How to Easily Duplicate Microsoft Forms: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ever found yourself painstakingly recreating a Microsoft Form when all you wanted was a quick duplicate? We've all been there—whether it's a survey that's worked wonders in the past or a questionnaire you'd like to repurpose. Microsoft Forms provides a robust, web-based solution to create, share, and collect data through interactive surveys and quizzes. Fortunately, the platform also serves up a time-saving duplication feature that makes form cloning as simple as a few clicks.
So, pull up a chair and let’s walk you through how to duplicate a Microsoft Form with ease. Along the way, we’ll cover how templates can save you loads of effort and the caveats of sharing forms. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, you’re bound to learn something new!

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Step 1: Duplicating a Form for Your Own Use​

First things first, let’s look at how you can make a copy of a form and stash it in your own OneDrive for reuse. Perhaps you’ve spent hours designing the perfect satisfaction survey with just the right visuals and customized text but need to reuse it with slight tweaks. Recreating it from scratch? Out of the question. Here's how to clone it:

1. Log Into Microsoft Forms:
   Head to the Microsoft Forms portal and sign in with your Microsoft account. Microsoft Forms is accessible directly from your web browser—no downloading necessary.
2. Locate Your Existing Form:
   Your forms are displayed in two primary tabs:
   • Recent: The default tab where you’ll find the most recently accessed items.
   • My Forms: A dedicated section to manually browse your entire catalog, or simply input keywords into the search bar to pinpoint a specific form.
3. Select the Form to Copy:
   Hover over the form's thumbnail. In the lower-right corner, click the three-dot menu (resembling vertical ellipses). Here, you’ll find the option labeled "Copy."
4. Presto—A New Copy Appears:
   The duplicate will appear instantly with the original title plus a parenthetical number (e.g., “Feedback Form (1)”), signaling its newness. To modify this title (for your sanity’s sake), simply click the header, edit the name, and hit Enter. Microsoft Forms auto-saves changes, so no Ctrl+S needed!

What’s Carried Over in the Copy?​

• All questions, layouts, and visual formatting are seamlessly transferred.
• Customized options like shuffled question order or thank-you messages remain intact.
• Responses? Nope. Completely fresh. This new version starts from zero, ensuring clean analytics for your next campaign.

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Step 2: Sharing a Form as a Template​

Maybe you’re not just duplicating forms for yourself—collaboration might be the name of the game. Sharing your form as a template lets others take your design and throw it into their own Microsoft Forms workspace. But here's the kicker: their version will be an independent clone, free from mutual meddling (read: their edits won’t touch your master copy or affect your data).
Here’s how to share your setup as a reusable template:

1. Navigate to Your Form:
   As before, log into your Microsoft Forms account and locate the form you want to share. Open it.
2. Access the Share Interface:
   In the top-right corner, you’ll notice a "three-dot" menu icon (…); click on it. Depending on the version of Forms you’re using, look for an option called either "Collaborate or Duplicate" or simply "Share".
3. Generate the Template Link:
   Under the "Share as Template" section, select "Get a Link to Duplicate." Once you’ve clicked, hit "Copy." A unique, shareable link is now primed for action!

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What Happens Next?​

When the recipient opens the link, they’ll be greeted with options to "test-drive" the form by interacting with it (don’t worry—it won't save any trial responses). If satisfied, they'll click "Duplicate It" to save a homemade clone into their Microsoft Forms account. From there, it’s their playground.

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Step 3: Stop the Share Train (Revoking Template Links)​

Want to share responsibly? Microsoft grants you the ability to void a sharing link anytime, stopping anyone else from duplicating your form further. Simply return to where the link was copied, click the trashcan icon next to it, and voilà—the link is retired.
Major caveat, though: If someone’s already cloned and saved a copy to their account, your purging of the link doesn’t retroactively yank it away. Trust is key here—only share with folks you know will respect your work.

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How Forms Collaboration Differs From Templates​

Confused between allowing collaborators and sharing templates? Let’s clarify:

• Collaboration:
  Grants co-creators the ability to edit your actual form. Changes apply live, affecting everyone’s access to the form—including responses, visible data, or settings.
• Templates:
  Recipients get an unlinked, independent twin of your form. They can edit it however they want, but those modifications and their collected data stay squarely on their side of the fence.

With templates, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

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Real-World Use Cases​

So, when exactly should you clone your form or use templates? Consider these real-life scenarios:

1. Teachers:
   Designing quizzes for education? Clone your form to reuse for different classes while keeping analytics like scores separate.
2. Event Planners:
   Repurpose RSVP or feedback forms for recurring events without muddying up previous data sets.
3. HR Professionals:
   Share templates of onboarding surveys with different department heads for their specific teams.

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Integrate With Excel for Full Power​

Once responses roll in, consider syncing Microsoft Forms with Excel to unleash advanced analytics. You can export all responses to an Excel spreadsheet with just a click, enabling powerful filtering, pivot tables, and creating jaw-dropping graphs.

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Pro Tips for the Ultimate Microsoft Forms Experience​

Here are some bonus insights for savvy users:

• Embed Anywhere: Generate embed codes for websites or intranet portals.
• QR Codes: Make accessing your form quick for smartphone users.
• Limit Form Access: Under the settings menu, require respondents to sign in or set expiration dates to guarantee exclusivity.

Microsoft Forms is more than just a survey tool—it's a power-user’s dream if harnessed wisely!
Any tips or tricks I missed? Did this guide change how you think about Microsoft Forms? Let us know in the comments below!

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Source: How-To Geek How to Duplicate a Form in Microsoft Forms