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How to Use Microsoft Forms to Trigger a Travel Approval Workflow

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to set up an automated travel approval system where submitting a Microsoft Form triggers a review process before the request is sent to the accounting department.

Product: Microsoft Forms, Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating an automated request routing system for corporate travel approvals.
Observed behavior: A workflow must be built to capture form responses, route them to managers for approval, log the results, and automatically notify relevant stakeholders like accounting.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription with access to both Microsoft Forms and Power Automate, and that you have the email addresses of the designated approvers ready.

Solution 1Recommended

Automate the Approval Workflow Using Power Automate

By connecting Microsoft Forms to Power Automate, you can capture submitted travel requests and automatically route them through a structured approval process.

Power Automate acts as the bridge between your form and your email or communication systems. It allows you to set conditions so that only approved requests reach your accounting department, while rejected requests are returned to the submitter.

Create the Travel Request Form

Open Microsoft Forms and create a new form. Add required fields for travel details, dates, estimated costs, and employee information. Save the form.

Initialize the Power Automate Flow

Go to Power Automate, click on 'Create', and select 'Automated cloud flow'. Name your flow and choose 'When a new response is submitted' (Microsoft Forms) as the trigger.

Retrieve Response Details

Add a new step and search for 'Get response details'. Select your previously created travel form from the Form ID dropdown and map the Response ID from the dynamic content.

Add the Approval Action

Add another step and search for 'Start and wait for an approval'. Choose an approval type (e.g., 'Approve/Reject - First to respond'), give it a title, and assign it to the manager's email address. Use dynamic content to populate the details with the submitter's form answers.

Set Up Outcome Conditions

Add a 'Condition' control to check if the 'Outcome' of the approval is equal to 'Approve'. In the 'If yes' branch, add actions to record the data in SharePoint and send an email to accounting. In the 'If no' branch, add an action to email the submitter about the rejection.

Advanced Workflow Design: For more complex multi-stage approvals, you can browse the Power Automate Community forums for detailed templates and advanced routing strategies.

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Manage Travel Documents and Expense Reports with WPS Office

While automated web forms require specific cloud tools, you can seamlessly draft travel itineraries, manage expense spreadsheets, and design printable approval forms using WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, free alternative for all your daily documentation needs.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS Office website to download and install the free software on your device.
2. Access Free Templates: Open WPS Office and browse the template library to find ready-to-use travel request and expense report templates.
3. Customize and Share: Fill out your travel details using WPS Spreadsheet or Writer, save the document, and easily share it with your manager for review.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint formats.Rich library of free, customizable templates for travel itineraries and expense reports.Lightweight software with a familiar, easy-to-use tabbed interface.Built-in PDF editing tools for signing and reviewing offline approval documents.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send the approval request to multiple managers at once?

Yes. In the Power Automate 'Start and wait for an approval' action, you can add multiple email addresses in the 'Assigned to' field. You can also specify whether everyone must approve or if just the first response is sufficient.

How do I allow employees to attach receipts or documents to the Microsoft Form?

You can add a 'File Upload' question type in your Microsoft Form. These uploaded files are automatically saved to the creator's OneDrive or a SharePoint site, and you can link to these files within the Power Automate approval email.

Where can I log the approved travel requests for auditing purposes?

Within your Power Automate flow, you can add an action in the 'If yes' (Approved) branch to create an item in a SharePoint list, add a row into an Excel table hosted on OneDrive, or log the entry into a SQL database.

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