How do I view old responses and new responses at the same time on Microsoft forms?

Question

I have set up a Microsoft form for an audit of tag numbers where we write down the daily tag numbers of our equipment. The issue is we cannot see previous entries instantly which means we cannot check if the tag numbers have changed. We currently have a QR code to the Mircosoft form for the daily entry but how do we bring up previous entries on the same form so we can instantly compare?

I have tried making a QR code for the response/ excel spreadsheet, but this is unreliable and leads to a downloaded document that cannot be edited.

How do I make this work?

Answer 1

Hi Geraldine,

Thank you for the clear explanation of your concern.  

As this is a user-to-user community forum, I do not have the ability to directly access or modify your account or service. However, I can provide guidance, recommend next steps, share applicable resources, and direct you to the appropriate support channels so the issue can be investigated further. 

Microsoft Forms is designed mainly for collecting new responses. While the form owner can review previous submissions from the Responses tab or open the results in Excel, Microsoft Forms does not provide a built-in way to display previous entries inside the same form for real-time comparison by the person filling it out. 

For this requirement, the most reliable solution would be to use SharePoint List + Power Apps + Power Automate instead of using Microsoft Forms alone. 

Recommended setup that you may consider: 

1. Create a SharePoint List

• Store all equipment audit records in a SharePoint List as the central data source. The list can include fields such as Equipment ID, Previous Tag Number, Current Tag Number, Date Submitted, Submitted By, and Status.
• This helps keep all daily audit entries in one central location and avoids relying on downloaded Excel files or separate response exports.

2. Build a Power App as the entry form

• A Power App can be used as the daily entry form instead of Microsoft Forms. The existing QR code can be updated to open the Power App.
• When users open the app, they can select or scan the Equipment ID. The app can then look up the latest record for that equipment from the SharePoint List and display the previous tag number automatically.

3. Show previous and current tag numbers on the same screen

• The app can display the previous tag number and provide a field for the user to enter today’s tag number on the same screen.
• This allows users to compare both values before submitting, without needing to open a separate spreadsheet or check previous Microsoft Forms responses manually.

4. Add comparison logic

• The Power App can compare the previous tag number with the current tag number entered by the user. For example:
  • If both values match, the status can show No Change.
  • If the values are different, the status can show Changed. This gives users immediate feedback before they submit the entry.

5. Use Power Automate for alerts if needed

• If a tag number change is detected, Power Automate can send an email or Teams notification to the relevant team. This can help the audit owner or supervisor review the change quickly, instead of manually checking the response file later. 

For reference, you may find these Microsoft articles helpful: 

• Create a canvas app with data from a list - Power Apps | Microsoft Learn 
• Filter, Search, and LookUp functions - Power Platform | Microsoft Learn 

If you prefer to continue using Microsoft Forms, you can still use Power Automate to compare the new submission with previous records after the form is submitted. However, this would not allow the user to see the previous tag number directly inside the form before submitting. 

In case you require more in-depth guidance or support for these steps, I’d recommend posting your query in the Microsoft Power Automate Community. This is a dedicated channel for Power Automate discussions. The reason I suggest posting a new topic there is that in the general Q&A Forum, resources and expertise on Power Automate are limited. In the Microsoft Power Platform Community Forum, you’ll find the most qualified group of respondents, and other partners who regularly read the forums can share their knowledge or learn from your interaction. 

I hope this helps clarify the situation. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comment below. I'm very happy to help.    

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Answer 2

Microsoft Forms does not support showing previous submissions directly inside the live form that respondents fill out. The form is for data entry, while past responses are viewed separately in the results area or in Excel.

A workable approach is:

1. Open the form in Microsoft Forms.
2. Select View responses.
3. Use Check individual results to review earlier submissions.
4. Select Open in Excel to view the response workbook for easier comparison over time.

If instant comparison is required during daily scanning, the most reliable setup is to use the response workbook as the history record and compare the new tag entry against previous rows there. Microsoft Forms can collect the new entry, but the previous entries are reviewed in View responses or Excel, not on the same input form.

If the workbook is not staying current, check whether it has a live data connection:

• If the form was created in OneDrive for work or school, SharePoint Online, Excel for the web, Microsoft Teams, or with the Microsoft Forms web part, the workbook has a live data connection and new responses should appear there.
• If the form was created directly in Microsoft Forms and then Open in Excel was used, that workbook has no live connection to the form.

If the live connection was lost, create a fresh synced workbook:

1. In the form, go to the Responses tab.
2. Select More options.
3. Select Sync all responses to a new workbook.

That creates a new workbook with the most up-to-date responses.

If the form is being used from a Teams channel, another practical option is to create a separate form copy for each audit cycle so each one has its own response file, but for day-to-day comparison of old versus new values, Forms itself does not place prior responses back onto the same form screen.

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References:

• Check and share your form results
• How to get missing data in Forms
• View results of your form
• How to re-use a custom microsoft form and have its results appear in the same teams channel - Microsoft Q&A