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Can Microsoft Forms Display Questions on a Monthly Schedule?

Guest Writer Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know if Microsoft Forms can show specific questions on a recurring monthly schedule and automatically display data submitted in the previous month's response.

Can Microsoft Forms Display Questions on a Monthly Schedule?

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up a recurring monthly inspection or survey form that requires referencing previously submitted measurements or responses.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Forms lacks native features to schedule specific questions dynamically or retrieve past response data.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to Microsoft Power Automate with your Microsoft 365 subscription, as advanced scheduling and data retrieval in Forms require building a custom workflow.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Build a Scheduled Workflow

Since Microsoft Forms cannot natively schedule questions, Power Automate is required to trigger recurring forms and retrieve past data.

Microsoft Forms is designed for straightforward data collection and does not support dynamic question visibility or referencing historical responses natively. To achieve a monthly recurring schedule that relies on previous data, you must integrate Forms with Power Automate and a data storage solution like SharePoint or Excel Online.

Access Power Automate

Create a Scheduled Flow

Click on 'Create' in the left sidebar and select 'Scheduled cloud flow'. Set the flow to trigger on a monthly recurrence.

Retrieve Previous Data

Add an action to your flow (such as 'Get items' for SharePoint or 'List rows' for Excel) to retrieve the previous month's data from your designated storage source.

Send the Form with Context

Set up an action to send an email or Microsoft Teams message containing the Microsoft Forms link. Include the retrieved historical data in the body of the message, as Forms itself cannot dynamically update its fields to show this data.

Use Power Automate to Build a Scheduled Workflow

Community Support: Building dynamic workflows can be complex. For detailed implementation guidance, templates, and troubleshooting, it is highly recommended to post in the Microsoft Power Automate Community forums.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set an expiration date or specific active time for a Microsoft Form?

Yes, while you cannot schedule individual questions, you can set a start and end date for the entire form. Click the three dots (More form settings) in the top right of your form, select 'Settings', and check the 'Start date' and 'End date' boxes to specify when the form will accept responses.

Is it possible to pull SharePoint list data directly into a Microsoft Forms dropdown?

No, Microsoft Forms does not natively support dynamic dropdowns populated from external sources like SharePoint or Excel. You would need to use Microsoft Power Apps instead of Forms for this level of dynamic data integration.

How can I send a recurring monthly reminder to fill out a Microsoft Form?

You can use Power Automate to create a 'Scheduled cloud flow' that runs once a month. Add an action to automatically send an email or a message in Teams containing the URL link to your Microsoft Form.

Does Microsoft Forms allow pre-filling answers for users?

Yes, Microsoft Forms supports a 'Pre-fill' feature. You can generate a link with pre-populated answers by clicking the three dots menu in the upper right, selecting 'Get pre-filled link', filling in the desired default answers, and sharing that specific link with your respondents.

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