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How to Remove Names and Email Addresses from Microsoft Forms Responses

Nimra Malik Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to collect anonymous responses in Microsoft Forms without recording the respondents' names and email addresses.

How to Remove Names and Email Addresses from Microsoft Forms Responses

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating and distributing an anonymous survey or quiz to participants.
Observed behavior: The form is currently recording respondent names and emails, or participants are being forced to authenticate due to organization policies even when names are not explicitly requested.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary edit permissions for the form or quiz you wish to modify. Note that organizational settings might still prompt users to sign in, even if their names aren't recorded.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable the Record Name Option in Microsoft Forms

Use this solution to turn off identity tracking before sharing your form link, ensuring that all new responses are kept anonymous.

By default, Microsoft Forms may record the names of participants if they are logged in or part of your organization. Disabling the 'Record name' setting prevents the system from attaching names and email addresses to the submitted responses.

Open your form

Access the collect responses settings

Click on the 'Collect responses' button located in the top right corner of the screen.

Clear the record name option

In the settings pane that appears, locate and uncheck the 'Record name' option.

Share the updated link

Copy the response link provided and share it with your participants. Their submissions will now be completely anonymous.

Disable the Record Name Option in Microsoft Forms

Authentication Requirement: If your form is restricted to 'Only people in my organization can respond', users may still be prompted to sign in to verify their organizational membership. However, their names will not be recorded in the final response data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do respondents still have to sign in if the form is anonymous?

If your form permissions are set to 'Only people in my organization can respond', Microsoft Forms requires users to authenticate to verify they belong to the organization. As long as the 'Record name' option is disabled, their identities will not be attached to their responses despite the sign-in prompt.

How do I make my form accessible to anyone without signing in?

In the 'Collect responses' menu, change the audience permission setting from 'Only people in my organization can respond' to 'Anyone can respond'. This completely removes the sign-in requirement and allows external users to submit responses.

Can I remove names from responses that have already been submitted?

No, if the 'Record name' option was enabled when the responses were submitted, Microsoft Forms has already recorded those identities. To remove them, you will need to export the results to an Excel spreadsheet and manually delete the name and email columns.

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