How to edit a Microsoft Forms response after submission

When you submit a response to any Microsoft Forms poll or survey but realize you need to revise it, you have to meet these specific criteria: Only the original respondent can edit the response, and only if the form creator enabled response editing before submission. Additionally, you as the respondent must save the response from the thank-you page, then return to it while signed into that same Microsoft account. 

This post walks you through how to use Microsoft Forms edit response feature and shows how Jotform can let users update submissions later. 

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Start From Scratch

1. How to edit your Microsoft Forms response as a respondent

Again, respondents can only edit form submissions when the creator has enabled response editing and the respondent saved their response after submitting. (New to the platform? Learn how to use Microsoft Forms or how to create a Microsoft Form.)

Step 1: Submit your form

1. Open the Microsoft Forms form you want to complete.
2. Answer the questions; then click Submit to send your responses.

Step 2: Save your response for later editing

After submitting the form, look for the option to save your response on the confirmation page. Depending on the interface, the button will be labeled Save my response or something similar.

1. Click the Save my response button on the confirmation page.
2. If prompted, sign in to your Microsoft account to save the response.

Important: You must save the response from the confirmation page. If you leave that page without using the option, you may not be able to retrieve the response for editing later.

Step 3: Open your saved form

1. Go to Microsoft Forms and sign in using the same Microsoft account you used when saving your response.
2. Look for the saved form under Filled forms or Recent.
3. Select the form to open your saved response.

Step 4: Edit your responses

1. With the saved response open, select Edit response near the top of the form.
2. Change the answers you want to update.

Step 5: Submit your changes

1. Review your updated answers.
2. Click Submit to save the revised response.

Your updated answers will be recorded with the form. You may be able to return to the saved response again through Microsoft Forms, depending on the form’s settings and availability.

2. How to enable response editing as a Microsoft Forms creator

If respondents cannot save and edit their submissions, the form creator should check the form’s settings.

Step 1: Open your form

1. Go to Microsoft Forms and sign in.
2. Open the form you want respondents to complete.

Step 2: Open Settings

1. Locate and click Settings for the form.
2. Find the section labeled Options for responses or the equivalent response-settings section in your interface.

Step 3: Allow respondents to save their responses

1. Find Allow respondents to save their responses.
2. Select the checkbox or switch to enable it.

Step 4: Allow respondents to edit their responses

1. Find Allow respondents to edit their responses.
2. Select the checkbox or switch to enable it.

Keep in mind that only the original respondent can edit their submission. As the creator, you can review responses, but you can’t change them.

Need a simpler way to let respondents update submissions? Use Jotform

Microsoft Forms is only one of many online form builders available. Jotform is another popular solution that lets users create any kind of survey, poll, quiz, or data collection form imaginable, and it has over 20,000 customizable templates to build from. In evaluating Jotform vs Microsoft Forms, it’s useful to examine the features that make updated submissions possible. 

With a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface, extensive customization options, and a broad range of features, Jotform gives users the ability to easily create professional-looking forms and surveys without any coding knowledge. What’s more, Jotform provides robust integration capabilities that aren’t limited to the Microsoft network. This means forms or surveys can have seamless data collection and management across many platforms your organization is likely already familiar with.

Plus, as part of the platform’s initial build, Jotform’s edit response feature is easier to use for both respondents and form administrators. Here’s what you need to know about the edit response feature in Jotform vs Microsoft Forms.

How to enable Jotform’s edit response feature

The most direct way to let respondents edit their form submissions in Jotform is through an autoresponse email containing a submission edit link. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Enter the Form Builder and click the More menu, then the Settings tab.

2. Click Emails in the left menu.

3. Find the Autoresponder option arrow and click it. 

4. In the editor, click Form Fields and then Edit Link in the dropdown to the Email Content section.

5. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

Now, whenever a respondent enters a form submission, they’ll receive an email containing a link to edit their submissions.

How to let users edit responses in other ways with Jotform

In addition to the autoresponse email method outlined above, Jotform lets users edit form submissions in other ways:

1. Review Before Submit widget

Installing the Review Before Submit widget lets respondents view and double-check their submissions before sending to administrators. The widget replaces the usual Submit button with a Review Submission button that takes respondents to a preview of their answers.

In this new window, respondents can make sure they’ve selected the right responses, spelled names correctly, filled out every question, and provided the correct payment info. This is especially useful for surveys, orders, applications, registrations, and request forms to ensure accuracy and completion.

2. Request submission updates feature

If for some reason it’s not appropriate to offer all respondents the ability to edit their submissions on their own, Jotform has another feature that lets users request submission updates. Rather than sending an autoresponse email with an edit link, this method allows form authors and administrators to manually send edit links to chosen recipients. Here’s how:

1. Open the Jotform Table where your form submissions are stored. You can do this from your form Workspace instead of Jotform Tables. 

2. Add a new column.

3. Next, click on the Buttons tab and choose Request Update.

4. Enter a name for the new column and click Next.

5. Click the Fields button. There, you can either select the form’s email field (entered by the respondent) to use as the recipient address or manually enter a specific email address.

6. Once complete, click the Create Column button. The new button will now appear in your table.

7. As needed, click each form entry’s Send Update Request button to send the edit link to the chosen recipient.

Giving form respondents the ability to edit their answers after submission is key to ensuring data accuracy and a user-friendly experience — and it reduces administrative work for form managers. If you’re looking for a Microsoft Forms alternative that’s more versatile, Jotform makes it much easier to enable users to edit responses while providing a number of other advanced features.

Switch from Microsoft Forms to Jotform and let respondents update Jotform submissions with an edit link

Microsoft Forms and Jotform offer ways to edit submitted responses, but only Jotform lets you send respondents a direct edit link through autoresponder emails. Once you configure the autoresponder to send to the respondent’s email address and include the Edit Link field, respondents can revisit their submissions and make corrections without contacting you.

Ready to give respondents more flexibility? Migrate to Jotform and set up your first form with an edit link.