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How to Automatically Save Microsoft Forms Attachments to Separate Folders

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to automatically organize files uploaded via Microsoft Forms into separate, specific folders based on the question or response criteria, rather than lumping them all into the default upload folder.

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collecting structured file uploads through Microsoft Forms and needing custom file organization.
Observed behavior: By default, Microsoft Forms saves all uploaded files into a single general Forms upload folder in SharePoint or OneDrive, without separating them dynamically by respondent or question.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to Microsoft Power Automate and sufficient permissions in SharePoint or OneDrive to create folders and move files dynamically.

Solution 1Recommended

Build a Power Automate Flow to Route Files

Since Microsoft Forms does not natively route attachments to specific folders, you must use Power Automate to intercept the submission and move the files based on response data.

Microsoft Forms natively saves all uploaded files to a default folder in OneDrive (for personal forms) or SharePoint (for group forms). To achieve conditional routing, you must create an automated workflow using Power Automate.

Create a New Automated Flow

Open Power Automate, click on 'Create', and select 'Automated cloud flow'. Choose the trigger 'When a new response is submitted' from Microsoft Forms.

Fetch Response Details

Add a new action called 'Get response details'. Select your Form ID from the dropdown and use the Response ID from the dynamic content.

Extract and Parse the File Data

Because form attachments are returned as a JSON string, add a 'Parse JSON' action to interpret the file array from your specific file-upload question so you can access the file names and contents.

Move or Create the File in the Target Folder

Add an 'Apply to each' loop using the parsed file data. Inside the loop, use a 'Get file content' action to read the file from the default Forms folder, and then use the 'Create file' action to save it into your desired dynamically-named SharePoint or OneDrive folder.

Community Support for Advanced Flows: Designing dynamic folder paths and managing SharePoint permissions can be complex. If you need help with the specific JSON schema or flow expressions, consider asking in the Microsoft Power Platform Community.

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Analyze Your Exported Forms Data with WPS Office

While setting up automated workflows requires the Microsoft ecosystem, analyzing the collected response data does not. WPS Office is a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative that lets you view and edit exported Form results seamlessly.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free office suite and install it on your device.
2. Export Form Data: In Microsoft Forms, go to your Responses tab and click 'Open in Excel' to download your collected data as an .xlsx file.
3. Open with WPS Spreadsheet: Double-click the downloaded .xlsx file to open it in WPS Spreadsheet, where you can filter, analyze, and format your collected response data.

Free and lightweight office suite for daily productivityFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for analyzing exported form dataFamiliar user interface ensuring a seamless migration without a learning curveBuilt-in PDF editing and document management features

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where do Microsoft Forms file uploads go by default?

By default, files uploaded to a personal form are saved in the creator's OneDrive under 'Apps > Microsoft Forms'. For group forms, they are stored in the default Document library of the associated SharePoint site under the same folder path.

Can I limit the file types uploaded in Microsoft Forms?

Yes. When adding a File Upload question, click the 'More settings' (three dots) on the question block, select 'File type', and restrict uploads to specific formats like Word, Excel, PDF, or images.

What is the maximum file size limit for Forms attachments?

Microsoft Forms allows you to set a file size limit for each file upload question. In the question settings, you can choose a maximum file size of 10MB, 100MB, or 1GB per file.

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