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How to Keep Microsoft Forms Responses Anonymous While Running a Drawing

Partner Editor Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to collect evaluation responses anonymously in Microsoft Forms while simultaneously offering respondents the option to enter a giveaway or drawing.

How to Keep Microsoft Forms Responses Anonymous While Running a Drawing

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Conducting a survey or evaluation where honest, anonymous feedback is required, but participants are also incentivized with a prize drawing that requires contact information.
Observed behavior: A method is needed to safely separate the anonymous survey data from the personally identifiable information used for the gift-card drawing.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to create and edit Microsoft Forms, and prepare a draft of your evaluation questions as well as the contact fields needed for your giveaway.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Two-Form Linking System

By creating two separate forms and linking them through a custom thank-you message, you can keep survey data completely anonymous while safely collecting contact info for the drawing.

This method ensures complete data privacy. Because the evaluation form and the giveaway form are independent files, the anonymous feedback cannot be traced back to the contact information submitted for the drawing.

Create the giveaway form

Create a new Microsoft Form that only requests the respondent's name, email address, or phone number. Once completed, click 'Collect responses' and copy the sharing link for this specific form.

Build the anonymous evaluation form

Create your main survey form. Open the Settings pane (via the three-dot menu) and ensure the 'Record name' option is turned off to keep all responses anonymous.

Customize the thank-you message

In the Settings pane of your evaluation form, scroll down to 'Options for responses' and check the box for 'Customize thank you message'.

Link the two forms

Paste the link to your giveaway form into the thank-you message text box. Add a brief instruction, such as 'Thank you for your feedback! Click this link to enter our gift-card drawing.'

Voluntary Participation: Because the forms are separate, the evaluation responses remain anonymous unless respondents actively choose to click the link and identify themselves in the second form.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Analyze Your Form Responses with WPS Office

Once you have collected your anonymous surveys and giveaway entries, you will need a reliable spreadsheet tool to analyze the data and select a winner. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office for processing exported form results.

1. Export Form Data: In Microsoft Forms, navigate to the Responses tab and click 'Open in Excel' to download your collected survey or giveaway data.
2. Open in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open the downloaded .xlsx file to instantly view and organize your responses.
3. Select a Giveaway Winner: Use WPS Spreadsheet's built-in randomizing functions (such as RAND or RANDBETWEEN) to fairly and easily select a winner from your giveaway entries.

Free and lightweight complete office suiteFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) files exported from FormsRich data analysis and charting tools for survey evaluationFamiliar interface ensures a seamless migration from Microsoft Office

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I track who completed the anonymous Microsoft Form if they enter the drawing?

No. Because you are using two completely separate forms, there is no technical link between the anonymous evaluation submission and the contact information provided in the giveaway form.

Where do I find the setting to customize the thank-you message?

Open your evaluation form, click the three-dot menu (More form settings) in the top right corner, select 'Settings', scroll down to 'Options for responses', and check 'Customize thank you message'.

Will respondents be forced to enter the gift-card drawing?

No. The link to the drawing is only presented after the main survey is submitted. Participation in the drawing is entirely voluntary, and users can simply close the window if they do not wish to enter.

Can I export my giveaway entries to select a random winner?

Yes. Open your giveaway form in Microsoft Forms, go to the 'Responses' tab, and click 'Open in Excel'. You can then use any spreadsheet software, like WPS Office or Microsoft Excel, to randomly select a winner from the list.

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