SharePoint forms are the interfaces people use to add, view, and edit information stored in SharePoint lists and libraries. Every SharePoint list includes built-in forms for creating and editing items, and you can customize those forms using native SharePoint features, Microsoft Lists, JSON formatting, Power Apps, or third-party form designers.
For simple data entry, the standard SharePoint form may be all you need. For more complex requirements, such as conditional logic, multi-step forms, approvals, repeating sections, integrations, or custom business applications, you may need Power Apps or a dedicated SharePoint forms platform.
The right approach depends on what you need your form to do, where your SharePoint environment is hosted, and how much development and licensing overhead you want to manage.
What Is a SharePoint Form?
A SharePoint form is the user interface for entering, viewing, and editing information stored in a SharePoint list.
Think of the relationship this way:
SharePoint list = where the data is stored
SharePoint form = how people enter and interact with that data
For example, you might create a SharePoint list called Purchase Requests with columns for:
- Requester
- Department
- Purchase description
- Amount
- Vendor
- Required date
- Approval status
SharePoint automatically provides forms that allow users to create, view, and edit those list items.
The form and the list are therefore not separate data stores. The form is the interface to the underlying SharePoint list.
Because the information is stored in SharePoint, it can take advantage of the list’s existing permissions, version history, and other SharePoint governance capabilities.
What Are SharePoint Forms Used For?
SharePoint forms can be used for many internal business processes and requests, including:
- IT help desk requests
- Employee onboarding
- Purchase requests
- Equipment requests
- Asset tracking
- Access requests
- HR requests
- Maintenance requests
- Incident reports
- Leave requests
- Expense requests
- Document requests
- Customer or vendor information
- Approval requests
A simple request may only require the standard SharePoint form.
A more sophisticated process might require conditional questions, automatic calculations, approvals, notifications, data lookups, or connections to other systems. That is where form customization becomes important.
Does SharePoint Have a Built-In Form Builder?
Yes. SharePoint automatically creates forms for SharePoint lists. When you create a list, SharePoint generates the forms needed to create, view, and edit list items.
For basic requirements, you do not need to purchase or install a separate form builder.
You can also customize SharePoint list forms using features such as:
- Field and column configuration
- Form layout configuration
- Conditional visibility
- JSON formatting
- Power Apps
- Third-party SharePoint form designers
Microsoft provides Power Apps integration for creating more customized SharePoint list forms.
How Do SharePoint Forms Work?
A SharePoint form is built around the columns in the underlying SharePoint list.
For example:
SharePoint List: Employee Onboarding
| Column | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Employee Name | Identifies the employee |
| Department | Selects the employee’s department |
| Start Date | Records the start date |
| Manager | Identifies the manager |
| Equipment Required | Records requested equipment |
| Notes | Additional information |
Those columns become fields that users interact with through the SharePoint form.
When someone submits the form, the information is saved as an item in the SharePoint list.
This model is one of the biggest advantages of SharePoint forms. You can build a structured business process around SharePoint data without creating a separate database for every form.
How to Create a SharePoint Form
Creating a basic SharePoint form is straightforward because the form is generated from a SharePoint list.
1. Create a SharePoint List
In SharePoint, select New > List.
You can start with a blank list, use an existing template, or create a list from another source.
Give the list a descriptive name based on the process it will support.
For example:
IT Equipment Requests
2. Add Columns to the List
Each column represents information that users will enter or select on the form.
For an equipment request, you might create:
- Employee Name: Person
- Equipment Type: Choice
- Quantity: Number
- Required Date: Date
- Business Justification: Multiple lines of text
- Manager Approval: Choice
- Status: Choice
The column type determines how the information is collected.
For example, a Choice column can provide a dropdown while a Person column can allow users to select someone from the organization’s directory.
3. Open the SharePoint Form
Select New from the list.
SharePoint automatically displays the form generated from the list’s columns.
You can use the form to create a new list item.
When the user submits it, the information is stored in the SharePoint list.
4. Customize the Form
For simple forms, you can adjust the layout and fields without building a custom application.
You may want to:
- Reorder fields
- Hide fields
- Make fields required
- Configure the form layout
- Add conditional visibility
- Customize the form’s appearance
Microsoft also provides Power Apps integration for creating more customized SharePoint list forms.
5. Test the Form
Before putting the form into production, test it with realistic scenarios.
Check:
- Required fields
- Validation
- Conditional fields
- Permissions
- Mobile display
- Attachments
- Notifications
- Approval processes
- Data being written correctly to the list
For a simple form, this may take only a few minutes. More complicated business forms should go through a more formal testing process.
How to Customize a SharePoint Form
There is not one single way to customize a SharePoint form. Your options range from simple formatting to full application development.
The five main approaches are:
| Approach | Best for | Complexity | Advanced logic | Additional licensing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default SharePoint forms | Basic data entry | Low | Limited | Included with SharePoint |
| Microsoft Lists forms | Simple customized forms | Low | Limited to moderate | Depends on environment |
| JSON formatting | Layout and appearance | Low to Moderate | Limited | Included |
| Power Apps | Complex interactive forms | Moderate to High | Extensive | May require additional licensing |
| Third-party form designer | Advanced forms without building everything yourself | Low to Moderate | Extensive | Vendor-dependent |
Let’s look at each option.
1. Default SharePoint Forms
The default SharePoint form is the simplest option.
It works well when users simply need to enter or edit information in a SharePoint list.
You can configure fields, required values, layouts, and other basic settings without creating a separate application.
Best for:
- Simple requests
- Basic data entry
- Internal lists
- Straightforward tracking processes
- Organizations that want minimal maintenance
Limitations
The standard form becomes less suitable when you need:
- Complex conditional logic
- Multiple steps or screens
- Advanced calculations
- Repeating line items
- Complex data relationships
- External data
- Advanced validation
- Electronic signatures
For those requirements, consider one of the more advanced options below.
2. Microsoft Lists Forms
Microsoft Lists provides another way to work with structured forms and list data.
Microsoft Lists forms can be useful when you want a more focused data-entry experience without building a full application.
They are particularly appropriate for relatively simple internal processes where the underlying data belongs in a Microsoft List.
Keep in mind that Microsoft Lists and Microsoft Forms are different products.
Microsoft Lists is designed around structured information and list-based business processes.
Microsoft Forms is primarily designed for surveys, quizzes, polls, and collecting responses.
3. JSON Formatting
JSON can be used to customize the appearance and layout of SharePoint list forms.
For example, JSON can help you create a more organized presentation of fields or customize portions of the form’s rendering.
Microsoft provides form formatting capabilities that allow organizations to configure elements such as the header, footer, and body of a list form.
Best for:
- Improving form appearance
- Organizing fields
- Applying custom layouts
- Making information easier to scan
- Lightweight customization
Important limitation
JSON formatting is primarily a presentation and rendering technology. It is not a replacement for a full application development platform.
If you need complex business logic, integrations, calculations, or sophisticated user experiences, you will generally need a more capable approach.
4. Power Apps
Power Apps is Microsoft’s primary low-code platform for building more customized applications and forms.
You can create a Power App from an existing SharePoint list and customize the form beyond what the standard SharePoint experience provides.
Power Apps can provide capabilities such as:
- Conditional logic
- Multiple screens
- Custom controls
- Advanced validation
- Calculations
- Connections to other data sources
- Responsive experiences
- Mobile access
Best for:
Organizations that:
- Have Power Platform expertise
- Need sophisticated forms
- Need integrations with other Microsoft services
- Are comfortable maintaining Power Apps
- Already have an appropriate licensing strategy
The trade-off
Power Apps provides significant flexibility, but that flexibility can also mean more development and maintenance.
Licensing can also become an important consideration depending on the connectors and data sources used by the application.
Before choosing Power Apps, determine exactly which connectors and capabilities your form will require and confirm the licensing implications for your users.
5. Third-Party SharePoint Form Designers
A third-party SharePoint form designer can provide advanced functionality without requiring an organization to build everything from scratch.
Depending on the platform, features may include:
- Drag-and-drop form design
- Tabs and sections
- Conditional logic
- Conditional validation
- Cascading lookups
- Repeating rows
- Calculations
- Electronic signatures
- External data connections
- Custom styling
- Mobile-friendly forms
- Workflow automation
This can be particularly attractive when a business needs sophisticated SharePoint forms but does not want every form to become a custom development project.
SharePoint Forms vs. Microsoft Forms
One of the most common sources of confusion is the difference between SharePoint forms and Microsoft Forms.
They serve different purposes.
| SharePoint Forms | Microsoft Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Enter and manage SharePoint list data | Surveys, quizzes, polls, questionnaires |
| Data model | SharePoint lists | Microsoft Forms responses |
| Business process forms | Excellent | More limited |
| SharePoint permissions | Yes | Different permission model |
| SharePoint list integration | Native | Requires integration |
| Internal requests | Excellent | Possible, but a different approach |
| Surveys | Not the primary purpose | Excellent |
| Complex SharePoint data entry | Yes, with customization | Not the primary purpose |
Which should you use?
Use SharePoint forms when the information needs to become structured SharePoint list data and participate in a SharePoint-based business process.
Use Microsoft Forms when your primary goal is collecting survey, quiz, poll, or questionnaire responses.
SharePoint Forms vs. Power Apps
Power Apps is not a replacement for every SharePoint form.
Instead, think of Power Apps as an option for customizing or extending a SharePoint form when the standard experience is not sufficient.
A basic SharePoint form may be enough for:
Name → Department → Request → Submit
A more sophisticated application might need:
Request type → conditional questions → lookup to another list → calculations → validation → approval → notification → update another system
That second scenario is where Power Apps or a dedicated forms platform becomes much more valuable.
When Should You Use a Third-Party SharePoint Form Builder?
A third-party form platform may make sense when your requirements go beyond basic SharePoint forms but you do not want to build and maintain every form as a custom Power App.
Consider one when you need:
- Complex form layouts
- Conditional logic
- Repeating sections
- Cascading lookups
- Electronic signatures
- Cross-list or external data
- Reusable form templates
- Advanced validation
- Integrated workflows
- On-premises SharePoint support
- Government or regulated-environment support
- A licensing model that is easier to scale
The important thing is to evaluate the platform against your actual environment and requirements rather than assuming every SharePoint forms product works everywhere.
SharePoint Forms for Government and Regulated Organizations
The environment where your SharePoint forms run can significantly affect which options are available.
Organizations using GCC, GCC High, DoD, or other regulated Microsoft environments should verify feature and connector availability before designing a production form.
A capability available in commercial Microsoft 365 is not necessarily available in every government environment at the same time.
Power Apps can be used with SharePoint, but connector availability and licensing should be evaluated against the specific government environment.
For regulated organizations, also consider:
- Data residency
- Security requirements
- Compliance requirements
- Authentication
- Permissions
- Auditability
- Connector availability
- Deployment model
- Vendor support
- Licensing
For these organizations, where the form can run can be just as important as what the form can do.
What About SharePoint Forms for On-Premises?
On-premises SharePoint requires special consideration because many modern Microsoft 365 services are cloud-based.
SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 reached the end of Microsoft’s support lifecycle on July 14, 2026.
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition has a different lifecycle and should be evaluated separately.
Organizations running older SharePoint Server environments should therefore consider both questions:
- What form technology should we use?
- What is our long-term SharePoint Server strategy?
If you are running an on-premises environment, do not assume that a cloud-first form recommendation will work in your deployment.
What Happened to InfoPath Forms?
Microsoft InfoPath was historically one of the most widely used ways to create customized SharePoint forms.
That changed in 2026.
Microsoft lists InfoPath 2013 among the products that reached end of support on July 14, 2026. Microsoft also recommends moving existing InfoPath forms and workflows to supported solutions.
For SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, InfoPath Forms Services was supported through July 14, 2026 and then became unsupported.
That means organizations with legacy InfoPath forms should not simply ask:
“What replaces InfoPath?”
They should ask:
“What combination of forms, workflows, data connections, and business logic does this InfoPath solution actually provide?”
A simple InfoPath form may be straightforward to rebuild.
A complex InfoPath application tied to workflows, lookups, approvals, and external data may require a more deliberate migration strategy.
How to Choose the Right SharePoint Form Approach
There is not one best SharePoint form technology for every organization.
Use this decision path as a starting point:
| Your situation | Consider |
|---|---|
| You need a simple internal data-entry form | Default SharePoint form |
| You need basic layout or appearance changes | SharePoint form + JSON |
| You need moderate customization | Microsoft Lists forms |
| You need complex application logic | Power Apps |
| You need advanced forms without building everything yourself | Third-party form designer |
| You have legacy InfoPath forms | Evaluate migration requirements first |
| You run SharePoint Server | Verify the platform and form technology are supported |
| You operate in GCC, GCC High, or DoD | Verify features, connectors, compliance, and deployment requirements |
| You need forms plus complex workflows | Consider an integrated forms and workflow platform |
Before selecting a technology, answer these five questions:
1. Where does the form need to run?
Microsoft 365, SharePoint Server, GCC, GCC High, DoD, or another environment?
2. How complicated is the form?
Are users simply entering information, or does the form need conditional logic, calculations, lookups, repeating sections, and validation?
3. What happens after submission?
Does the form simply create a list item, or does it start a larger process involving approvals, notifications, routing, or integrations?
4. Who will maintain it?
A solution that looks easy to build may become difficult to maintain when you have dozens or hundreds of forms.
5. How does the licensing scale?
Evaluate the cost not just for the first form, but for the number of users, applications, connectors, environments, and future forms you expect to support.
NITRO Studio for Advanced SharePoint Forms
For organizations that need more than the native SharePoint form experience, NITRO Studio is one option to consider.
NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code application platform designed for SharePoint and Microsoft 365. Its Form Designer provides a visual way to create more advanced SharePoint forms while keeping the underlying business data in SharePoint.
Depending on the requirement, NITRO Studio can provide:
- Drag-and-drop form design
- Tabs and collapsible sections
- Conditional field visibility
- Conditional validation
- Cascading lookups
- Automatic field population
- Repeating rows
- Calculations
- Electronic signatures
- Mobile-responsive forms
- Reusable form templates
- Connections to other data sources
- Custom CSS, JavaScript, and form events
One important distinction is that forms and workflows can be handled within the same platform.
For example, a purchase request might involve:
Form → validation → approval → routing → notification → status update
Rather than treating the form as an isolated component, the entire business process can be designed together.
NITRO Studio for InfoPath Replacement
For organizations replacing InfoPath, the form itself is often only part of the migration.
An existing InfoPath application may include:
- Complex forms
- Conditional logic
- Data connections
- Lookups
- Validation
- Workflows
- Approvals
- Notifications
- Business rules
Replacing only the visual form can therefore leave significant work unfinished.
NITRO Studio is designed to support both forms and workflows, making it an option for organizations that need to modernize an entire SharePoint business process rather than simply recreate the appearance of an old form.
NITRO Studio supports Microsoft 365 as well as supported SharePoint Server environments, including organizations that require on-premises or government-cloud deployments.
Real-World InfoPath Migration Experience
Organizations have used NITRO Studio to modernize large collections of legacy forms and workflows.
For example, Winchester District Memorial Hospital had relied on InfoPath forms and Nintex workflows for many years and needed to modernize a large portfolio of business processes, including its eConsult referral system.
Air Wisconsin also used NITRO Studio to modernize its InfoPath forms and workflows.
These types of projects illustrate an important point: the best InfoPath replacement depends on the complexity of the processes being replaced, not simply on whether the new tool can create a form.
SharePoint Forms FAQ
Can you create a fillable form in SharePoint?
Yes. SharePoint lists automatically provide forms for creating and editing list items. You can use the standard form for basic data entry or customize it using native SharePoint features, JSON formatting, Power Apps, or third-party form designers.
Does SharePoint have a form builder?
Yes. Every SharePoint list has built-in forms for creating, viewing, and editing list items. For more advanced requirements, you can customize those forms with Power Apps or use a third-party SharePoint forms platform.
How do I create a form in SharePoint?
Create a SharePoint list, add the columns that represent the information you want to collect, and select New to open the automatically generated form. You can then customize the form based on your requirements.
Can I customize a SharePoint form?
Yes. SharePoint forms can be customized in several ways, from basic field and layout configuration to JSON formatting, Power Apps, and third-party form designers.
Can SharePoint forms have conditional logic?
Yes. Conditional behavior can be implemented through available SharePoint functionality, Power Apps, or third-party form platforms. The level of complexity depends on the approach you choose.
Can SharePoint forms have multiple pages?
Basic SharePoint forms have limited layout capabilities. For sophisticated multi-step or multi-screen experiences, Power Apps or a dedicated SharePoint form platform may be more appropriate.
Can SharePoint forms connect to other data?
Yes, depending on the technology used. Power Apps and third-party form platforms can provide more advanced connections to other SharePoint lists, Microsoft services, databases, directories, and other systems.
Are SharePoint forms the same as Microsoft Forms?
No. SharePoint forms are interfaces for SharePoint list data. Microsoft Forms is primarily a survey, quiz, and questionnaire tool.
Can SharePoint forms replace InfoPath?
In many cases, yes, but the right replacement depends on the complexity of the InfoPath solution. Simple forms may be rebuilt using native SharePoint capabilities, while complex forms with workflows, integrations, and business logic may require Power Apps or a third-party platform.
Is InfoPath still supported?
No. Microsoft lists InfoPath 2013 among the products that reached end of support on July 14, 2026. Organizations using legacy InfoPath solutions should evaluate migration to supported technologies.
Can I use SharePoint forms in GCC or GCC High?
Yes, but available capabilities can differ from commercial Microsoft 365. Organizations in government environments should verify the availability of the specific features, connectors, and services required for their forms before implementation.
Can SharePoint forms work on mobile devices?
Yes. SharePoint and Power Apps support mobile experiences, although the exact experience depends on how the form was built. Custom forms should be tested on the devices users will actually use.
Where are SharePoint form responses stored?
SharePoint form submissions are stored as items in the underlying SharePoint list. The fields on the form correspond to columns in that list.
The Bottom Line: Which SharePoint Form Solution Is Best?
For a simple form, start with SharePoint’s built-in forms.
If you mainly need to improve the appearance or organization of the form, consider native customization and JSON formatting.
If you need a highly customized application and have the skills and licensing to support it, Power Apps can provide significant flexibility.
If you need advanced forms and workflows without building and maintaining every application yourself, a dedicated SharePoint forms platform may be a better fit.
And if you are replacing InfoPath, do not evaluate the replacement based on the form alone. Evaluate the entire business process, including forms, workflows, data connections, approvals, and integrations.
For organizations that need advanced SharePoint forms and workflows across Microsoft 365, SharePoint Server, or regulated environments, NITRO Studio is one platform worth evaluating.
