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How to Remove Submitter Names from Microsoft Forms File Upload Emails

WPS Editor Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent Microsoft Forms from automatically appending the submitter's name to files (such as Word, Excel, and PDF documents) when they are uploaded and generated into an email.

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collecting multiple file uploads through Microsoft Forms and forwarding them as email attachments without revealing or appending the original submitter's name on the filename.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Forms automatically appends the submitter's name (truncating it to 20 characters if necessary) to the filename of any file uploaded through the form.

Before you start

Since Microsoft Forms does not feature a native setting to hide or remove submitter names from uploaded files, you will need access to Microsoft Power Automate to create a custom file-renaming workflow.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Rename and Email Uploaded Files

Since Microsoft Forms appends the name by default, the most effective workaround is to use Power Automate to intercept the form submission, rename the files, and then attach them to your email.

Power Automate can read the raw file data uploaded to your SharePoint or OneDrive folder via Microsoft Forms. By extracting the file content without keeping the default file name, you can assign an entirely new name before emailing it.

Create a new automated flow

Log into Microsoft Power Automate, click on 'Create', and select 'Automated cloud flow'. Choose 'When a new response is submitted' as your trigger and select your specific Microsoft Form.

Get the form response details

Add a new step and search for the 'Get response details' action. Select your Form ID and map the Response ID from the dynamic content of the trigger.

Parse the file upload data

Add a 'Parse JSON' action. In the 'Content' field, select the dynamic content representing your file upload question. You will need to generate a schema based on a sample payload of the uploaded file.

Retrieve the file content

Add an 'Apply to each' loop for multiple files. Inside the loop, add a 'Get file content' action (using OneDrive for Business or SharePoint, depending on where your form saves files). Use the file identifier from the parsed JSON.

Send the email with renamed attachments

Add a 'Send an email (V2)' action inside or after the loop. In the 'Attachments Name' field, type your desired clean filename (e.g., 'Submission.pdf') without including the submitter dynamic content. Map the 'Attachments Content' field to the file content retrieved in the previous step.

Use Power Automate to Rename and Email Uploaded Files

Default Name Truncation Rule: Be aware that by default, Microsoft Forms will append the submitter's name to the uploaded file name, truncating it if it exceeds 20 characters. This Power Automate workflow bypasses that hidden rule entirely.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I natively disable the submitter name from appearing on files in Microsoft Forms?

No, Microsoft Forms does not provide a built-in toggle or setting in the form options to stop it from appending the submitter's name to uploaded files. You must rely on a custom workflow using Microsoft Power Automate.

What happens to the filename if the submitter's name is very long?

Microsoft Forms has a hidden rule that automatically truncates the submitter's full name to a maximum of 20 characters when appending it to the end of the uploaded file's name.

Does the Power Automate renaming workaround support multiple file types like Word, Excel, and PDF?

Yes, Power Automate retrieves the binary file content directly from your SharePoint or OneDrive directory. This means you can rename and email attachments in any format, including Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs, without corrupting the files.

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