How to Work Around Microsoft Forms Not Providing a Response ID
Question details
Users need a way for respondents to identify their submissions in Microsoft Forms for future withdrawal or deletion, as the platform does not generate a visible response ID for them.
- Product
- Microsoft Forms
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Research participants or users need to track their form submissions to accurately request data withdrawal or deletion later.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Forms does not show respondents a unique response ID after they submit a form, making it difficult to match respondents to their data.
Before sharing your form and collecting data, ensure you have manually added a specific question to collect a unique identifier, as this cannot be applied retroactively to past submissions.
Use a Unique Identifier Question and Export to Excel
Add a custom text field for respondents to create their own unique ID, making it easy to track and delete their specific submission later in the exported spreadsheet.
Since Microsoft Forms does not natively display a submission ID to the respondent upon completion, you must build a tracking method into the form itself.
By asking respondents to provide a secret keyword or alias, you create a searchable data point that can be easily located in the exported Excel file.
Open your Microsoft Form and add a new 'Text' question asking respondents to enter a unique identifier, such as a memorable keyword or alias.
Include a subtitle on the question instructing respondents to save this unique identifier for their records in case they need to request data deletion.
When a participant requests to withdraw their data and provides their keyword, go to the 'Responses' tab in Microsoft Forms and click 'Open in Excel' to download the spreadsheet.
Open the downloaded Excel file, use the search function (Ctrl + F) to locate the matching identifier, and delete the corresponding row to remove their data.
Manage Your Exported Form Data with WPS Office
While Microsoft Forms handles data collection, managing and analyzing the exported Excel data requires a reliable spreadsheet tool. WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, allowing you to easily view, filter, and edit your downloaded form responses.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and follow the easy installation prompts.
- 2. Open Exported Data: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open the .xlsx file downloaded from your Microsoft Forms responses.
- 3. Filter and Edit: Use the built-in search and filter tools to find unique participant identifiers and manage your data efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Microsoft Forms add a native feature to show response IDs to users?
Microsoft regularly receives feature requests for this functionality. You can visit the official Microsoft Feedback Portal to vote for or submit a feature request regarding visible response IDs for respondents.
Can I use Power Automate to send a response ID to respondents?
Yes, you can create a custom flow in Power Automate that triggers when a Microsoft Form is submitted. This flow can capture the automatically generated internal response ID and email it directly to the respondent.
What happens if a respondent forgets their unique identifier?
If you did not collect personal data like an email address or name alongside the unique identifier, it may be impossible to securely verify and locate their specific anonymous response for deletion.
Can I find the internal response ID in the exported Excel file?
Yes, when you export Microsoft Forms results to Excel, the first column automatically generates an internal 'ID' number for each submission. However, this ID is strictly internal and never shown to the person filling out the form.
