How to Create a Microsoft Form (Survey, Quiz or Poll)

Microsoft Forms is the quickest way to make a survey, quiz or poll if you already use Microsoft 365. There's nothing to install, the form saves as you go, and results appear in real time. Where people go wrong isn't the building. It's the question design, which decides whether the answers are any use. Here is the build process, then the bit that matters more.

Create a form

1. Go to forms.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 work or school account, or a personal Microsoft account (Hotmail, Live or Outlook.com). You can also open Office.com and choose Forms from the Microsoft icons on the left.
2. Select New Form (or New Quiz for a scored test).
3. Type a title and, if you like, a description.

Microsoft limits titles to 90 characters and descriptions to 1,000, so keep both short. And you don't have to press save. Forms saves automatically as you create it.

Add questions

1. Select Add new.
2. Choose the type of question: Choice, Text, Rating or Date. For Ranking, Likert, File upload or Net Promoter Score questions, open More question types.
3. Type the question and its options.
4. Adjust the settings for the question, such as branching, restrictions and whether it's required.
5. To group questions into pages, add a Section.

Question type	Use it for
Choice	One or more fixed answers, such as a preferred date
Text	Short or long written answers
Rating	A score, such as how helpful something was
Date	Dates for bookings or deadlines
Ranking	Putting options in order of preference
Likert	How strongly someone agrees with a statement
File upload	Collecting documents or pictures
Net Promoter Score	How likely someone is to recommend you

Preview and style

Before sharing, select Preview to see how the form looks on a computer and on a mobile device. Most people will open the link on a phone, so check that one in particular. Use Style to add a background colour or image, but keep the text easy to read.

Start from a template

When you create a new form or quiz you can start from a template instead of a blank page. Microsoft's quick-start flow lets you name the form, add a description or pick a template, then choose the type of question to add. A template is a good way to see how a finished form is structured.

Write questions people can answer

• One idea per question. 'How was the training and the venue?' is two questions.
• Avoid leading wording. 'How great was our service?' pushes people to say it was great.
• Make options cover everyone. Add 'Other' or 'Not applicable' where it applies.
• Mark only essential questions as required. Too many forces people to quit.
• Keep it short. Every extra question loses some people.

Use branching to skip irrelevant questions

Branching sends people to different questions depending on their earlier answers. A customer who says they haven't used your service shouldn't be asked to rate it. You set it in the question's settings. Test every path in Preview, because it's easy to create a route that leads nowhere.

Share and collect responses

When the form is ready, use the Share option to copy a link or send it by email. Results appear as people respond, so you can watch them come in. Decide beforehand who should be allowed to respond, and whether you need names. If you're asking for personal details, say why and how you'll use them.

When Microsoft Forms is not enough

Microsoft points to Dynamics 365 Customer Voice for more advanced branding, question types and data analysis. For a simple internal survey or quiz, Forms is fine. If you want polished branding and deeper analysis, a dedicated survey tool may suit you better. My guide to Microsoft tools for small businesses shows where Forms fits among the rest. If you want to see who answered and act on the replies, my meeting notes to action prompt pack is a good way to turn feedback into next steps.

A worked example: a client feedback form

Say you want feedback after a workshop. Title it 'Workshop feedback' with a one-line description. Add a rating question for the overall session, a choice question for which part was most useful, and a text question asking what to change. Mark only the rating as required. Preview it on your phone, send it to attendees straight after the session and read the responses the same day. Three or four questions will get far more replies than twelve. That's the rule I'd follow for any quick survey.

Quizzes versus forms

A quiz is a form with answers you can score. Choose New Quiz when you want to test knowledge, such as a training check, and New Form when you're gathering opinions or details. Microsoft's own pages treat quizzes separately, with their own settings, so if you're building one, start from New Quiz and don't convert a form later. Keep the quiz short and mix in a variety of question types so people don't switch off.

Before you send it

• Read every question aloud. If one sounds confusing, rewrite it.
• Send the link to a colleague and ask them to fill it in on their phone.
• Check that required questions really are essential.
• Know where the responses will go and who will read them.

My verdict

Start at forms.office.com, keep the title short, add one idea per question, test branching in Preview on a phone and share the link. If you need richer analysis than Forms provides, you've reached the point to consider another tool.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a Microsoft Form?

Go to forms.office.com, select New Form, add a title, then use Add new to insert questions and share the link.

How long can a form title be?

Microsoft says titles can have up to 90 characters and descriptions up to 1,000.

Do I need to save my form?

No. Forms saves automatically while you create it.

What question types are there?

Choice, Text, Rating and Date, plus Ranking, Likert, File upload and Net Promoter Score under More question types.

Can I see how the form looks on a phone?

Yes. Select Preview to see it on a computer or a mobile device.