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How to Find Free-Form 'Other' Responses in Microsoft Forms Excel Export

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to automatically extract and identify custom text entered in the 'Other' option of a Microsoft Forms survey after exporting hundreds of responses to Excel, avoiding manual review.

Product: Microsoft Forms / Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Analyzing survey data exported from Microsoft Forms to Excel where hundreds of responses need to be filtered.
Observed behavior: Custom text provided by the respondent is stored directly in the question column instead of being labeled as 'Other', making it difficult to isolate custom answers from predefined standard options.

Before you start

Ensure your Microsoft Forms responses have been exported or synced to an Excel workbook stored in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business, as Power Automate requires cloud access to read the file.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Filter and Extract 'Other' Responses

Automate the extraction of custom responses using Power Automate and the Excel Online (Business) connector.

This method uses Power Automate to programmatically pull all records from your cloud-stored Excel spreadsheet and strip out the standard choices, leaving you with only the custom responses.

Create a New Flow

Open Power Automate, create a new flow, and select the 'Excel Online (Business)' connector.

List Rows with Pagination

Add the 'List rows present in a table' action and connect it to your exported Excel file. Go to the action's settings and turn on 'Pagination' to ensure it retrieves all hundreds of rows rather than hitting the default limit.

Filter the Array

Insert a 'Filter array' action to exclude the standard predefined survey options. Use an expression similar to: @and(not(equals(item()?['QuestionA'],'Option 2')),not(equals(item()?['QuestionA'],'Option 1'))).

Format and Export Output

Add the 'Select' and 'Create HTML table' actions to format the remaining filtered responses so they can be easily reviewed or automatically emailed to your team.

Solution 2

Use Native Excel Data Filters

A quick manual alternative directly within Excel to hide standard predefined options and show only custom text.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Analyze Your Survey Data Easily with WPS Office

While Microsoft Forms and Power Automate belong to the Microsoft ecosystem, you can seamlessly open, filter, and analyze the resulting Excel data using WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative for all your spreadsheet tasks.

1. Download the Software: Click the download button to get the free, lightweight WPS Office installer.
2. Install WPS Office: Follow the simple on-screen instructions to quickly install the suite on your computer.
3. Analyze Your Data: Open your exported survey spreadsheet in WPS Spreadsheet to use intuitive data filters and isolate your custom responses.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for exported survey data.Powerful built-in data filtering and sorting tools to easily isolate custom responses.Free, lightweight, and fast-loading spreadsheet application.Familiar user interface makes switching from Microsoft Office seamless.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Excel export show the custom text instead of the word 'Other'?

Microsoft Forms is designed to capture the exact input from the respondent. When a user selects 'Other' and types a custom response, the system records their typed text directly in the column so no data is lost.

Can I filter these responses without using Power Automate?

Yes. You can open the exported file in Microsoft Excel or WPS Spreadsheet, highlight the column, and use the standard Data Filter feature to manually uncheck standard options, which will leave only the custom responses visible.

Why is my Power Automate flow only retrieving a portion of my survey responses?

By default, the 'List rows present in a table' action retrieves a limited number of rows (often 256). To process hundreds of survey responses, you must click the three dots on the action, go to Settings, and turn on Pagination with a threshold higher than your total response count.

How do I export Microsoft Forms data to Excel in the first place?

Open your form in Microsoft Forms, navigate to the 'Responses' tab, and click the 'Open in Excel' button to download a copy or sync the data to an Excel workbook in SharePoint/OneDrive.

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