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How to Make a Microsoft Forms Field Read-Only or Non-Editable

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to make a specific field (such as a reference ID) in a Microsoft Forms survey read-only so respondents cannot edit the query-string populated data.

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collecting survey responses where an automatically populated reference ID must be displayed but remain completely unchanged by the user.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Forms lacks a built-in read-only question type, allowing respondents to manually edit any visible field, including auto-populated reference IDs.

Before you start

Microsoft Forms does not currently feature a native 'read-only' setting for any of its question types. To prevent data tampering, you will need to rely on backend validation or use a more advanced form-building tool.

Solution 1Recommended

Validate Submitted Data Using Power Automate

Since the field cannot be locked on the form's frontend, use Power Automate to cross-check the submitted reference ID against your original database to ensure it has not been altered by the respondent.

This method allows you to continue using Microsoft Forms for its simplicity while securing data integrity on the backend. If a user modifies the query-string populated ID, the automated flow can detect the mismatch.

Create a New Flow

Open Power Automate and create an automated cloud flow triggered by the 'When a new response is submitted' trigger for Microsoft Forms.

Get Response Details

Add the 'Get response details' action, selecting your Form ID and the Response ID generated from the trigger.

Compare Data

Add a 'Condition' control. Compare the Reference ID submitted in the form to the original Reference ID stored in your source system (e.g., SharePoint, Dataverse, or Excel).

Handle Mismatches

In the 'If Yes' (match) branch, proceed with your normal data processing. In the 'If No' (mismatch) branch, configure actions to flag the entry for review or automatically overwrite the altered ID with the correct original ID.

Solution 2

Build a Custom Form with Power Apps

If displaying a strictly uneditable reference number is a hard requirement, consider switching your survey from Microsoft Forms to Power Apps, which supports granular read-only controls.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide a question in Microsoft Forms to prevent editing?

No, Microsoft Forms does not natively support hidden questions. Branching logic can bypass questions, but it does not allow you to quietly pass backend parameters (like a query string) without displaying them on the form.

Will Microsoft add a read-only field feature in the future?

Microsoft continually updates its Office 365 suite based on user feedback. You can suggest or upvote the 'read-only question' feature on the official Microsoft Feedback Portal.

How do I pass a reference ID via a URL in Microsoft Forms?

You can append parameters to the sharing URL (e.g., &r1=YourReferenceID) if you use Microsoft Forms Pro or Dynamics 365 Customer Voice. However, in standard Microsoft Forms, passing custom query strings directly into fields is highly limited, and even if populated, the user can still overwrite the text.

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