Surveys are a powerful way to gather feedback, opinions, or data from your audience. Microsoft Forms makes it easy to create and distribute surveys with a variety of question types and customization options. Follow this step-by-step guide to create your first survey.
1. Start a New Survey
Sign in to Microsoft Forms at forms.office.com.
On the home screen, click New Form.
Give your survey a title and description (e.g., "Customer Feedback Survey" or "Employee Satisfaction Survey").
2. Add Questions
Microsoft Forms offers a variety of question types to suit your needs. To add questions:
Click Add New to insert a question.
Choose a question type:
Choice: Multiple-choice or checkbox questions (e.g., "What is your favorite product feature?").
Text: Open-ended text responses (e.g., "What can we improve?").
Rating: Star or number-based rating scales (e.g., "Rate your experience from 1 to 5").
Date: Collect date-based responses (e.g., "When did you last use our service?").
Ranking: Allow respondents to rank items in order of preference.
Likert: Use a scale to measure attitudes or opinions (e.g., "Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree").
Customize your questions:
Add images or videos to make questions more engaging.
Mark questions as Required if respondents must answer them.
Use Branching Logic to create personalized paths based on responses.
Microsoft Forms may not include all the built-in features required for your specific use case. However, you can extend its functionality by integrating with Power Automate, which allows you to automate workflows, connect with other apps, and add custom features to enhance your forms.
3. Customize the Design
Make your survey visually appealing and on-brand:
Click the Theme button to customize the design.
Choose a color scheme or upload a background image.
Add your organization’s logo or branding elements if desired.
4. Preview Your Survey
Before sharing your survey, preview it to ensure it looks and functions as expected:
Click the Preview button to see how your survey will appear to respondents.
Test the survey by answering the questions yourself.
Make adjustments as needed.
5. Adjust Settings
Customize your survey settings to control how it’s shared and how responses are collected:
Click the More Options (•••) button and select Settings.
Configure options such as:
Start and End Dates: Set a time frame for when the survey is available.
Response Limits: Limit the number of responses.
Anonymous Responses: Allow respondents to submit anonymously.
One Response per Person: Restrict respondents to one submission.
6. Share Your Survey
Once your survey is ready, share it with your audience:
Click Share to generate a link, QR code, or embed code.
Distribute the survey via:
Email or messaging apps.
Social media platforms.
Microsoft Teams (as a tab or in a chat).
A website or blog (using the embed code).
7. Collect and Analyze Responses
After sharing your survey, monitor and analyze the responses:
Go to the Responses tab to view real-time results.
Use the automatically generated charts and summaries to gain insights.
Export responses to Excel for further analysis by clicking Open in Excel.
Tips for Creating Effective Surveys
Keep questions clear and concise.
Use a mix of question types to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.
Test your survey with a small group before wider distribution.
Use branching logic to create a personalized experience for respondents.
By following these steps, you can create a professional and effective survey using Microsoft Forms. Whether you’re gathering customer feedback, conducting research, or planning an event, Microsoft Forms makes the process simple and efficient.