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How to Automatically Create and Save a PDF from Microsoft Forms Responses

Huda Qurayshi Oct 15, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs a method to automatically convert individual Microsoft Forms submissions into PDF documents and save those files into a designated folder.

How to Automatically Create and Save PDFs from Microsoft Forms Responses

Product: Microsoft Forms, Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating document generation and secure storage immediately after a user submits a form response.
Observed behavior: Each submitted form response is dynamically converted into a customized PDF file and stored in a specified OneDrive or SharePoint folder without manual intervention.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 account with access to Microsoft Forms and Power Automate, and prepare a blank Word or HTML template to map your form fields.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Convert Forms to PDF via Word Template

This recommended automated workflow captures form submissions, populates a designed Word template with the data, converts it into a PDF, and saves it to your cloud folder.

This method requires the Word Online (Business) connector in Power Automate to dynamically fill in document properties based on your form fields.

Set Up the Trigger

Log in to Power Automate, click 'Create', and choose 'Automated cloud flow'. Name your flow and select the trigger 'When a new response is submitted' for Microsoft Forms.

Retrieve Response Details

Add a new step and search for 'Get response details'. Select your Form ID from the dropdown menu and insert the 'Response ID' dynamic content into the corresponding field.

Populate Word Template

Add the 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action. Select the location of your pre-made Word template (OneDrive or SharePoint), and map the dynamic content from your form responses to the respective fields in the template.

Create a Temporary Word File

Add the 'Create file' action for OneDrive or SharePoint. Choose your destination folder, name the file with a '.docx' extension (using dynamic content like the responder's name for uniqueness), and insert the 'Microsoft Word document' dynamic content into the File Content field.

Convert File to PDF

Add the 'Convert file' action (for OneDrive) or 'Convert Word Document to PDF' (for SharePoint). Select the File ID of the temporary document you created in the previous step.

Save the Final PDF

Add a final 'Create file' action. Select your target folder, name the file ending in '.pdf', and insert the 'File content' dynamic content from the conversion step. You can also add an optional step to delete the temporary Word file.

Use Power Automate to Convert Forms to PDF via Word Template

Template Preparation: Before building the flow, ensure your Word template has Developer 'Plain Text Content Controls' inserted where you want the form answers to appear.

Solution 2

Convert Forms Responses to PDF using HTML Conversion

If you do not have access to premium Word connectors, you can dynamically create an HTML file with the form data and convert it to a PDF using standard OneDrive connectors.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Need to create templates or edit your generated PDFs? Try WPS Office

While Power Automate handles your background automations, you still need a reliable suite to design your document templates and review the final PDF outputs. WPS Office is a highly compatible, free alternative to Microsoft Office that allows you to create DOCX templates with ease and seamlessly edit or annotate the resulting PDF documents.

1. Design Your Template in WPS Writer: Open a new blank document in WPS Writer. Type out your standard form questions and leave space for the dynamic answers.
2. Format and Save: Apply custom formatting, headers, or logos. Once complete, click 'Menu' > 'Save As' and choose the '.docx' format to ensure it works perfectly with your Power Automate flow.
3. Review PDFs Locally: Use WPS Office's built-in PDF tools to open, review, merge, or sign the final PDFs generated by your automation.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats required for automation templatesBuilt-in, comprehensive PDF reader and editor to review your generated formsLightweight, fast-loading, and uses minimal system resourcesFree to download and available on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I include file attachments uploaded via Microsoft Forms in the generated PDF?

Yes, but it requires additional advanced steps in Power Automate. You will need to parse the JSON output of the attachment field, use the 'Get file content' action to retrieve the uploaded files from OneDrive, and either append the content or provide clickable hyperlinks within your PDF template.

Why does the 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action require a premium license?

The Word Online (Business) connector, which includes the template population action, is categorized as a premium connector in Power Automate by Microsoft. If you do not have a premium license, you must use the free HTML-to-PDF conversion method.

Where are Microsoft Forms responses stored by default?

By default, Microsoft Forms responses are collected and stored in an automatically generated Excel workbook located in the OneDrive of the form creator, or in the associated SharePoint document library if it was created as a Group form.

How do I handle missing or blank fields in the PDF template?

When mapping dynamic content in Power Automate, you can use expressions like coalesce() to provide a default fallback value (such as 'N/A' or 'Not Provided') if a respondent leaves a non-mandatory form field blank.

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