SharePoint Document Issues

How to Transfer Ownership of an InfoPath Form in SharePoint

Kushani Nimanthika Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to transfer the authorship or ownership of an existing InfoPath form connected to a SharePoint document library without having to completely rebuild the form.

How to Transfer Ownership of an InfoPath Form in SharePoint

Product: Microsoft SharePoint / InfoPath
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A user needs to hand over the management of a customized InfoPath form in SharePoint to another team member, but cannot find a built-in feature to assign a new owner.
Observed behavior: Microsoft does not provide a straightforward, built-in process to transfer ownership of legacy InfoPath forms, requiring workarounds or migration to newer platforms.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator permissions in your SharePoint environment and access to the original published InfoPath form template (.xsn) file before attempting to modify publishing settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Republish the Form Template Using a New Administrator Account

Since there is no direct "transfer ownership" button, the most practical workaround is for the new owner to download the template and republish it under their own credentials.

InfoPath forms are heavily tied to the credentials of the user who originally published them. By downloading the source file and republishing it as a new administrator, you essentially take over the authorship of the form template in that SharePoint library.

Download the Form Template

Navigate to your SharePoint Document Library. Go to Library Settings > Advanced Settings. Locate the Document Template section and download the current InfoPath form template (.xsn) to your local computer.

Open in InfoPath Designer

Launch InfoPath Designer 2013 on the new owner's machine. Open the downloaded .xsn template file.

Update Data Connections

Go to the Data tab and click 'Data Connections'. Review and modify any connections that might be hard-coded to the previous owner's account or permissions, updating them to the new environment or service accounts as needed.

Republish to SharePoint

Click File > Publish > SharePoint Server. Follow the publishing wizard, enter the exact URL of the existing SharePoint library, and complete the process to overwrite the existing form using your new credentials.

Republish the Form Template Using a New Administrator Account

Important Backup Recommendation: Always keep a backup copy of the original .xsn file before modifying data connections or republishing, in case the new publishing process breaks existing library workflows.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft Technical Support

If you are working in a highly restricted Microsoft 365 environment where republishing fails, consulting Microsoft Support is the safest route for legacy services.

Solution 3

Transition to Microsoft Power Apps

As InfoPath Forms Services will be retired after July 2026, rebuilding the form in Power Apps is the long-term solution to avoid future ownership and compatibility issues.

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1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free installation package for your operating system.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When will InfoPath Forms Services be completely retired?

InfoPath 2013 mainstream support ended in 2021. InfoPath Forms Services is officially scheduled for removal from supported Microsoft 365 and SharePoint versions after July 2026.

Can I use Microsoft Forms to replace my InfoPath form in SharePoint?

Microsoft Forms is typically suited for simple surveys and questionnaires. For complex, customized data entry integrated deeply with SharePoint libraries, Microsoft recommends Power Apps as the true successor to InfoPath.

Will I lose my existing SharePoint data if I republish the InfoPath form under a new owner?

No, republishing the .xsn template updates the form interface and data connection rules but does not delete the existing documents or metadata currently saved in your SharePoint document library.

Why isn't there a simple 'Change Owner' button for InfoPath forms?

InfoPath is a legacy desktop application whose publishing mechanism was originally designed around individual user credentials and direct SharePoint site permissions, lacking the modern cloud-based co-authoring features found in newer platforms.

Document & File Issues