How To Use Microsoft Forms To Create A Survey (Complete Beginner's Guide!)

Introduction

Microsoft Forms is a browser-based Microsoft application that allows users to create surveys, quizzes, and polls effortlessly. In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know to create a survey from scratch using Microsoft Forms.

Getting Started

To use Microsoft Forms, you will need a Microsoft account. Many of you may already have one, but if not, you can create one for free—I'll leave a link in the description for you to get started.

Once you're signed in to your Microsoft account, head over to the Forms page (link in the description). On the homepage, you'll see options to create a new form or quiz, as well as access to ready-made templates. For this tutorial, we'll focus on creating a survey from scratch.

Creating a New Form

Create a New Form: Click the "New Form" button.
Title Your Survey: For this example, we'll call it "Example Customer Feedback."
Add a Description: This is great for providing further information or instructions.
Insert an Image (Optional): You can add a banner image from a Bing search, OneDrive, or upload from your computer.

Adding Questions

You will see two tabs: Questions and Responses. Let's focus on the Questions tab first. To add a question, click the "Add new" button. Microsoft Forms offers seven different question types:

Text Questions: Responders can type answers, either short or long.
- Restrict Answers: Use "More settings" to restrict answer types.
Multiple Choice Questions: Responders select one or more options from a list.
- You can add options, allow 'Other' responses, and shuffle answer order.
Rating Questions: Use to gauge opinions on a scale from 2 to 10, with customizable labels.
Date Questions: Only accept answers formatted as dates.
Ranking Questions: Responders rank options by dragging them into position.
Likert Questions: Assess attitude or opinion with a table format of statements.
Net Promoter Score Questions: Automatically calculates the NPS based on a scale from 0 to 10.

Adjusting Question Features

You can reorder questions by dragging them or using up/down arrows.
Set questions as "Required" by selecting the option.
Use "Add Section" to group related questions, which will create a new page in the survey.
Utilize the Branching feature to navigate responders to different questions based on their answers.

Previewing Your Survey

After creating your questions, adjust the survey's theme and appearance by clicking the Theme button. You can preview the form to see how it appears to responders in both desktop and mobile views.

Before sharing, ensure the Accept Responses option is checked in the settings menu. You can set a start and end date, shuffle questions, show a progress bar if you have sections, and customize notification settings.

To share your survey:

Use the Send button to generate a link (shortened URLs available).
Alternatively, share via email, QR code, or embed code, or quickly share on social media.

Viewing Responses

To view the results, navigate to the Responses tab. You will see:

A summary of responses.
The option to open results in Excel.
Details of responses for each question, visually represented often in charts.

Conclusion

Now you know all the essential steps to create a survey using Microsoft Forms. This tool is user-friendly and flexible, making it easy to gather feedback and insights.

Keyword

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FAQ

Q: Do I need a Microsoft account to use Microsoft Forms?
A: Yes, you need a Microsoft account. If you don't have one, you can create it for free.

Q: Can I customize the appearance of my form?
A: Yes, you can adjust the theme, colors, and add images.

Q: What types of questions can I add to my survey?
A: You can add text, multiple choice, rating, date, ranking, Likert, and net promoter score questions.

Q: How can I share my survey with others?
A: You can share your survey via a generated link, email, QR code, or directly through social media.

Q: How can I view the responses to my survey?
A: Navigate to the "Responses" tab to view summaries, individual responses, and export results to Excel.