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How to Copy a SharePoint Survey Without Losing Original Submitters

WPS Content Manager Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need to copy or migrate a SharePoint survey to a new site without losing the original identities of the respondents.

How to Copy a SharePoint Survey Without Losing Original Submitters

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Recreating a survey using a list template that includes existing response content.
Observed behavior: SharePoint overwrites the 'Created By' and 'Modified By' fields, assigning the destination user who applies the template as the creator of all recreated response items.

Before you start

Before attempting to move your SharePoint survey, ensure you have Site Owner permissions on the source site so you can successfully export your existing response data.

Solution 1Recommended

Export Original Results for Historical Reference

Because SharePoint overwrites metadata by design when applying a template, the best method to preserve original submitter identities is to export the existing data to an Excel spreadsheet.

SharePoint Online does not have a built-in feature to preserve system metadata (like the original respondent) when recreating items through a list template. To retain this information, you must create a manual backup.

Navigate to the Survey

Open your SharePoint Online site and navigate to the original survey that contains the responses you want to keep.

Export to Spreadsheet

Click on the 'List' tab in the ribbon (or the 'Actions' menu, depending on your SharePoint version) and select 'Export to Spreadsheet'.

Save the Historical Data

Open the downloaded file in a spreadsheet application and save it as a standard .xlsx file to keep a permanent historical record of the original submitters.

Export Original Results for Historical Reference

Keep Original Site Active: Alternatively, if exporting is not ideal, you can simply keep the responses stored in the original SharePoint site for reference and start a fresh survey in the new destination.

Solution 2

Copy Only the Survey Structure

If your goal is simply to reuse the survey questions without needing the old data in the new location, you can copy the list structure without the content.

Solution 3

Transition to Microsoft Forms for Future Surveys

Microsoft highly recommends using Microsoft Forms as a modern, reliable alternative to legacy SharePoint surveys.

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Easily Manage Exported Survey Data with WPS Office

Since SharePoint requires exporting survey results to preserve original submitters, you will need a reliable spreadsheet tool to view and manage this historical data. WPS Office is a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to Microsoft Office that handles large datasets with ease.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office suite for your operating system.
2. Open the Exported Survey: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open the .xlsx file containing your exported SharePoint survey responses.
3. Analyze Submitters: Use data filters and conditional formatting to easily sort, track, and analyze your historical survey submitters without losing any metadata.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) files for opening exported SharePoint dataFree alternative to Microsoft Office with a familiar, easy-to-use interfaceLightweight installation with fast loading times for large survey datasetsBuilt-in advanced filtering and data analysis tools

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint overwrite the 'Created By' field when applying a template?

This behavior is by design. When a list template containing content is applied, SharePoint generates new items in the destination site. The system treats the user who is currently applying the template as the creator of these newly generated items, thus overwriting the original system metadata.

Is there any built-in SharePoint setting to prevent metadata loss during a survey copy?

No, there is no built-in method in standard SharePoint Online to retain original 'Created By' or 'Modified By' values when copying items via a list template. Third-party migration tools are required to retain this specific metadata.

Can I use Microsoft Power Automate to copy survey items with original submitters?

While Power Automate can copy list items from one site to another, it also cannot natively override system fields like 'Created By' without a premium connector or using specialized REST API calls that require administrative privileges.

What is the best alternative to SharePoint Surveys?

Microsoft Forms is the recommended modern alternative. It is fully integrated with Microsoft 365, offers a much better user experience on both desktop and mobile, and inherently protects response metadata and makes exporting data incredibly simple.

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