How do I make the question duplicate itself if needed

Question

I need to collect necessities, and I want to send out a form to multiple people asking what will they be for them. I don't know how many each one will have, so I want to ask one question (what is your necessity?), then ask if they want to add another one, multiple times. Is it possible to do that with forms? If so, how?

Answer 1

Dear @Mariana Andressa Luna Pinheiro, 

I hope you're having a nice day. Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum and for sharing your concerns. 

I completely understand how important it is for you to create a Microsoft Form that allows respondents to provide multiple answers to the same question such as listing several necessities. While this functionality would be incredibly useful, Microsoft Forms currently offers limited support for repeating sections or dynamic multi-entry fields. 

Although there’s no confirmed timeline for expanding this capability, the Microsoft product team is actively reviewing feedback and exploring options for future enhancements. 

In the meantime, to help you continue working effectively, here are a few alternative approaches you can consider: 

1/ Use Open-Ended Questions:  

Create a single open-ended question such as:  “Please list your necessities (you may separate them with commas or line breaks)." This allows respondents to freely enter multiple items in one response. 

2/ Use the “Other” Option in Choice Questions 

If you have a predefined list of common necessities, you can use a Choice question with options. 

Then, enable the “Other” option, which allows respondents to type in a custom answer if their need isn’t listed.  To do this: 

Click on the question. 

Enable the Add Other option toggle. 

Respondents will see a text box when selecting “Other.” 

This method helps you collect both structured and flexible responses. 

3/ Use Branching Logic (not recommend) 

You can simulate multiple entries by asking:  “How many necessities do you want to list?”  Then create multiple versions of the question “What is your necessity?” and use Branching to show the appropriate number of questions based on the user’s selection.  

You can refer to this video for more guidance: Microsoft Lists forms: What's New | Microsoft Community Hub (Skip to 2:01 for the Branching Logic guidance) 

Note: This workaround is not ideal, as respondents may submit the form before providing all the necessary information. While this feature doesn't fully meet the needs of your current scenario, you can still consider it and customize the form to suit your requirements. 

 

Your question brings attention to an important limitation in Microsoft Forms, the absence of a “Repeating Section” feature. This does restrict the platform’s flexibility when it comes to collecting multiple entries for the same question, which can be challenging for dynamic or scalable data collection needs. 

While I understand this may not be the answer you were hoping for, I want to assure you that your feedback is truly valued. As community moderators, our role is to guide users to the right resources and support channels, though we don’t have direct influence over product design decisions or access to internal development timelines. 

That’s why your input is so important. The most effective way to make your voice heard is through Microsoft’s official feedback channel. The product team actively reviews customer suggestions to identify areas for improvement and prioritize future updates. 

You can submit feedback to our product team on your behalf to request the addition of the repeating section feature in future updates.    

Go to: Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub →Send Feedback→ Describe your proposal in detail.      

Sharing your experience through this channel is the most impactful way to advocate for a change that would benefit you and other users.   

Thank you again for your patience and for bringing this to our attention. While I can't change the product's design, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about its current functionality and we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  Wishing you a great day ahead.

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