How to Use Separate Names and Titles in Microsoft Forms
Question details
The user wants to assign a distinct internal overview name and a separate public title to a form to easily distinguish it from others.
- Product
- Microsoft Forms
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Organizing and managing multiple forms with identical or very similar public titles in the Forms overview dashboard.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Forms strictly links the public form title to the form's internal name, preventing users from setting a separate display name in the overview.
Since Microsoft Forms currently does not offer a native way to separate internal names from public titles, you will need to rely on temporary naming conventions before sharing your form with respondents.
Use a Prefix Naming Convention (Workaround)
Add a unique identifier or prefix to your form title while editing so you can easily identify it in your dashboard, then remove the prefix right before publishing.
Because Microsoft Forms forces the overview name to match the public title, the most effective workaround is to manipulate the title during the drafting phase.
Open your Microsoft Form and add a clear prefix (e.g., '[Q1-Sales]' or 'Internal-') directly to the form's main title.
Navigate back to the Forms overview dashboard. You can now easily distinguish this specific form from others that share similar public titles.
Right before you click the 'Collect responses' button to distribute your form link, edit the title one last time to remove your internal prefix so respondents only see the clean, public title.
Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft
Since the lack of separate naming properties is a system limitation, submitting official feedback is the best way to request this feature for future updates.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide the form title from respondents in Microsoft Forms?
No, Microsoft Forms requires a title for every form, and this title is persistently visible at the top of the page when a respondent opens the form link.
Will duplicating a form keep the exact same name?
When you duplicate a form, Microsoft Forms automatically appends the word '(Copy)' to the end of the new form's title. This helps you distinguish the copy from the original in your dashboard.
Is there a character limit for Microsoft Forms titles?
Yes, Microsoft Forms allows a maximum of 90 characters for the form title. If you are using a prefix naming convention as a workaround, ensure your combined prefix and title stay within this limit.
