QR codes have surged back into mainstream use in recent years. By 2024, nearly 90 million Americans were scanning QR codes with their smartphones. It’s no surprise, then, that Microsoft Forms, a popular online form and survey tool, lets you generate QR codes to share your forms easily. In this guide, we’ll explore what Microsoft Forms QR codes are, how they work, ways to use them in business, their benefits and drawbacks, and why your company may need more than just a QR code. We’ll also introduce involve.me as a more powerful alternative for creating interactive, branded form experiences.

What is a Microsoft Forms QR Code?

A Microsoft Forms QR code is a scannable barcode that directly links to a form or quiz you’ve created in Microsoft Forms. When someone scans this QR code with their smartphone camera (or QR scanner app), it instantly opens the form on their device, allowing them to fill it out on the spot. Microsoft Forms automatically generates a unique QR code for each form, making it easy to distribute your form to a wide audience without needing to send a long URL link.

In essence, the QR code is simply an alternate access point to your online form. Instead of clicking a link, users scan the code and are taken straight to your form or survey. This is especially useful for reaching people through physical media (like posters or printouts) or presentation screens, anywhere you can display the QR code for an audience to scan. Microsoft Forms even provides the QR code as an image file (.png) that you can download and insert into documents, slides, emails, or websites for others to scan.

Because the QR code encodes the form’s web URL, it will always take scanners to the live form. For example, if you create a customer feedback survey in Microsoft Forms, you can generate a QR code and print it on receipts or display it in your store. Customers can point their phone camera at the code and be taken directly to your survey to submit feedback in real time.

How to Generate a QR Code in Microsoft Forms

Generating a QR code for your Microsoft Form is straightforward and built into the normal “Share” process. Here are the basic steps to create a QR code for a form:

Open your form in Microsoft Forms (log in to Office 365 or your Microsoft account and navigate to the form you want to share).
Click “Share.” In the upper-right corner of the form editor, click the Share button. This opens the “Send and collect responses” panel with various sharing options (link, email, etc.).
Select the QR code icon. In the Share panel, you’ll see a button with a QR code symbol (a square icon with smaller squares inside). Click or tap this QR code button.
Download the QR code image. Once you click the QR icon, Microsoft Forms instantly generates your form’s QR code and displays it. Click the Download button to save the QR code as a PNG image file to your device.

In Microsoft Forms, clicking the QR code icon in the Share panel will display a QR code for your form along with a “Download” button. You can save the QR code as an image and then include it on any material. Recipients just need to scan the code on their phone to access your form.

That’s it, you now have a QR code image for your form. You can insert this image wherever you need: for example, print it on flyers, include it in a PowerPoint slide, or add it to an email newsletter. When users scan the code with their phone’s camera, they’ll be prompted to open the form and can start filling it out immediately. Microsoft Forms handles the hosting of the form and the link; the QR code is simply a convenient representation of that link.

Tip: Keep in mind that if your form’s permissions are restricted (for instance, “Only people in my organization can respond”), only those who meet that criteria can access via the QR code. If you need external people to respond, set the form to allow anyone with the link to respond before sharing the QR code. This ensures that anyone who scans the code can open the form without sign-in issues.

Ways to Use Microsoft Forms QR Codes in Business

One of the biggest advantages of QR codes is that they bridge the gap between physical or offline media and online forms. Businesses have found creative ways to use Microsoft Forms QR codes to collect data and engage audiences. Here are several use cases for Microsoft Forms QR codes in a business context:

Printed Materials:
Add QR codes to brochures, posters, or in-store signage so customers can quickly submit feedback or inquiries. Real estate, retail, and service businesses can capture interest or reviews instantly.

Product Packaging & Manuals:
Place QR codes on boxes or manuals to collect product registrations, warranty requests, or setup feedback. Great for real-time insights and troubleshooting.

Events & Presentations:
Show QR codes on slides during conferences or webinars for live polls, Q&A, or session feedback. Also place them on event banners to boost participation.

Customer Service Touchpoints:
Restaurants, hotels, and service businesses can add QR codes to menus, receipts, or check-out counters to capture quick, in-context feedback.

Internal Use:
HR and training teams can use QR codes for employee surveys, training quizzes, or RSVPs by placing them in break rooms or manuals.

Business Cards & Networking:
Add a QR code to business cards or trade show materials to collect leads, schedule demos, or grow your mailing list, no manual sign-up needed.

Benefits of Using Microsoft Forms QR Codes

Why bother using a QR code to share a form, instead of a regular link? There are several clear benefits, especially in a business environment, to leveraging Microsoft Forms QR codes:

Instant, Easy Access:
Users simply scan and tap, no typing or app required. This removes friction and boosts participation, especially for in-the-moment feedback.

Bridge Offline to Online:
QR codes connect physical spaces (stores, events, print ads) to your online form instantly. This captures more accurate, real-time responses and expands your reach beyond digital channels.

Mobile-Friendly Convenience:
Forms open directly on a smartphone, making it easy to respond anytime, while shopping, waiting in line, or right after an event. This leads to higher completion rates.

Higher Engagement:
QR codes feel modern and familiar. With daily QR usage rising, scans indicate high intent and often lead to better click-through and conversion rates.

Faster Data Collection:
Because responses come in immediately, you can gather large volumes of feedback quickly, ideal for events, retail, or time-sensitive surveys.

No Extra Cost:
Microsoft Forms includes a built-in QR generator, so you can use QR codes freely without extra tools or budget.

Limitations of Microsoft Forms QR Codes

While Microsoft Forms QR codes offer convenience, there are some limitations and pain points to be aware of both with QR code sharing and with Microsoft Forms as a whole. Especially for professional or business use, you might find that Microsoft Forms (even with QR codes) has notable shortcomings. Let’s explore the key limitations and drawbacks:

Dependent on Smartphones and Internet

QR codes assume the user has a smartphone with a camera and an internet connection at the time of scanning. In most scenarios today this is a safe bet, but it’s worth noting. If your audience isn’t tech-savvy or if they lack reliable internet (say, at a trade show with poor Wi-Fi/cell signal), the QR code method could fall flat.

You may need to provide a short URL as backup for those who can’t scan. Additionally, some very security-conscious users are still wary of scanning unknown QR codes due to phishing scams (“quishing”), although a branded context usually mitigates this concern.

Static QR Code (Limited Tracking)

The QR code generated by Microsoft Forms is essentially a static link to your form. Microsoft Forms itself will track form responses, but it won’t tell you how many people scanned the QR code and didn’t submit, or analytics on the scans themselves. For basic needs, this is fine, but advanced marketers might want more data.

Dynamic QR codes (from third-party services) can track scans or allow you to change the target URL later; Microsoft’s built-in QR codes do not offer those capabilities. If you needed to update the form’s link, you’d have to distribute a new QR code. In short, the default QR code is a simple image with no analytics attached to the code usage (aside from the form’s response count).

Reliability on Print Quality and Size

You must ensure the printed or displayed QR code is large and clear enough for cameras to scan. A tiny QR code on a huge poster that people stand far from might not scan well. Similarly, if printed in low contrast or on curved surfaces, it might be harder for users to capture. These are general QR code challenges rather than Microsoft Forms-specific, but worth remembering.

Always test-scan your printed code from various distances. Microsoft Forms itself doesn’t warn you about this, it just gives the image. The best practice is to accompany a QR code with a short description (“Scan this code with your phone camera to open the form”) so people know what to do, and possibly a short URL as a fallback for those unfamiliar with QR codes.

How involve.me Offers a Better Solution

If Microsoft Forms feels too limited, involve.me is a powerful alternative built for businesses that need more customization, interactivity, and integrations, without coding.

Why involve.me is Better for Businesses

1. Full Branding & Design Control
Create fully branded, multi-step forms that match your style guide. Forms look like part of your website, not generic templates, leading to higher trust and better completion rates.

2. Interactive, Dynamic Experiences
Go beyond static forms with advanced logic, quizzes, calculators, scoring, and personalized outcomes. These interactive elements significantly boost engagement and data quality.

3. Seamless Integrations
Connect forms directly to HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Google Sheets, and 100+ tools. Automate workflows, trigger emails, and send leads to your CRM, no manual exports needed.

4. Advanced Analytics & Conversion Tracking
See drop-off points, completion rates, funnel performance, and even partial submissions. This helps you optimize forms and recover leads Microsoft Forms would miss.

5. Extra Features Microsoft Forms Lacks

Built-in payment collection (Stripe, PayPal)
Real-time calculators and pricing estimators
Personalized end screens and multi-step funnels
Deep customization and white-labeling options

6. Easy No-Code Builder + Templates
A drag-and-drop editor and 350+ templates let marketing and sales teams create professional forms quickly, no developers required.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can Microsoft Forms be accessed by QR code?

Yes. Microsoft Forms lets you generate a QR code directly from the Share menu. Anyone who scans it can open the form on their device. Just ensure permissions are set to “Anyone with the link can respond” if you want public access.

Is Microsoft Forms free?

Yes, in a basic version for anyone with a free Microsoft account. Business and education users get Microsoft Forms included in most Microsoft 365 plans. The free version has fewer features and lower response limits.

What is the best alternative to Microsoft Forms for business?

involve.me is one of the strongest business alternatives because it offers full branding and customization, personalized, multi-step funnels, advanced logic and integrations, lead analytics and payment options.

Final Words: Why Consider Switching?

Microsoft Forms QR codes are handy, but the form experience behind them is limited, basic design, minimal logic, and fewer integrations. For businesses needing better branding, higher engagement, or actionable data, these limits can hurt response rates and workflow efficiency.

involve.me offers an upgrade: personalized flows, deeper analytics, CRM integrations, and forms that look and feel like part of your brand. If you’re outgrowing Microsoft Forms, testing involve.me for your next campaign can boost conversions and get more value from every QR code or form link.

Ready to elevate your forms? Try involve.me for free and turn simple form filling into an engaging part of your customer journey.