Microsoft Forms - move location of Excel file that updates with new answers

Question

I have a Microsoft Form on a page on our SharePoint Intranet and it gathers answers and updates an Excel file automatically. I chose the Sync all responses... option in the form and this worked fine; it created a new workbook in my OneDrive and all new answers are updated in the Excel file.

My problem is that this file is only on my local OneDrive and it needs to be in the document library on the Intranet because it will be monitored by somebody else. I moved the file from where it was created on my OneDrive into one of the folders in the Intranet document library but now it no longer updates, so I presume moving it broke the connection to the Form.

I can't see where I can reconnect it to the Form or change the path of the Excel file from the Forms settings, is this possible? Or is there a different way to move the file without breaking the connection?

Thanks,

David

Answer 1

Dear David,

Good day! Thanks for posting in Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

For your question, you can't change the path of the Excel file or reconnect the form with another Excel file, but you can sync all responses to a new workbook which is stored in the Document library of the site. As you are the form owner, to meet your requirement, you need to move the current form to a group (the same name as the site) in Forms. After that, a new workbook will be created in the Document library of the site, and it should have all responses.

We look forward to your response. Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

George | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 2

I actually found that the best way to do this was to complete either of the following instructions below. Note that this was with a Form that was owned by/within a Teams group:

1. When you create your form, do so from the appropriate Teams Group Channel. The form Excel file location will, by default, be in that channel's folder, which is typically a sub-folder of your Teams Group Channel.
2. If you already have a form created:

a. Identify what file is currently associated with your Form's responses (you can do this by opening the Form Responses, then looking at the path of the document near the top left side of the screen. Open the Excel file in Sharepoint Online, not in your Desktop app).

b. Open Teams and "Teams" from the left panel, then navigate to your Team that owns the form, and finally select the "Files" tab.

c. Navigate to where the Form's Excel file is located (identified in step a) using the *Teams file browser*. Once identified, click the 3-dot button and click "Move To". Select the folder you'd like to move it to, and click the checkmark to confirm the operation.

For whatever reason, if you move the excel file with anything other than Teams, Microsoft Forms cannot track the new path of said file and thus cannot re-associate the XLSX file with the form. When done using Teams, the form information is updated on the back end and links to the file's new location.

I just tested this myself and it works without a hitch!

Answer 3

Thanks George,

When I try to move the form on MS Forms using the Move to a group option, I can't see our site listed in the groups. It only shows me all the groups I own but I don't see any sites listed. Does it matter that it's a communication site rather than a team site?

If we decide to host the Excel file on an existing Team site instead, is it possible to move the form there so the Excel file is stored in the document library of that site? Again I don't see any Team sites on the list of options so I'm not sure how to do this.

Thanks for your help,

David

Answer 4

Dear David,

Thanks for posting back.

For your questions,

As the communicate site isn't associated with the O365 group, you can't store the workbook in a communicate site.

Yes, to host the Excel file on the Team site, you can move the form to that group. After that, a new workbook with existing responses will be automatically created in the Document library. If you are not the related group member or group owner, you can't see this group. Please let the site owner or admin add you to that group, then you should see the  group.

We look forward to your response. Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

George | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 5

Thanks George,

Sorry I left out the fact that the site where I want to store this Excel file is a site with the URL as sharepoint.com/sites/{sitename} instead of being based on a Group where the URL shows as sharepoint.com/teams/{sitename}. Is it possible to move the Excel file to this type of site?

[Edit]: or maybe if this is awkward, we should look to populate a SharePoint list using Power Automate instead of an Excel file? That way we can make sure that the live updated list is always available on a specific site.

David