I am experimenting with Teams Forms. So far, I found a few bugs. One is that there is not a way to name a form, so the default name is "Blank" which is lame. The other bug is that response data in the SharePoint list is not written into discreet columns and rows, you know, what a typical database or List should look like. Instead, the responses are expressed in a PDF format and JSON code. Again, lame.
The last time I looked, JSON is not a language used to create databases, SQL is. So, I don't see the value of JSON with regards to leveraging Teams Forms submission into a SQL database.
I was hoping that Teams Forms would actually act like a database and be more user friendly as this point.
My question is: A) Since Teams Forms is obviously in Alpha dev, does anyone know when it will be ready for production. If so, will form submissions be available as a List or SQL database format?
Hi David,
Sorry to hear you're experiencing some issues. I'll do my best to address each of your concerns below:
Renaming a Form
You can rename a form by simply clicking the form title in the form builder screen. Here’s a link to the official documentation, which also includes a video clip of the process that may be helpful. 😊
Data Storage in SharePoint
I understand your frustration that form responses are not stored with each question as a discrete column in a SharePoint list but rather as JSON in a single column. This is intentional, as Team Forms supports complex question types such as data grids (repeating tables), signatures, file uploads, and more. These types of components don’t map well to a traditional flat or relational database structure.
If you want to visualize form responses in a table format, you have a couple of options:
View the Submissions Screen – This screen displays all responses in a table format, with each question as its own column. From there, you can export a PDF or download a Power BI template.
Use Power BI for Reporting – All modern reporting systems (and SQL) can parse JSON, meaning you can use Power BI to analyze the form data stored in SharePoint. We also provide an official template for this purpose.
Workflows via Power Automate – Team Forms supports workflows through Microsoft Power Automate, allowing you to set up workflows that push your data into any SharePoint list or SQL database of your choice. This could help address the issue you’re facing.
Regarding your impression that Team Forms is in "alpha," I’d like to clarify that it is currently used in production by thousands of organizations globally. It sounds like you may be looking for a SQL-based forms system, in which case Team Forms might not be the right solution for your organization.
Hi Erin, the above does not tracks with my UI. I cannot reopen a form in builder so I cannot edit it.
Furthermore, not creating a simple SharePoint List with data columns and rows is incredibly stupid. Having this capability would greatly simply the process for non-techical users. Instead, organizations will need an IT department fully trained in Power BI and Power Automate to develop and deploy Teams Forms. I don't think Microsoft has a clue how many smaller organizations, including nonprofits, do not have the resources to deploy and manage this type of complexity.
Back to the naming issue, this should be simple task right out the box. But is not. I have used multiple form apps and cloud services. Teams Forms is the worst I have ever seen.
Clearly, this platform isn't fully developed yet. It is another half-baked Microsoft product created by software engineers who have no regard for good UI and UX.
