Data Import & Export

How to Merge and Sort Microsoft Forms Responses in Excel by Date

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

Combine booking records from an old Microsoft Form and a new Microsoft Form into one Excel sheet and sort them chronologically.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing and organizing response data exported from multiple versions of a Microsoft Form.
Observed behavior: Responses from different forms are automatically stored in separate workbooks and do not merge or sort together by default.

Before you start

Ensure that both the old and new Microsoft Forms have identical or highly compatible questions so their exported data columns match perfectly in Excel.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Append and Sort the Data

A quick and straightforward method for combining form responses by manually copying the old records to the new form's Excel workbook and applying a custom sort.

Since each Microsoft Form connects to its own dedicated workbook, the simplest way to merge historical data with new submissions is through copy-pasting. This method works best if you only need to perform the merge occasionally or for a one-time report.

Open Both Excel Workbooks

Open the downloaded Excel file containing your old form responses and the file with your new form responses.

Copy the Old Data

In the old responses workbook, highlight all the rows containing your data (exclude the header row to avoid duplicating it) and press Ctrl+C to copy.

Paste into the New Workbook

Switch to the new responses workbook, scroll to the first empty row below the existing data, and press Ctrl+V to paste the old records.

Sort the Combined Data

Highlight the entire combined dataset including the headers. Navigate to the Data tab and click Sort. Select the column containing your Date and Time data, set Sort On to Cell Values, and Order to Oldest to Newest. Click OK.

Data Alignment: If the columns between the two forms are slightly different, manually rearrange the columns in the old workbook to match the new one before copying.

Solution 2

Automate Data Merging with Power Query

Best for ongoing data collection where you want to continuously merge and sort responses from multiple form export files without manual copying.

Effortless Data Management

Merge and Sort Form Responses Easily with WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet provides powerful, user-friendly tools to combine multiple datasets, align columns, and sort your records chronologically. It fully supports Microsoft Excel formats, ensuring your downloaded form data is managed seamlessly.

1. Open Response Files: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open both the old and new Microsoft Forms response files.
2. Combine the Data: Copy the rows from the old file and paste them directly beneath the last row of data in the new file.
3. Select the Data Range: Highlight all your data, ensuring your header row is included in the selection.
4. Apply Sort: Go to the Data tab on the ribbon, click Sort, select your Date/Time column, and choose Ascending to arrange the records chronologically.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats and form exports.Intuitive sorting and filtering tools for complex date and time data.Lightweight software with high-speed processing for large datasets.Free to use with comprehensive data management features.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't my old and new Microsoft Forms responses sync automatically?

Each Microsoft Form is directly linked to its own specific Excel workbook upon creation. When you create a new form, it generates a brand new workbook. They do not share a database by default, which is why manual merging or third-party automation is required.

What happens if the columns in my old and new forms are different?

If the questions or columns differ, pasting the data together will misalign your records. You must manually insert, delete, or rearrange the columns in one of the Excel sheets so that corresponding data (like Names, Dates, or Emails) align perfectly before appending.

Can I use Power Automate to merge responses in real-time?

Yes. You can create a flow in Microsoft Power Automate that triggers whenever a new response is submitted to either the old or new form. The flow can be set to add a row into a single, master Excel table stored on OneDrive or SharePoint.

How do I sort data containing both dates and exact times?

Excel and WPS Spreadsheet natively recognize combined Date/Time formats (e.g., mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm). When you select the column and apply a standard Ascending (Oldest to Newest) sort, the software automatically orders the records by the date first, and then sequentially by the exact time of day.

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