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Can Microsoft Forms Track Unsubmitted Surveys and Audit Responses?

Partner Editor Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to know if it is possible to track surveys that were started but not submitted in Microsoft Forms, whether submitted responses can be lost, and how creator auditing differs from administrator auditing.

Can Microsoft Forms Track Unsubmitted Surveys and Audit Responses?

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking survey respondent progress and auditing form management activities.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Forms does not currently provide a built-in feature to track or record surveys that were started but never submitted by the respondent.

Before you start

Ensure you have the appropriate account permissions, as viewing basic form results requires creator access, while accessing detailed audit logs requires Microsoft Purview administrator privileges.

Solution 1Recommended

Understanding Microsoft Forms Tracking Limitations

Clarifies the data retention behavior for unsubmitted and submitted survey responses.

Microsoft Forms is designed to prioritize data privacy and only records data once a respondent explicitly submits it.

Unsubmitted Surveys

Acknowledge that Microsoft Forms does not possess a built-in feature to track, save, or view progress for surveys that were started but never submitted. If a user closes the browser before clicking submit, the data is not retained.

Submitted Surveys

Rest assured that once a respondent successfully clicks the 'Submit' button, the response is securely recorded in the system and generally cannot be lost.

Understanding Microsoft Forms Tracking Limitations

Data Security: Submitted responses are safely stored in the cloud and are immediately accessible to the form creator.

Solution 2

Reviewing Results as a Form Creator

Form creators can track basic management actions and view submitted survey results directly within Microsoft Forms.

Solution 3

Advanced Auditing for System Administrators

Administrators can utilize Microsoft Purview to track detailed Microsoft Forms audit activities across the organization.

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While Microsoft Forms handles survey collection, analyzing the exported data requires a reliable spreadsheet tool. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and fully compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, perfect for managing your exported survey results.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
2. Open Exported Data: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the .xlsx file you exported from Microsoft Forms.
3. Analyze Results: Use built-in charts, filters, and pivot tables to easily review your survey responses.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can respondents save their progress and continue a Microsoft Form later?

No, Microsoft Forms does not currently support a 'save and continue' feature. If a respondent closes the browser window before submitting, any entered data is lost and cannot be tracked.

Will a submitted response in Microsoft Forms ever be lost?

Generally, no. Once a response is successfully submitted by a user, it is securely stored in Microsoft's cloud servers and becomes immediately visible to the form creator in the Responses tab.

What is the difference between creator and admin auditing in Microsoft Forms?

Form creators can only view submitted responses, basic form metrics, and their own form settings via the Responses tab. System administrators, however, can use the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to access deep audit logs, such as tracking who created, edited, or deleted forms across the entire organization.

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