How to Collect Respondent Names in Microsoft Forms Without Numbering
Question details
The user wants to collect the names of respondents in a Microsoft Forms quiz without adding a numbered question for the name field.
- Product
- Microsoft Forms
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating a quiz or survey and wanting to log participant names without disrupting the numbering of actual quiz questions.
- Observed behavior
- Adding a name field manually acts as a numbered question by default, and users want a way to record names behind the scenes or without the numbering.
Determine whether your form will be shared exclusively with people inside your organization or with external respondents, as this dictates the method you can use.
Automatically Record Names for Internal Respondents
Use this built-in setting if your form is restricted to people within your organization to capture names automatically without adding a numbered question.
When sharing a form with people inside your Microsoft 365 organization, you can configure the form to automatically capture their logged-in credentials.
This completely removes the need to manually ask for their name, keeping your quiz numbering clean.
Open your Microsoft Form, click on the three dots (More form settings) in the top right corner, and select 'Settings'.
Under the 'Who can fill out this form' section, select the 'Only people in my organization can respond' option.
Check the box next to 'Record name'. The system will now automatically log the identity of anyone who submits the form.
Add a Text Question for External Respondents
If you are collecting responses from outside your organization, you must add a text question to collect names, as automatic tracking is disabled.
Manage Your Form Data Seamlessly with WPS Office
Once you export your Microsoft Forms responses, you can easily open, analyze, and format the results using WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to Microsoft Office for all your spreadsheet needs.
- 1. Download Form Responses: In Microsoft Forms, go to the 'Responses' tab and click 'Open in Excel' to download your .xlsx file.
- 2. Open with WPS Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office, select 'Spreadsheets', and open your downloaded file.
- 3. Analyze the Data: Use WPS Spreadsheets' intuitive filtering and sorting tools to review respondent names and analyze quiz answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the 'Record name' option appear in my Microsoft Forms settings?
The 'Record name' setting is only available when your form is set to 'Only people in my organization can respond' or 'Specific people in my organization can respond'. It will not appear if the 'Anyone can respond' option is selected.
Can I hide the question number for the manual name field?
No, Microsoft Forms does not currently support removing numbers from specific questions. If you add a text field for names, it will be numbered sequentially with the rest of your form.
Where can I view the automatically recorded respondent names?
Names recorded automatically from users in your organization will appear in the 'Responses' tab of your form and in the exported Excel workbook alongside their answers.
Can respondents remain anonymous if 'Record name' is checked?
No. If you check 'Record name', their identity is tied to their submission. To allow anonymous responses from internal users, you must uncheck this option in the form settings.
