How to Record Names of External Users on Microsoft Forms
Question details
The user needs a way to identify and record the names of external users who respond to a Microsoft Forms survey.
- Product
- Microsoft Forms
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Collecting responses and identifying data from users outside the organization via a shared form link.
- Observed behavior
- Anonymous links do not automatically capture respondent names, as the external users are not required to sign in.
Determine whether you strictly need verified, authenticated identities or if simply asking respondents to manually type their name is sufficient for your data collection.
Add a Required Name Field to Your Form
If your form must remain accessible to anyone via an anonymous link, the most effective workaround is to manually add a question asking for the respondent's name.
Because anonymous links explicitly bypass Microsoft 365 sign-in requirements, the system has no way to automatically fetch the respondent's profile data. Adding a manual text field ensures you collect this information directly from the user.
Log in to Microsoft Forms and open the specific form you want to share with external users.
Click the '+ Add new' button and select 'Text' from the available question types.
Type 'What is your full name?' or 'Email Address' in the question title field.
Toggle the 'Required' switch at the bottom right of the question box to ensure respondents cannot submit the form without providing their identity.
Configure Form for an Authenticated Audience
Use this method if verified identities are mandatory and the external users possess Microsoft accounts that your organization's tenant can authenticate.
Seamlessly Analyze Your Form Data with WPS Office
While Microsoft Forms handles the data collection, analyzing those responses requires a robust spreadsheet tool. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, perfect for managing your exported form data.
- 1. Export Responses: In Microsoft Forms, go to the 'Responses' tab and click 'Open in Excel' to download your data.
- 2. Open with WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open the downloaded .xlsx file to instantly view your collected names and data.
- 3. Analyze Data: Use WPS Spreadsheet's powerful sorting, filtering, and charting tools to organize your external user responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Microsoft Forms automatically capture email addresses from anonymous links?
No. When you select 'Anyone can respond', the form is entirely anonymous. Microsoft Forms will not automatically capture email addresses or names. You must add a specific text question asking for their email.
Why is the 'Record name' option grayed out in my Microsoft Forms settings?
The 'Record name' option is only available when your form is restricted to authenticated users. If your sharing setting is set to 'Anyone can respond', the 'Record name' option is disabled because anonymous users do not log in.
How can I tell who submitted an anonymous Microsoft Form if I forgot to ask for their name?
It is not possible to retroactively identify respondents of an anonymous form. If no identifying questions were included in the form before it was submitted, the data remains permanently anonymous.
