Update to the new solution for syncing forms responses to Excel

We’re excited to announce that we have a new and improved solution for syncing form responses to Excel with better stability and performance! Previously, some Forms supported an older version of Live Data Sync with Excel. This older solution will be phased out and fully replaced by the new solution by October 20, 2024.

There are two types of data synchronization in previous versions:

• Forms created in OneDrive for Business and Excel for web

Forms created in Excel for the web

• Group forms created using SharePoint Online, Teams, and M365 Groups.

Group form created with SharePoint Online

After the previous data synchronization solution is replaced, the existing Excel workbook and its data will remain intact, but will not be updated with new responses. To ensure that the workbook continues to receive new form responses, you must update the workbook by following the steps below.

How do I upgrade to the new version of Data Sync via the Forms website?

When you open a form using the previous sync solution, a pop-up will appear asking you to update the workbook. Click ‘Update sync in Excel’ to open the workbook and start the sync process.

Upgrade to new Forms data sync

Do I need to upgrade my workbooks on the web to use the new version of Data Sync?

When you open an Excel workbook that uses the old sync solution, a window will appear on the right asking you to update the workbook to continue syncing the new responses. Click the “Update Sync” button to start the update process. This process cannot be reversed.

Upgrade to new Forms data synchronization via the web

Using the new sync solution, a new sheet is created in the same workbook linked to the form.

You can see that all of your previous responses are synced back to this new sheet, and all of your new responses are synced to this sheet as well. You can still see your previous data in your workbook, but it will no longer be updated.

When the update is complete, a green success bar will appear at the top of the page. The right pane will also change to confirm that the update was successful.

Updated with new solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

cue: What happens if I don’t update to the new solution?
no way: The old data sync service will be discontinued on October 20, 2024. After that date, all new form responses will be saved to the form but will no longer be synced with the workbook. As soon as you update the workbook with the new data sync solution, these new responses (and previous responses) will be synced to new sheets in the workbook.

cue: What is the difference between the old version and the new version?
no way:

• The new synchronization solution is more stable and performs better.
• Currently, the new solution only syncs new responses to Excel for the web, but we are actively working on adding the new sync solution to the Windows and Mac desktop apps.
• With the new sync solution, you need to open the Excel app to get the new response, otherwise it won’t sync with your workbook.

cue: Can I get new responses without opening my workbook? What if I have a Power Automate Flow that relies on data sync?

no way: With the new sync solution, new form responses will only sync to the workbook when it is opened in Excel for the web (desktop support is coming soon). If you have a Power Automate Flow connected to the workbook, you will no longer receive new responses until you manually open the workbook. In this case, we recommend updating your workflow to use the Forms Connector. Create automated workflows for Microsoft Forms – Microsoft Support

cue: How do I know if the form uses the old version or the new version?

no way: In the new solution, we’ve also updated the UI to allow you to open Excel responses from the “Responses” tab in Forms.

Open response to Excel button in previous environment

Open response to Excel button in new solution – Excel file not created

Open Excel button in new solution – an Excel file will be created.

cue: I am not the form owner, what should I do?
no way: If you know who the form owner is, contact them and ask them to update the workbook. If you don’t know who the form owner is, contact your IT administrator.

cue: What should I do if the upgrade fails?
no way: If the update fails, restart the Excel app. You should see an option to update the workbook again. If the new sync solution connects successfully, just disconnect the old sync solution.

cue: Can I revert back to the original state after the update?
no way: No. Once a workbook is updated to a new synchronization solution, it cannot be reverted to a previous synchronization solution.

cue: How do I find forms that need updating?
no way: You can check which forms or Excel files are still actively accepting responses in Excel for the web. When you see a notification, follow the instructions to update.

cue: I received an email from Microsoft Forms, what do I do?
no way: The email will contain links to each workbook that uses the old sync solution along with the forms you own. You will need to go into each workbook and update them individually to the new sync solution.

cue: I have a form with over 50k responses, is it possible to create a new data sync for it?
no way: The new sync solution should sync all responses received by the form in the newly created sheet in the workbook. However, if there are more than 50,000 responses, the new sync solution will only sync the most recent 50,000. In this case, you can copy the missing responses from the original data and paste them into a table in the new sheet in the appropriate location. You will need to insert the appropriate number of blank rows before pasting the missing data. The table will continue to add new form responses as they are received.