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How to Collect Names from External Respondents in Microsoft Forms

Elise Williams Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to record the identities of external users submitting a Microsoft Form, but the system currently logs their responses as anonymous.

How to Collect Names from External Respondents in Microsoft Forms

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing a form with users outside the organization using the 'Anyone can respond' setting and needing to know who submitted each response.
Observed behavior: When restricted to the organization, names are collected automatically but external users are blocked. When opened to anyone, external users can access the form, but their names are not collected because they do not sign in.

Before you start

Ensure you have edit access to the Microsoft Form you are sharing. Since anonymous links cannot pull user data automatically, you will need to modify the form's structure before distributing the link.

Solution 1Recommended

Add a Required Text Question for the Respondent's Name

Since Microsoft Forms cannot automatically identify external users who do not sign in, you must explicitly ask for their name within the form itself.

When a Microsoft Form is shared using the 'Anyone can respond' option, respondents are not required to log into a Microsoft account. Consequently, the system cannot automatically fetch their identities, and their submissions are recorded as 'Anonymous'.

Open your form in edit mode

Add a new text question

Click the '+ Add new' button located at the top or bottom of your form questions, and select 'Text' as the question type.

Prompt for the respondent's name

In the question field, type 'What is your full name?' or a similar prompt to clearly ask the respondent for their identity.

Make the question required

Toggle the 'Required' switch located at the bottom right of the question box. This ensures respondents cannot submit the form without typing their name.

Submit Feature Feedback: You can suggest or vote for an automatic external name-collection feature on the Microsoft Feedback Portal to help prioritize this functionality in future updates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do external respondents show up as anonymous in Microsoft Forms?

When a form is set to 'Anyone can respond,' respondents are not required to log into a Microsoft account. Without an active login session, the system cannot verify or retrieve their identity, resulting in anonymous responses.

Can I restrict my Microsoft Form to specific external email addresses?

No, Microsoft Forms only allows you to restrict access to specific people within your own organization. For external users, you must use the 'Anyone can respond' link, which is open to anyone who has the URL.

Is there any setting to auto-collect names without adding a custom question?

Automatically collecting names is only possible if you select 'Only people in my organization can respond' or 'Specific people in my organization can respond' in the sharing settings. Both options require respondents to have organizational accounts and sign in.

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