Microsoft forms: Can I delete one response?

Not through the documented More options for responses menu. Microsoft documents delete all responses, print responses, and share a summary link, but not a documented one-response delete action. The safest way to remove one submission is to identify it by Respondent ID and remove or exclude the matching row in the workbook or export, then confirm whether the live Forms summary changed, the workbook changed, or both. (Microsoft Support)

What you'll need

• Owner or collaborator access to the form.
• Respondent ID from Responses Overview so you can match the exact submission.
• An Excel export or connected workbook if you plan to remove the row from the data file.
• SharePoint workbook permissions for group forms saved there.
• A clear decision about the target data set: live Forms summary, workbook only, or both.

Can I delete one response from Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft documents review and export workflows, not a documented single-response delete command. Open the form, go to the Responses tab, and inspect the summary count and individual response cards. Use More options for responses to see the available actions. That menu includes delete all responses, print responses, and share a summary link.

What Microsoft documents

Microsoft says you can search for an individual response by entering its number, and the respondent field accepts a number such as 25. The Respondent ID is exclusive for each response, which makes it the safest match when you are trying to isolate one submission.

What the workflow depends

The result depends on where the data lives. Open results in Excel creates a live data connection. Download a copy creates an offline workbook with no connection. For group forms, the workbook is saved in SharePoint and can be edited by users with workbook permissions.

How do I delete responses in Microsoft Forms?

Use the Responses Overview screen first, then decide whether you are changing Forms, the workbook, or both. Microsoft documents the overview page, the summary count, individual response views, and the More options for responses menu. It also documents delete all responses, not a separate one-response delete control.

Open responses overview

1. Open the form.
2. Select the Responses tab.
3. Check the summary count and the individual response cards.
4. Open More options for responses to see the available actions.

Use the response number to identify the row

Search for the exact Respondent ID in the response list or exported workbook. That ID is exclusive for each response. In exported data, the Respondent ID appears in the first column, which makes it a straightforward way to match one submission without guessing from names alone.

Microsoft Forms response table

For each case, recheck the Forms summary and the workbook row count so you know which data set changed. If the file is connected, a workbook edit can affect the workbook without giving you the same result in the live form view.

How do I remove one response?

Remove the matching row only in the data set you intend to edit. If the goal is to clean an exported workbook or a group-form SharePoint file, identify the submission by Respondent ID, then edit the row in that file. If the goal is to change the live response list in Forms, the cited Microsoft help page does not document a one-response delete command.

Step 1: Identify the target submission

1. Open Responses Overview.
2. Find the individual response number for the submission.
3. Write down the Respondent ID.

Step 2: Check the workbook type

1. Select Open results in Excel if you are working with the connected workbook.
2. Select Open in Excel Desktop preview or Download a copy if you need a local file.
3. For group forms, confirm the workbook is saved in SharePoint.

Step 3: Remove or exclude the matching row

1. Find the row with the same Respondent ID in the first column.
2. Delete that row only if you want it removed from the workbook.
3. If you only need it out of a report, filter or hide the row instead of removing more data.

Step 4: Recheck both data sets

1. Open the Forms summary again.
2. Compare the response count before and after.
3. Check the workbook row count and the remaining Respondent IDs.

Say your form has a test submission numbered 25. If that is the row you need to remove from a report, matching the Respondent ID lets you remove only that row and leave the rest of the workbook intact.

How do you handle test or anonymous responses?

Use the same matching method, but treat anonymous exports with extra care. When names and email addresses are hidden, the Respondent ID matters even more. For test submissions, the owner or admin should confirm the row before anything is deleted or hidden in the workbook.

Test submission cleanup

1. Ask the form owner to confirm the test response number.
2. Match the submission by Respondent ID in the export.
3. Remove or exclude the row only from the workbook you intend to edit.

Anonymous response cleanup

Names and email addresses are not displayed when anonymous responses are allowed, so the export’s first-column Respondent ID is the main way to target one submission. If the row cannot be matched confidently, stop and ask the owner or admin to verify the response before editing the file.

When collaborator access is enough

Collaborators can work on the workbook only when they have the right permissions for that file. For a group form workbook saved in SharePoint, check workbook permissions before editing. If you do not have them, ask the owner or admin to make the change.

Common mistakes

The biggest errors come from editing the wrong data set or the wrong row. A response can appear in Forms, in a connected workbook, or in a downloaded copy. Those are related, but they are not always the same file.

• Deleting the wrong row: match the submission by Respondent ID, not by subject line or memory.
• Assuming workbook edits change Forms automatically: recheck the Forms summary after any workbook change.
• Skipping Respondent ID: this is especially risky for anonymous responses.
• Editing without workbook permissions: confirm access first for group forms saved in SharePoint.
• Using delete instead of filter when you only need a report change: hide the row if the goal is reporting, not data removal.

Picture a group form saved in SharePoint with about 42 rows in the workbook. If one collaborator removes a row without confirming permissions or the ID, the workbook can change while the live Forms summary still needs review. That is why the ID match and the count check both matter.

What if I need to remove a test submission in Microsoft Forms?

Remove the test row from the workbook only if that is the file you are cleaning, and verify the live response summary separately. Microsoft documents the overview count and individual results, so you can confirm which submission is the test before editing anything. If the form owner wants the response removed from the live form view, the cited help page does not document a one-response delete command.

Start by searching the response number in Responses Overview. Then match that same Respondent ID in the workbook. If the workbook is connected, recheck the row count after the edit. If the workbook is a downloaded copy, the change stays in that file only.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete a single response in Microsoft Forms?

Use Responses Overview to find the individual response number, then match the Respondent ID in the workbook. If you only need the row out of a report, filter or hide it instead of deleting more data. Recheck the summary count and workbook row count afterward.

Can I delete a response after exporting it to Excel?

Yes, in the workbook or exported file. Open results in Excel creates a live data connection, while Download a copy creates an offline workbook. Find the row by Respondent ID, then remove or exclude it in that file. Check whether the live form summary changed too.

Will deleting a Microsoft Forms response remove it from Excel too?

Do not assume that. The workbook can be a connected file, a SharePoint group-form workbook, or an offline copy. Confirm the row count in both places after the change. If the workbook is shared, users with workbook permissions can edit it independently of the Forms screen.

Does Microsoft Forms let collaborators delete individual responses?

Collaborators can edit the workbook only when they have workbook permissions, especially for group forms saved in SharePoint. The cited Microsoft help page does not document a collaborator-specific single-response delete action in Forms. If permissions are unclear, ask the owner or admin to make the change.