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How to Dynamically Update Microsoft Forms Choices from Excel

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 7, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to automatically sync and update Microsoft Forms question choices or drop-down lists using data stored in an Excel spreadsheet.

How to Dynamically Update Microsoft Forms Choices from Excel

Product: Microsoft Forms, Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing dynamic surveys or forms where the list of available choices changes frequently and needs to be driven by an external Excel data source.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Forms natively allows form responses to populate an Excel file, but it lacks a built-in feature to do the reverse, meaning changes to an Excel table do not automatically update the Form's available choices.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription with access to Microsoft Power Automate, and save your source Excel file to a cloud location like OneDrive for Business or SharePoint.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Sync Excel Data to Microsoft Forms

Since there is no native sync feature, you must build a custom workflow in Power Automate to read Excel table rows and push them into the Microsoft Forms choice field.

Microsoft Forms does not natively support dynamically updating questions from an Excel file. However, by leveraging Microsoft Power Automate, you can create a custom integration. Please note that updating form definitions programmatically requires advanced HTTP REST API requests.

Save Excel File to Cloud

Upload your Excel file to OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. Highlight your data range, go to the Insert tab, and click 'Table' to format the data properly for Power Automate.

Create a New Flow

Log in to Microsoft Power Automate and create a new 'Scheduled cloud flow' so the system checks for Excel updates at regular intervals.

Add the Excel Action

Add a new step and search for the 'List rows present in a table' action under Excel Online. Select your saved cloud file and the specific table containing your choices.

Update the Form via HTTP Request

Add a 'Send an HTTP request to SharePoint' action (or premium HTTP action) to interact with the Microsoft Forms API. You will need to construct a PATCH request containing the parsed array of Excel data to update the target form question.

Use Power Automate to Sync Excel Data to Microsoft Forms

Advanced Technical Requirement: Because the Forms API is restricted and not fully exposed via standard Power Automate connectors, updating the form choices requires advanced knowledge of REST APIs and JSON parsing. Consult the Microsoft Power Automate community forums for specific API endpoint payloads.

Solution 2

Use Microsoft Power Apps as an Alternative

If integrating via Power Automate APIs is too complex, consider migrating your form to Microsoft Power Apps, which natively supports dynamic dropdowns.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can Microsoft Forms automatically pull data from Excel natively?

No, Microsoft Forms does not have a native feature to automatically update its question choices or drop-down lists from an Excel file. You must use workarounds like Microsoft Power Automate.

Does updating the Excel response file update the original form?

No. The Excel file generated by Microsoft Forms operates on a one-way sync used solely to record incoming responses. Editing data or options in this spreadsheet will not alter the original form's layout or available choices.

Are there any tools that natively support dynamic dropdowns from Excel?

Yes, tools like Microsoft Power Apps or third-party solutions like Smartsheet and Jotform are better suited for this type of dynamic data connection, allowing dropdown menus to be directly tied to a spreadsheet.

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