, you can design surveys that are both functional and engaging.

However, if you’re ready to move beyond basic surveys, Activity Messenger gives you the tools to engage participants across email and SMS, automate follow-ups, and connect survey data with registrations, payments, and attendance.

Schedule a demo today to discover how smarter surveys can benefit your organization!