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How to Fix Microsoft Forms Multiple-Selection Answers in Power Automate

Elise Williams Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to configure a Power Automate flow to return only the specific options chosen in a Microsoft Forms multiple-selection question.

Configure Microsoft Forms Multiple-Selection Answers in Power Automate

Product: Microsoft Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up an automated workflow to process incoming responses from a Microsoft Form where respondents select multiple audience categories.
Observed behavior: The Power Automate flow retrieves and returns every available option from the multiple-choice question instead of only the answers selected by the user.

Before you start

Submit a test response in your Microsoft Form and review the raw JSON outputs in your Power Automate flow run history to see exactly how the multiple-selection data is being formatted.

Solution 1Recommended

Parse and Process the Response as a JSON Array

Configure your flow to treat the multiple-selection response as an array rather than a fixed string list, allowing you to extract only the chosen values.

Microsoft Forms passes multiple-selection answers to Power Automate as a stringified JSON array (e.g., '["Option A", "Option B"]') rather than a true array. To process only the selected answers, you must parse this string back into a functional array.

Retrieve Form Responses

Ensure your flow begins with the 'When a new response is submitted' trigger, followed by the 'Get response details' action.

Add a Data Operation

Click 'New step' and search for 'Compose' or use the 'Select' data operation.

Use the JSON Expression

In the Inputs field, click the 'Expression' tab and type 'json()'. Place your cursor inside the parentheses, switch to 'Dynamic content', and select the multiple-choice question from your Form. This converts the text string into an actual array.

Join the Array Values

Add a 'Join' data operation. Use the output from your previous Compose step in the 'From' field, and enter a comma and a space in the 'Join with' field to format the selected answers cleanly.

Parse and Process the Response as a JSON Array

Testing the Flow: Run a manual test of your flow after implementing the json() expression. The output should now display only the selected choices separated by commas.

Solution 2

Consult the Power Automate Community for Complex Flows

If you require advanced data manipulation or run into parsing errors with your flow, the official community can provide tailored logic structures.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Automate read my multiple-choice answers as text instead of individual items?

Microsoft Forms intentionally formats multiple-selection outputs as a single string of text formatted like a JSON array (e.g., '["Choice 1","Choice 2"]') to ensure safe data transmission. Power Automate reads it as standard text until you explicitly parse it using the json() expression.

Can I use an 'Apply to each' loop on Microsoft Forms multiple-choice answers?

Yes, but only after you convert the response string into an array. Once you apply the json() function to the Forms dynamic content in a 'Compose' action, you can use the output of that Compose action as the input for an 'Apply to each' loop.

What happens if a user selects only one option in a multiple-selection question?

Even if only a single option is selected, Microsoft Forms will still output the answer formatted as an array string (e.g., '["Choice 1"]'). Your json() parsing logic will continue to work correctly without causing flow errors.

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