Microsoft workflows are automated processes that connect people, information, and applications to complete repetitive business tasks with less manual work.

Organizations use Microsoft workflows to automate processes such as approvals, employee requests, document routing, notifications, ticket management, purchase requests, onboarding, data collection, and many other business processes.

Today, Microsoft workflow automation can involve Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Lists, Outlook, Planner, Power Automate, Microsoft Copilot, and other applications and services.

But there is an important distinction to understand: the term “Microsoft workflows” can refer to several different technologies and approaches. Classic SharePoint workflows still appear in older environments, Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary workflow automation platform, and Microsoft is increasingly adding AI-assisted workflow creation.

This guide explains what Microsoft workflows are, how they work, the different Microsoft workflow options available today, common use cases, limitations to consider, and how to choose the right workflow solution for your organization.

What are Microsoft workflows?

Microsoft workflows are automated sequences of actions that move information, tasks, approvals, or other work through a defined business process.

A Microsoft workflow typically includes:

1. A trigger that starts the workflow
2. Conditions or rules that determine what happens next
3. Actions that perform work
4. Approvals or human decisions, when required
5. Notifications or communications
6. Data updates in Microsoft 365 or connected systems
7. Automation logic that determines the next step

For example, consider a purchase request process:

Employee submits request → Manager receives approval request → Manager approves → Finance is notified → Purchase record is updated → Employee receives confirmation

Without a workflow, employees may have to send emails, update spreadsheets, request approvals manually, and follow up with multiple people.

With a workflow, those steps can happen automatically.

Microsoft describes workflows as a way to model and automate business processes, ranging from simple approvals to complex processes involving conditions, loops, user inputs, tasks, and custom actions.

What is the Microsoft workflow platform?

There is not one single Microsoft workflow technology.

When people search for “Microsoft workflows,” they may be referring to several different Microsoft technologies.

The most important ones are:

Microsoft technology	Primary purpose
Power Automate	Building and running automated workflows across Microsoft 365 and other services
SharePoint workflows	Automating processes associated with SharePoint sites, lists, libraries, and content
Microsoft Teams workflows	Automating work and interactions within Teams
Microsoft Lists workflows	Automating actions associated with list items and business data
Microsoft Copilot Workflows	Creating workflows using natural-language instructions
SharePoint rules and automation	Automating certain actions in SharePoint libraries and lists
NITRO Studio	Building customized forms and workflow applications in Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint

For most new Microsoft 365 workflow projects, Power Automate is the primary Microsoft workflow technology to evaluate.

Microsoft describes Power Automate as deeply integrated with SharePoint and provides more than 100 SharePoint workflow templates, along with the ability to create custom flows.

Microsoft workflows vs. Power Automate

One of the most common questions is:

Are Microsoft workflows and Power Automate the same thing?

Not exactly.

“Microsoft workflows” is a broad term for workflow automation within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary platform for building and running many of those workflows.

For example, you could create a Power Automate workflow that:

• Starts when someone submits a Microsoft Form
• Creates an item in SharePoint
• Sends an approval request in Teams
• Updates a Microsoft List
• Sends an email through Outlook
• Creates a Planner task
• Notifies the requester when the process is complete

The workflow can connect multiple Microsoft services rather than operating inside only one application.

Microsoft provides SharePoint triggers and actions specifically for this type of workflow automation.

What is a Microsoft workflow used for?

Microsoft workflows can automate almost any repeatable process that follows defined rules.

Some of the most common Microsoft workflow examples include:

1. Approval workflows

Approval workflows automatically route requests to the appropriate person.

Examples include:

• Purchase approvals
• Document approvals
• Expense approvals
• Contract approvals
• Leave requests
• Access requests
• Budget approvals
• Marketing approvals
• Policy approvals

A typical approval workflow might look like:

Request submitted → Manager notified → Approval decision → Record updated → Requester notified

2. Document workflows

Microsoft workflows can automate what happens when documents are created, modified, approved, or completed.

For example:

Document uploaded → Metadata added → Reviewer notified → Document approved → Document moved → Team notified

SharePoint and Power Automate are particularly useful for document-centric workflows because SharePoint provides the underlying document libraries, lists, permissions, and metadata.

3. Employee workflows

Organizations can use Microsoft workflows to automate HR and employee processes.

Examples include:

• Employee onboarding
• Employee offboarding
• Equipment requests
• Access requests
• Training requests
• Policy acknowledgments
• Employee information changes
• Time-off requests

4. Help desk workflows

Workflow automation can also be used to manage internal support processes.

For example:

Employee submits issue → Ticket created → Category determined → Ticket assigned → Technician responds → Issue resolved → Employee notified

A workflow can automate routing, notifications, escalation, status changes, and other repetitive steps.

For organizations that want their help desk process to operate directly within Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint, a dedicated workflow-based application can provide more structure than building every help desk process from individual Power Automate flows.

5. Purchase request workflows

Purchase requests are another common workflow application.

A Microsoft purchase workflow might:

• Collect purchase information
• Determine the appropriate approver
• Route the request for approval
• Notify purchasing
• Update the request status
• Store documentation
• Notify the employee

This can replace email-based purchasing processes and disconnected spreadsheets.

6. Customer and service request workflows

Workflows can automate internal or external requests by:

• Capturing a request
• Assigning it to the appropriate person
• Sending notifications
• Tracking status
• Escalating overdue work
• Recording resolution information
• Generating reports

7. Notifications and reminders

Not every Microsoft workflow needs to be complicated.

A simple workflow can monitor a SharePoint list or Microsoft List and send a notification when a condition is met.

For example:

If a request has been waiting for more than three days → notify the owner

SharePoint also provides automation capabilities for rules and notifications, including AI-assisted creation of certain rules in current Microsoft 365 experiences.

How do Microsoft workflows work?

Although implementations vary, most Microsoft workflows follow the same basic structure.

Step 1: A trigger starts the workflow

A trigger is the event that tells the workflow to begin.

Examples include:

• A new SharePoint item is created
• A document is uploaded
• A Microsoft Form is submitted
• An email is received
• A Teams message is posted
• A scheduled time is reached
• A record changes
• A user submits a request

Step 2: The workflow evaluates the information

The workflow determines what should happen based on conditions.

For example:

If purchase amount is less than $1,000 → send to manager

If purchase amount is $1,000 or more → send to manager and finance

Step 3: The workflow performs actions

Actions might include:

• Create a record
• Update a record
• Send an email
• Send a Teams message
• Request an approval
• Create a task
• Move a document
• Change permissions
• Call another service
• Update a database

Step 4: The workflow continues until the process is complete

A workflow can include multiple conditions, branches, approvals, and actions.

The result is a repeatable business process that does not require someone to manually coordinate every step.

Microsoft workflow examples

Here are several practical examples of Microsoft workflows.

Example: Employee onboarding

HR submits employee information

↓

Create employee record

↓

Create onboarding tasks

↓

Notify IT

↓

Request equipment

↓

Request system access

↓

Notify manager

↓

Send employee onboarding information

A process that previously required multiple emails and manual follow-up can become a coordinated workflow.

Example: Purchase request

Employee submits purchase request

↓

Manager approval

↓

Finance approval if required

↓

Purchasing notified

↓

Purchase information recorded

↓

Employee receives status update

Example: Document approval

Document uploaded

↓

Reviewer notified

↓

Review completed

↓

Approved?

→ Yes: publish or move document

→ No: return to author

Example: Help desk request

User submits request

↓

Request categorized

↓

Ticket assigned

↓

Technician notified

↓

Work performed

↓

Resolution recorded

↓

User notified

↓

Ticket closed

These are all examples of the same basic concept: using automation to move work through a repeatable process.

Microsoft workflows and SharePoint

SharePoint has historically been one of the most important Microsoft workflow platforms.

Organizations have used SharePoint workflows to automate processes involving:

• Lists
• Libraries
• Documents
• Approvals
• Tasks
• Business data
• Notifications
• Content management

However, it is important to distinguish classic SharePoint workflows from modern Microsoft workflow automation.

Are SharePoint workflows still supported?

The answer depends on which SharePoint workflow technology you mean.

SharePoint 2010 workflows were retired from SharePoint Online years ago.

More importantly for current Microsoft 365 environments, SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from existing Microsoft 365 tenants on April 2, 2026. Microsoft recommends migrating those workflows to Power Automate or another supported solution.

That makes 2026 an important transition point for organizations still thinking about Microsoft workflows in terms of SharePoint Designer or classic SharePoint workflow technology.

If your organization still has business processes dependent on classic SharePoint workflows, the right question is no longer whether to build more of them.

The question is:

What should replace them?

Microsoft workflows vs. SharePoint Designer

SharePoint Designer was historically one of the primary tools organizations used to create SharePoint workflows.

That approach is now obsolete for SharePoint Online.

SharePoint 2013 workflows have been fully retired from Microsoft 365, and Microsoft recommends moving those processes to Power Automate or another supported workflow solution.

Organizations with large numbers of older workflows should inventory:

• Existing workflow definitions
• Business owners
• Dependencies
• Data sources
• Approvals
• Notifications
• Custom actions
• Business rules
• Processes that are still actively used

Microsoft’s modernization guidance specifically recommends identifying workflow definitions, owners, dependencies, and business processes before planning migration.

Microsoft workflows and Power Automate

For organizations building new Microsoft 365 workflows, Power Automate is generally the first Microsoft-native technology to evaluate.

Power Automate can work with SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and many other services.

Common Power Automate workflow patterns include:

• When an item is created
• When an item is modified
• When a file is created
• When an email arrives
• When a form is submitted
• When an approval is completed
• On a recurring schedule
• When a specific condition occurs

Microsoft also provides templates that can be customized rather than requiring every workflow to be built from scratch.

Microsoft workflows and Teams

Microsoft Teams can be an important part of a workflow because it gives employees a place to interact with automated processes without leaving the application they already use.

For example, a workflow could:

• Notify a Teams channel when a request is submitted
• Send an approval request to a user
• Create an adaptive card
• Notify a technician about a new support request
• Ask an employee for additional information
• Update users when a process changes

This creates a more conversational workflow experience than relying entirely on email.

For organizations where Teams is the primary employee interface, workflow applications can also provide forms, requests, approvals, notifications, and work tracking directly within Teams.

Microsoft workflows and AI

AI is changing how Microsoft workflows are created.

Historically, creating a workflow meant selecting triggers, actions, conditions, connectors, and configuration options.

Microsoft is increasingly allowing users to describe what they want in natural language.

For example, instead of manually designing every step, a user might describe:

When a new purchase request is submitted, send it to the manager for approval and notify the requester when a decision is made.

Microsoft’s newer Workflows agent in Microsoft Copilot is designed to create workflows from natural-language instructions and can automate tasks across applications such as Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and Planner.

Microsoft is also adding natural-language workflow capabilities within SharePoint. For example, Copilot in SharePoint can help users create certain automation rules by describing the desired behavior.

This means the future of Microsoft workflow automation is increasingly moving from:

“How do I configure this workflow?”

to:

“Describe the business process I want to automate.”

That is an important shift for business users and IT teams alike.

Are AI-generated Microsoft workflows enough?

AI can make workflow creation much easier, but creating the workflow is only one part of business process automation.

Organizations also need to consider:

• Security
• Permissions
• Governance
• Data residency
• Compliance
• Error handling
• Workflow ownership
• Auditability
• Version control
• Business rules
• Integration requirements
• Long-term maintenance

A workflow that works in a demonstration is not necessarily a workflow that is ready to become a critical business process.

For important business processes, organizations should still validate the workflow against actual business requirements and operational controls.

When Power Automate may not be enough

Power Automate is extremely useful for Microsoft 365 automation, but it is not automatically the best architecture for every workflow application.

A simple automation may be ideal for Power Automate.

A larger business application may require:

• A custom user interface
• Complex forms
• Multiple related data sources
• Sophisticated business rules
• Reusable application components
• Extensive reporting
• More structured case management
• On-premises deployment
• Air-gapped deployment
• Specialized workflow functionality
• A consistent application experience for nontechnical users

This is where organizations should distinguish between automating a task and building a business application.

Microsoft workflows vs. workflow applications

There is an important difference between these two concepts.

Workflow automation

Workflow automation generally focuses on automating a defined sequence of actions.

For example:

When a form is submitted → send an approval → update a list → send an email.

Workflow application

A workflow application provides an entire environment around the process.

It may include:

• Custom forms
• Data management
• Workflow logic
• User roles
• Dashboards
• Notifications
• Approvals
• Search
• Reporting
• Business rules
• AI assistance
• Integration with Microsoft 365

For a simple process, Power Automate may be all an organization needs.

For a complex business process that employees use every day, a dedicated workflow application can provide a more complete experience.

Where NITRO Studio fits into Microsoft workflow automation

For organizations that want to build business applications and automated workflows directly around Microsoft 365, NITRO Studio is another option to consider.

NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code platform for building forms and workflow applications using Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint.

It can be used to create processes such as:

• Purchase requests
• Employee requests
• Business forms
• Approval processes
• Request management
• Data collection
• Department-specific workflows
• Custom business applications

The key distinction is that NITRO Studio is designed around building the application and workflow together rather than simply creating an individual automated action.

This can be particularly useful when an organization wants to keep its business data and user experience within its Microsoft environment while creating a more customized application.

NITRO Studio also supports SharePoint Online and SharePoint environments with different deployment and security requirements, including customer-hosted Azure and air-gapped environments.

For organizations with highly specialized Microsoft 365 workflow requirements, the right solution may therefore be Power Automate, a dedicated workflow application, or a combination of technologies.

Microsoft workflows for on-premises and highly controlled environments

Cloud workflow automation is not the only requirement organizations have.

Some organizations need to support:

• SharePoint Server
• Customer-hosted Azure
• Microsoft 365 Government environments
• GCC
• GCC High
• Air-gapped environments
• Highly controlled networks
• Regulatory requirements

Microsoft’s workflow architecture and available integrations can differ depending on the environment.

For example, Microsoft documents Power Automate connectivity to SharePoint Server through an on-premises data gateway, while Power Automate does not simply appear as a native SharePoint Server feature in the same way it does in SharePoint Online.

Organizations with strict deployment requirements should therefore evaluate the complete architecture before selecting a workflow platform.

How to choose the right Microsoft workflow solution

The best Microsoft workflow solution depends on the complexity of the process.

Choose Power Automate when:

• The process is relatively straightforward
• Microsoft 365 is the primary environment
• You need to connect several Microsoft services
• You need standard triggers and actions
• You want to use Microsoft’s native automation platform
• The workflow does not require a large custom application

Consider a workflow application when:

• The process requires complex forms
• Many users interact with the application
• The workflow is a core business process
• You need a complete application experience
• The process involves substantial business logic
• You need structured request or case management
• You need more control over the user experience

Consider NITRO Studio when:

• Your organization is heavily invested in SharePoint, Teams, and Microsoft 365
• You want to build custom forms and workflow applications
• You want a no-code/low-code approach
• You need to preserve Microsoft 365 as the foundation for your applications
• You have workflow requirements that go beyond simple automation
• You have specialized deployment or security requirements

Microsoft workflow best practices

Regardless of the technology you choose, successful workflow automation starts with the business process rather than the software.

1. Start with the process

Document how the process works today.

Identify:

• Who starts the process
• What information is collected
• Who makes decisions
• What systems are involved
• Where delays occur
• What happens when something goes wrong
• What information needs to be retained

2. Eliminate unnecessary steps

Do not simply automate a bad process.

If an approval is unnecessary, eliminate it.

If three people manually enter the same information, redesign the process so the information is entered once.

Automation should simplify the process, not merely make the existing process happen faster.

3. Define ownership

Every important workflow should have an owner.

Someone should be responsible for:

• Business requirements
• Changes
• Testing
• Permissions
• Troubleshooting
• Documentation
• Ongoing maintenance

4. Design for exceptions

Real business processes are rarely linear.

Ask what happens when:

• An approver is unavailable
• A request is rejected
• Required information is missing
• A deadline is missed
• A user changes departments
• A record is deleted
• An integration fails

Exception handling is one of the differences between a proof-of-concept workflow and a production business process.

5. Build security into the workflow

Workflow automation often involves sensitive business information.

Consider:

• Who can submit requests
• Who can see records
• Who can approve requests
• Who can modify data
• Where information is stored
• How permissions are inherited
• What users can access through Teams, SharePoint, and other interfaces

6. Monitor workflows

A workflow should not become invisible infrastructure.

Monitor:

• Failed runs
• Delayed approvals
• Errors
• Unassigned requests
• Processing times
• Bottlenecks
• User adoption

7. Document important workflows

Document the purpose of the workflow, its owner, dependencies, data sources, and major business rules.

This becomes especially important when organizations have hundreds of workflows created by different departments.

How to modernize old Microsoft workflows

If your organization still relies on older SharePoint workflows, begin with an inventory.

For each workflow, identify:

1. What does it do?

2. Who uses it?

3. What business process does it support?

4. What data does it use?

5. What systems does it connect to?

6. Who owns it?

7. Is the process still needed?

8. Can it be simplified?

9. Should it be rebuilt in Power Automate?

10. Would a dedicated workflow application be more appropriate?

This is especially important following the April 2, 2026 retirement of SharePoint 2013 workflows in Microsoft 365. Microsoft recommends migrating affected processes to Power Automate or another supported solution.

The goal should not be to reproduce every old workflow exactly.

Instead, use the migration as an opportunity to modernize the underlying business process.

Microsoft workflows FAQ

What are Microsoft workflows?

Microsoft workflows are automated business processes that use Microsoft technologies to move information, tasks, approvals, and actions through a defined process. Modern Microsoft workflow automation commonly involves Power Automate, SharePoint, Teams, Microsoft Lists, Outlook, and Microsoft Copilot.

What is the Microsoft workflow tool?

Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary workflow automation platform for connecting Microsoft 365 services and other applications. Microsoft is also introducing AI-assisted workflow creation through its Workflows experience in Copilot.

Is Power Automate a workflow tool?

Yes. Power Automate is Microsoft’s workflow automation platform. It allows organizations to create automated processes using triggers, conditions, actions, approvals, connectors, and integrations.

Are SharePoint workflows still supported?

Classic SharePoint workflows have been retired from Microsoft 365. SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from existing Microsoft 365 tenants on April 2, 2026. Microsoft recommends migrating affected workflows to Power Automate or another supported solution.

What replaced SharePoint workflows?

For Microsoft 365, Microsoft recommends Power Automate for modern workflow automation. Depending on the complexity and requirements of the business process, organizations can also use specialized workflow applications or other supported solutions.

Can Microsoft workflows work with Teams?

Yes. Microsoft workflow automation can integrate with Teams for notifications, approvals, user input, adaptive cards, and other interactions. Microsoft’s newer Workflows experience can also automate tasks across Teams and other Microsoft 365 applications.

Can Microsoft workflows work with SharePoint?

Yes. SharePoint and Power Automate are deeply integrated. Workflows can respond to changes in SharePoint lists and libraries and perform actions against SharePoint data.

Can Microsoft workflows use AI?

Yes. Microsoft is increasingly incorporating AI into workflow creation and execution. The Workflows agent in Microsoft Copilot allows users to describe desired automations using natural language, while Copilot in SharePoint can help create certain automation rules.

Can I build Microsoft workflows without coding?

Yes. Power Automate provides a visual workflow designer, templates, triggers, and actions that allow many workflows to be created without traditional programming. Microsoft is also using natural-language interfaces to make workflow creation more accessible.

What is the best Microsoft workflow solution?

There is no single best solution for every process. Power Automate is a strong choice for many Microsoft 365 automations. More complex processes may require a dedicated workflow application, particularly when they require sophisticated forms, business logic, case management, specialized deployment options, or a complete application experience.

What is the difference between workflow automation and a business application?

Workflow automation automates a defined sequence of actions. A business application provides a broader environment for users to submit information, manage data, perform work, follow processes, and interact with automated workflows.

The future of Microsoft workflows

Microsoft workflow automation is moving in three important directions.

First, workflows are becoming more integrated.

Instead of automating one application at a time, organizations can connect Microsoft 365 services into end-to-end processes.

Second, workflow creation is becoming more accessible.

AI and natural-language interfaces increasingly allow users to describe the process they want rather than manually configuring every component.

Third, organizations are moving from individual automations toward complete business applications.

A workflow may start with a simple trigger and action, but successful business process automation often requires forms, data management, permissions, approvals, reporting, AI, integrations, and a user experience around the workflow.

The most effective Microsoft workflow strategy is therefore not simply to automate as many tasks as possible.

It is to identify the processes that consume the most time, create the most errors, or cause the most delays, and then determine the right combination of Microsoft 365, Power Automate, AI, SharePoint, Teams, and specialized workflow applications to improve them.

Build better Microsoft workflows

If your organization is looking beyond simple task automation and needs to build customized forms and workflow applications around Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint, NITRO Studio provides a no-code/low-code approach to building business processes within the Microsoft ecosystem.

For organizations looking to automate specific support processes, NITRO Help Desk can provide a more complete help desk application rather than requiring the entire support process to be assembled from individual workflows.

The right approach depends on the process, the environment, and the level of customization required.

The goal is simple: turn repetitive manual work into a reliable, measurable business process that works within the Microsoft environment your organization already uses.

Workflow software helps organizations design, automate, manage, and improve business processes. Instead of relying on email, spreadsheets, paper forms, and manual handoffs, workflow software moves work through a defined sequence of steps based on rules, conditions, approvals, and actions.

For organizations that use Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Teams, workflow software can turn existing Microsoft environments into powerful platforms for automating business processes without requiring extensive custom development.

What Is Workflow Software?

Workflow software is software that helps organizations define, automate, execute, and monitor repeatable business processes.

A workflow typically consists of:

1. A trigger that starts the process
2. Data or information associated with the process
3. Rules and conditions that determine what happens next
4. Tasks or actions performed by people or systems
5. Approvals when human decisions are required
6. Notifications and reminders to keep work moving
7. Tracking and reporting to monitor the process

For example, consider an employee requesting time off.

Without workflow software, the employee might email a manager, the manager might approve the request, HR might update a spreadsheet, and payroll might need to be notified separately.

With workflow software, the process can be automated:

Employee submits request → Manager receives approval request → Manager approves → HR record is updated → Employee receives confirmation

The software coordinates the process automatically.

That is the fundamental purpose of workflow software: to make sure the right work happens, in the right order, with the right people and information, without unnecessary manual intervention.

How Does Workflow Software Work?

Most workflow software uses a combination of triggers, rules, conditions, tasks, integrations, and automated actions.

A basic workflow looks like this:

Trigger → Condition → Action → Approval → Action → Completion

For example:

New purchase request → Check amount → Route to appropriate approver → Approve or reject → Notify requester → Record decision

More sophisticated workflows can include multiple branches, parallel approvals, escalations, integrations, and exception handling.

1. Triggers

A trigger starts a workflow.

Common triggers include:

• A form submission
• A new record
• A status change
• A new document
• An email
• A scheduled date or time
• A user action
• A change to data
• A request for approval

2. Conditions and Business Rules

Conditions determine what happens next.

For example:

If purchase amount is less than $5,000 → Manager approval

If purchase amount is $5,000 or more → Manager and Finance approval

This allows organizations to build workflows around their actual business rules rather than forcing every request through the same process.

3. Tasks and Actions

Workflow software can automatically perform actions such as:

• Creating tasks
• Assigning work
• Updating records
• Sending notifications
• Sending emails
• Creating documents
• Updating status fields
• Requesting approvals
• Escalating overdue work
• Moving information between systems

4. Approvals

Many business processes require human decisions.

Workflow software can automatically send an approval request to the appropriate person, record the decision, and continue the process.

Approval workflows are commonly used for:

• Purchase requests
• Expense reports
• Contracts
• Employee requests
• IT requests
• New vendors
• Documents
• Access requests
• Leave requests

5. Notifications and Escalations

Workflow software can notify users when something requires attention.

It can also escalate work when a deadline is missed.

For example:

Approval request submitted → Manager notified → 24 hours pass → Reminder sent → 48 hours pass → Request escalated

This prevents important processes from getting stuck in someone’s inbox.

6. Reporting and Tracking

Workflow software can provide visibility into where work is in a process.

Organizations can use workflow reporting to identify:

• Bottlenecks
• Delays
• Overdue tasks
• Approval times
• Process volume
• Workload
• Completion rates
• Process performance

This makes workflow software useful not only for automation, but also for continuous process improvement.

What Can Workflow Software Automate?

Workflow software can automate many repetitive and rules-based business processes.

Common examples include:

Employee Onboarding

A new employee is entered into the system, triggering tasks for HR, IT, facilities, and management.

The workflow can automatically:

• Create onboarding tasks
• Request equipment
• Notify IT
• Collect employee information
• Request approvals
• Send onboarding documents
• Track completion

Purchase Requests

An employee submits a purchase request.

The workflow determines the appropriate approval path based on the purchase amount, department, or type of expense.

Document Approvals

A document is submitted for review.

The workflow can automatically:

1. Assign reviewers
2. Send notifications
3. Collect feedback
4. Route the document to the next approver
5. Record the final decision
6. Notify the requester

IT Requests

An employee submits an IT request.

Workflow software can automatically:

• Categorize the request
• Assign it to the appropriate team
• Set priorities
• Notify the requester
• Escalate overdue requests
• Track resolution

Employee Requests

Organizations can automate processes for:

• Time-off requests
• Travel requests
• Expense reimbursement
• Employee changes
• Equipment requests
• Access requests
• Training requests

Contract Management

A contract can automatically move through:

Submission → Legal review → Management approval → Signature → Storage → Renewal reminder

Compliance Processes

Workflow software can also support regulated processes by creating consistent, trackable procedures for approvals, reviews, documentation, and audits.

What Are the Benefits of Workflow Software?

The biggest benefit of workflow software is that it replaces inconsistent manual processes with standardized, repeatable workflows.

1. Reduce Manual Work

Employees spend less time performing repetitive administrative tasks.

Instead of manually sending emails, updating spreadsheets, assigning tasks, and checking statuses, workflow software can perform many of those actions automatically.

2. Reduce Errors

Manual data entry and handoffs create opportunities for mistakes.

Workflow automation can apply consistent rules every time a process runs.

3. Speed Up Business Processes

Automated routing and notifications help work move from one step to the next faster.

Employees do not have to remember who should receive a request or manually follow up on every pending approval.

4. Improve Visibility

Workflow software gives organizations a centralized view of work.

Managers can see what has been completed, what is pending, and where processes are getting stuck.

5. Standardize Processes

Instead of every employee following a process differently, workflow software can establish a consistent process across the organization.

6. Improve Accountability

Workflow systems can record who submitted, approved, rejected, modified, or completed an item.

This creates a useful audit trail for many business processes.

7. Scale Business Processes

A manual process that works for 50 requests may become a problem when an organization receives 5,000.

Workflow software allows organizations to automate processes so they can handle greater volume without proportionally increasing administrative work.

Types of Workflow Software

Not all workflow software is designed for the same purpose.

The right solution depends on what you are trying to automate.

Workflow Automation Software

Workflow automation software focuses on automating repetitive processes using triggers, rules, conditions, and actions.

It is useful for organizations that want to automate processes across departments and applications.

Workflow Management Software

Workflow management software focuses on designing, managing, tracking, and improving business workflows.

These platforms may include task management, process visualization, reporting, approvals, and automation.

Business Process Management Software

Business process management, or BPM, software is designed for organizations managing complex business processes at scale.

BPM platforms often provide advanced process modeling, governance, monitoring, and optimization capabilities.

Document Workflow Software

Document workflow software focuses on processes involving documents, including creation, review, approval, routing, and storage.

No-Code Workflow Software

No-code workflow platforms allow business users to create workflows without writing traditional code.

These tools can be particularly useful when business teams need to modify processes without depending entirely on developers.

Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Workflow Software

Organizations that already use Microsoft 365 and SharePoint may want workflow software that works directly with their existing Microsoft environment.

This approach can make it easier to automate processes around SharePoint lists, libraries, forms, documents, Teams, and Microsoft 365 data.

Workflow Software vs. Workflow Automation Software

The terms workflow software and workflow automation software are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction.

Workflow software generally refers to software used to design, manage, execute, and track workflows.

Workflow automation software puts greater emphasis on automatically executing workflow steps with minimal manual intervention.

For example:

Workflow management:

A system shows that a purchase request is waiting for approval.

Workflow automation:

The system automatically routes the purchase request to the correct approver, sends a notification, records the decision, and moves the request to the next step.

Many modern workflow platforms combine both capabilities.

Workflow Software vs. Project Management Software

Workflow software and project management software can overlap, but they solve different problems.

Project management software is generally designed to help teams plan and manage projects, tasks, deadlines, resources, and collaboration.

Workflow software is designed around repeatable business processes.

For example:

A marketing team might use project management software to manage the launch of a new website.

The same organization might use workflow software to automate the approval process for publishing website content.

A project has a beginning and an end.

A workflow is often a repeatable process that runs over and over.

Workflow Software vs. BPM Software

Workflow software and business process management software also overlap.

Workflow software is often focused on automating specific processes.

BPM software generally takes a broader approach to managing and optimizing business processes across an organization.

For organizations with relatively straightforward processes, workflow software may provide everything they need.

Organizations with highly complex, enterprise-wide processes may require more advanced BPM capabilities.

What Features Should You Look for in Workflow Software?

When evaluating workflow software, look beyond a simple checklist of automation features.

The most important question is whether the software can accurately model the processes your organization actually needs to run.

Key features to evaluate include:

Visual Workflow Designer

A visual designer makes it easier to build and understand workflows.

Look for support for:

• Multiple steps
• Conditional logic
• Branching
• Parallel actions
• Approvals
• Notifications
• Escalations
• Automated actions

Forms

Forms are often the starting point for a workflow.

Look for flexible forms that can collect the information required to initiate and complete a process.

Conditional Logic

Business processes rarely follow one straight path.

Your workflow software should support rules such as:

If department = Finance → Finance approval

If amount > $10,000 → Director approval

If request type = New Employee → Start onboarding workflow

Approvals

Look for configurable approval processes that support one or multiple approvers.

Notifications

The system should be able to automatically notify users when action is required.

Integrations

Workflow software becomes much more valuable when it can connect to the systems your organization already uses.

Common integrations include:

• Microsoft 365
• SharePoint
• Microsoft Teams
• CRM systems
• ERP systems
• Email
• Databases
• APIs
• Business applications

Security and Permissions

Enterprise workflow software should provide appropriate controls for who can create, modify, approve, and access workflow data.

Reporting and Auditing

Look for reporting that helps you understand how workflows are performing and audit trails that show what happened during a process.

Scalability

The solution should be capable of handling increasing numbers of users, workflows, records, and transactions as your organization grows.

How to Choose the Best Workflow Software

There is no single workflow software platform that is best for every organization.

The best solution depends on your existing technology, processes, users, security requirements, and automation goals.

Use the following process to evaluate your options.

1. Identify the Processes You Want to Automate

Start with the business process, not the software.

Document:

• What starts the process?
• Who is involved?
• What information is required?
• What decisions are made?
• What approvals are required?
• What happens when something is rejected?
• What happens when a deadline is missed?
• What systems are involved?
• What happens at the end?

This gives you a clear picture of your actual workflow requirements.

2. Identify Your Existing Technology

Consider the systems your organization already relies on.

If your organization is heavily invested in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, a workflow solution designed to work within that ecosystem may be preferable to introducing an entirely separate platform.

3. Evaluate No-Code and Low-Code Capabilities

Business processes change.

The people responsible for those processes should be able to make reasonable changes without waiting for developers for every adjustment.

Look for workflow software that allows authorized business and IT users to modify forms, rules, approvals, and workflows efficiently.

4. Consider Governance

Enterprise workflow automation needs governance.

Evaluate:

• Permissions
• Security
• Audit trails
• Administrative controls
• Development and production processes
• Workflow ownership
• Data access
• Compliance requirements

5. Consider Deployment Requirements

Cloud software is not automatically the right answer for every organization.

Some organizations require:

• Microsoft cloud deployment
• Private cloud
• Customer-hosted environments
• On-premises deployment
• Dedicated environments
• Air-gapped environments

If your organization has strict security or compliance requirements, deployment options should be part of the evaluation process from the beginning.

NITRO Studio: Workflow Software for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint

For organizations that use Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, NITRO Studio provides a way to build forms, workflows, and business applications directly around the Microsoft environment.

Rather than forcing organizations to move their processes into an unrelated workflow platform, NITRO Studio is designed to extend SharePoint and Microsoft 365 with business process automation capabilities.

NITRO Studio can be used to build and automate processes such as:

• Employee onboarding
• Purchase requests
• Expense approvals
• Document approvals
• HR processes
• IT requests
• Asset management
• Compliance workflows
• Customer processes
• Case management
• Internal business applications

Build Forms and Workflows Together

Many business processes start with a form.

For example:

Employee submits equipment request → Request is validated → Manager approves → IT receives task → Equipment is assigned → Employee is notified

NITRO Studio can combine the data collection, workflow, business rules, approvals, and actions required to run processes like this.

Automate SharePoint Processes

For organizations already using SharePoint, workflow software should not require abandoning the platform where business information already lives.

NITRO Studio works with SharePoint to help organizations automate processes around SharePoint data, forms, lists, libraries, and business applications.

Replace Legacy Workflow Technologies

Organizations may also be evaluating workflow software because an existing workflow technology is being retired, becoming difficult to maintain, or no longer meeting their requirements.

NITRO Studio can be particularly relevant for organizations looking to modernize legacy SharePoint and InfoPath-based business processes while continuing to use Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.

Support Complex Business Processes

NITRO Studio is designed for more than simple task notifications.

Organizations can use it to build structured business processes involving forms, conditional logic, approvals, data, notifications, and automated actions.

This makes it useful for organizations that need more than basic task management but want to keep their business processes within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Examples of Workflow Software Use Cases

Workflow software can be applied across virtually every department.

Department	Example Workflow
Human Resources	Employee onboarding
Finance	Expense approval
Procurement	Purchase requests
IT	Equipment and access requests
Legal	Contract approval
Operations	Work order processing
Sales	Lead qualification
Marketing	Content approval
Compliance	Policy review
Management	Capital expenditure approval
Facilities	Maintenance requests
Healthcare	Administrative approvals

The most valuable candidates for workflow automation typically have several characteristics:

• They happen frequently
• They involve multiple people
• They require approvals
• They involve repetitive data entry
• They rely on email or spreadsheets
• They have defined business rules
• They are prone to delays or errors
• They require documentation or auditability

What Should You Automate First?

You do not need to automate every business process at once.

A good starting point is a process that is:

High volume + repetitive + rules-based + time consuming

For example, suppose employees submit hundreds of equipment requests each year.

A manual process might involve:

1. Employee sends an email
2. Manager reviews the request
3. IT receives the request
4. IT checks inventory
5. IT responds to the employee
6. Someone updates a spreadsheet

A workflow could automate much of this:

1. Employee submits a form
2. Workflow validates the request
3. Manager receives approval
4. IT receives the approved request
5. Inventory information is recorded
6. Employee receives an automated notification
7. The request is tracked through completion

The result is a standardized process with less manual coordination.

Is Workflow Software Worth It?

Workflow software can provide significant value when employees spend substantial time coordinating repetitive processes manually.

The potential benefits include:

• Lower administrative effort
• Faster approvals
• Fewer manual errors
• Better process visibility
• More consistent execution
• Improved accountability
• Easier compliance reporting
• Greater scalability

However, workflow software does not automatically fix a poorly designed process.

Before automating a workflow, ask:

Can the process be simplified first?

Automation should make a good process faster and more consistent. Automating unnecessary steps can simply make a bad process run faster.

Frequently Asked Questions About Workflow Software

What is workflow software?

Workflow software is software that helps organizations design, automate, manage, and monitor repeatable business processes. It can route information, assign tasks, request approvals, apply business rules, send notifications, and perform automated actions.

What is workflow software used for?

Workflow software is used to automate and manage business processes such as employee onboarding, purchase approvals, document approvals, IT requests, expense reports, contract approvals, compliance processes, and many other repeatable workflows.

What is the difference between workflow software and workflow automation software?

Workflow software manages and coordinates business processes, while workflow automation software emphasizes automatically executing process steps. Many modern workflow platforms provide both workflow management and automation capabilities.

Is workflow software the same as project management software?

No. Project management software is primarily designed to manage projects, tasks, deadlines, and collaboration. Workflow software is primarily designed to automate and manage repeatable business processes.

Can workflow software work with SharePoint?

Yes. Some workflow platforms are specifically designed to work with SharePoint and Microsoft 365. These solutions can automate processes involving SharePoint data, forms, lists, libraries, approvals, and documents.

Can workflow software replace manual forms?

Yes. Workflow software can replace paper and manually emailed forms with digital forms that automatically initiate workflows, route information, collect approvals, and track progress.

Is workflow software difficult to use?

It depends on the platform. Modern no-code and low-code workflow software is designed to allow business and IT users to create workflows without traditional software development for every process.

Can workflow software automate approval processes?

Yes. Approval automation is one of the most common workflow software use cases. Workflows can determine who needs to approve a request, send notifications, record decisions, escalate overdue approvals, and continue the process after approval.

What is the best workflow software?

The best workflow software depends on your organization’s requirements. Businesses should evaluate workflow automation capabilities, forms, integrations, conditional logic, approvals, reporting, security, governance, scalability, and deployment options.

Organizations built around Microsoft 365 and SharePoint may want to evaluate a Microsoft-focused workflow platform such as NITRO Studio alongside other workflow automation solutions.

Start Automating Your Business Workflows

Workflow software can turn manual, disconnected business processes into standardized and automated workflows.

The right platform can help your organization replace email-based processes, spreadsheets, paper forms, and repetitive manual tasks with structured workflows that are easier to manage, track, and improve.

For organizations already invested in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, NITRO Studio provides a way to build forms, workflows, and business applications within that existing ecosystem.

Ready to automate your SharePoint and Microsoft 365 workflows? Explore NITRO Studio to see how you can modernize business processes without abandoning the Microsoft environment.

Office SharePoint Designer 2013 was Microsoft’s free tool for creating and customizing SharePoint sites, forms, workflows, and business applications without traditional programming. It was widely used with SharePoint 2013 and later SharePoint Server versions.

However, SharePoint Designer 2013 is now retired. Microsoft ended support for SharePoint Designer 2013 on July 14, 2026, and SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from SharePoint Online on April 2, 2026.

If your organization still relies on Office SharePoint Designer 2013, the important question in 2026 is no longer simply how to use it. It is how to replace the workflows, forms, and SharePoint customizations that depended on it.

For organizations that want a no-code or low-code alternative that continues to work with SharePoint, NITRO Studio is one option to consider.

What Was Office SharePoint Designer 2013?

Office SharePoint Designer 2013, commonly called SharePoint Designer 2013 or SPD 2013, was Microsoft’s application for customizing SharePoint sites and building SharePoint-based business solutions.

It provided a visual, largely no-code environment for tasks such as:

• Creating SharePoint workflows
• Customizing SharePoint sites
• Building workflow logic
• Creating forms and data-driven applications
• Connecting SharePoint lists and libraries
• Creating reusable workflow templates
• Managing SharePoint site components
• Packaging and deploying SharePoint solutions

Microsoft described SharePoint Designer 2013 as a tool for creating and customizing SharePoint sites and applications, including workflow-enabled solutions.

For many organizations, SharePoint Designer became the primary tool for automating business processes inside SharePoint.

Is Office SharePoint Designer 2013 Still Supported?

No. SharePoint Designer 2013 is no longer supported as of July 14, 2026.

Microsoft’s lifecycle documentation lists July 14, 2026 as the end of extended support for SharePoint Designer 2013.

That means organizations should not treat SharePoint Designer 2013 as a supported, long-term Microsoft platform.

There is also an important distinction between the retirement of SharePoint Designer 2013 and the retirement of SharePoint 2013 workflows.

SharePoint Designer 2013 retirement timeline

Date	What happened
April 2, 2024	SharePoint 2013 workflows were turned off for new Microsoft 365 tenants
April 2, 2026	SharePoint 2013 workflows were removed from existing Microsoft 365 tenants
July 14, 2026	SharePoint Designer 2013 reached end of support

Microsoft confirms that SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from SharePoint Online on April 2, 2026.

Can You Still Use SharePoint Designer 2013?

The answer depends on your SharePoint environment.

SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365

No, not as a supported workflow platform.

SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from SharePoint Online on April 2, 2026.

This means you cannot continue using SharePoint Designer 2013 to create and execute SharePoint 2013 workflows in Microsoft 365.

Microsoft recommends moving SharePoint Online workflow automation to modern solutions such as Power Automate or supported third-party workflow platforms.

SharePoint Server

The situation is different for on-premises SharePoint.

SharePoint Designer 2013 was designed to work with SharePoint Server environments, including SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019. Microsoft documentation also describes SharePoint Designer 2013 as a primary development tool for SharePoint Server workflows.

However, SharePoint Designer 2013 itself reached end of support on July 14, 2026.

That creates an important distinction:

A workflow may technically continue to function in an on-premises environment while the tool used to create or manage it is no longer supported.

Organizations should therefore consider the long-term support, security, and maintenance implications of continuing to depend on SharePoint Designer 2013.

What Happened to SharePoint Designer 2013 Workflows?

This is one of the most important questions for organizations that used Office SharePoint Designer 2013.

SharePoint Designer 2013 was commonly used to create workflows that automated processes such as:

• Document approvals
• Employee onboarding
• Purchase approvals
• Contract approvals
• Notifications
• Task assignments
• Status changes
• Routing
• Escalations
• Review processes

Microsoft has now retired the SharePoint 2013 workflow platform from SharePoint Online.

As a result, organizations with Microsoft 365 environments need to migrate those processes to a supported workflow technology.

Why Is SharePoint Designer 2013 No Longer a Good Long-Term Strategy?

There are several reasons organizations should begin moving away from SharePoint Designer 2013.

1. Microsoft ended support

The most straightforward reason is lifecycle status.

Microsoft ended support for SharePoint Designer 2013 on July 14, 2026.

Organizations should avoid building new business-critical processes around software that is no longer supported.

2. SharePoint 2013 workflows are retired in Microsoft 365

If you use SharePoint Online, the underlying SharePoint 2013 workflow platform has already been removed.

Microsoft states that SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from existing Microsoft 365 tenants on April 2, 2026.

3. Modern SharePoint automation has moved beyond SharePoint Designer

SharePoint Designer was built around an earlier generation of SharePoint architecture.

Microsoft’s current workflow strategy centers on modern workflow orchestration, particularly Power Automate for Microsoft 365 environments.

4. Legacy workflows can become a business risk

A workflow is often much more than a technical configuration.

It may control:

• Approvals
• Compliance processes
• Employee processes
• Customer requests
• Document routing
• Notifications
• Business-critical deadlines

If a legacy workflow stops working, the impact can extend far beyond SharePoint itself.

That is why organizations should inventory their existing SharePoint Designer workflows and prioritize the processes that need to be rebuilt.

What Replaces Office SharePoint Designer 2013?

There is not one universal replacement for everything SharePoint Designer did.

The right replacement depends on what you used SharePoint Designer for.

For SharePoint workflows: Power Automate

Microsoft positions Power Automate as its modern workflow orchestration solution for Microsoft 365.

Power Automate can automate SharePoint processes and connect SharePoint with other Microsoft 365 services and external applications. Microsoft specifically recommends Power Automate and other supported workflow solutions for replacing retired SharePoint workflows.

Power Automate can be a good choice when:

• Your organization is primarily in Microsoft 365
• Your processes can be rebuilt using modern connectors and flows
• You are comfortable with the Power Platform
• Cloud-based automation fits your requirements

However, organizations with complex SharePoint environments, strict deployment requirements, or specialized workflow needs may want to evaluate additional options.

For no-code SharePoint forms and workflows: NITRO Studio

NITRO Studio from Crow Canyon Software is a no-code/low-code application development and workflow platform designed for SharePoint.

It can be used to build:

• SharePoint forms
• Workflows
• Approvals
• Notifications
• Business applications
• Automated processes
• Custom SharePoint solutions

For organizations looking for an alternative to the visual workflow-building experience they had with SharePoint Designer, NITRO Studio provides a familiar no-code/low-code approach while supporting modern SharePoint environments.

NITRO Studio supports SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 as well as supported SharePoint Server environments, including deployment scenarios where organizations have specialized security or infrastructure requirements.

Learn more about [NITRO Studio as a SharePoint Designer replacement].

SharePoint Designer 2013 vs. Modern Alternatives

Capability	SharePoint Designer 2013	Power Automate	NITRO Studio
SharePoint workflows	Yes	Yes	Yes
Visual workflow designer	Yes	Yes	Yes
SharePoint forms	Yes	Limited/different approach	Yes
No-code/low-code development	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microsoft 365	Legacy/retired workflow platform	Yes	Yes
SharePoint Server	Legacy	Depends on architecture	Yes
Modern support	No	Yes	Yes
Best for new development	No	Yes	Yes

The important point is that replacing SharePoint Designer is not necessarily a matter of finding another program with the exact same name or interface.

Instead, identify what SharePoint Designer was doing for your organization and replace those capabilities with supported technology.

How to Migrate From SharePoint Designer 2013

If your organization still has SharePoint Designer workflows, start with an inventory.

Step 1: Find your SharePoint Designer workflows

Identify:

• Which sites contain workflows
• Which lists and libraries use workflows
• Who owns each workflow
• What business process each workflow supports
• Whether the workflow is still actively used
• What systems the workflow interacts with
• Whether the workflow contains approvals or escalations
• Whether the workflow is business-critical

Microsoft recommends assessing SharePoint 2013 workflow usage as part of the modernization process.

Step 2: Categorize the workflows

Not every workflow needs the same migration strategy.

A useful classification is:

Simple workflows

Examples include:

• Send an email
• Update a field
• Assign a task
• Change an item’s status

Moderate workflows

Examples include:

• Multi-step approvals
• Conditional routing
• Multiple notifications
• Escalations
• Department-specific logic

Complex workflows

Examples include:

• Multiple approval paths
• Extensive business rules
• Large numbers of conditions
• Integration with multiple systems
• Highly customized forms
• Compliance-driven processes

Prioritize the workflows that are both business-critical and difficult to recreate.

Step 3: Determine the target platform

For each process, decide whether it belongs in:

• Power Automate
• NITRO Studio
• Another supported workflow platform
• Custom development
• A redesigned business process

Do not assume every existing workflow needs to be reproduced exactly as it was.

Migration is often an opportunity to simplify the process.

Step 4: Rebuild and test

A successful migration should include testing for:

• Workflow triggers
• Approvals
• Notifications
• Permissions
• Exceptions
• Escalations
• Forms
• Integrations
• Reporting
• Security

Test the process with real-world scenarios before retiring the legacy workflow.

Can SharePoint Designer 2013 Workflows Be Automatically Migrated?

Some SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow components can be migrated, but organizations should not assume that every workflow will convert perfectly without rebuilding or testing.

Microsoft provides migration tooling for supported SharePoint Designer workflows and recommends moving workflows to Power Automate.

The complexity of the original workflow matters.

A simple workflow may be relatively straightforward to recreate.

A workflow containing extensive conditions, custom logic, specialized forms, or integrations may require significant redesign.

For that reason, an inventory and assessment should come before migration.

What About SharePoint Designer 2013 Forms?

SharePoint Designer was used for more than workflows.

Organizations also used it to customize SharePoint sites and build forms and business applications.

That means replacing SharePoint Designer may require more than simply moving workflows to Power Automate.

If your organization used SharePoint Designer for forms, workflows, and business applications, evaluate all three areas separately.

For example:

SharePoint Designer capability	Potential modern approach
Workflows	Power Automate or NITRO Studio
SharePoint forms	NITRO Studio or another supported forms platform
Site customization	Modern SharePoint customization tools
Business applications	Power Platform, NITRO Studio, or custom development

The best solution depends on your SharePoint architecture, security requirements, development resources, and business processes.

Is There an Office SharePoint Designer 2016, 2019, or 2026?

No.

SharePoint Designer 2013 was the final release of SharePoint Designer.

There is no SharePoint Designer 2016, SharePoint Designer 2019, or SharePoint Designer 2026.

This is an important distinction because some organizations assume that Microsoft simply replaced SharePoint Designer 2013 with a newer version.

It did not.

Instead, Microsoft moved SharePoint customization and workflow capabilities into newer technologies and platforms.

What Should Organizations Using Office SharePoint Designer 2013 Do Now?

If your organization still depends on SharePoint Designer 2013, the best approach is to create a modernization plan rather than waiting for individual workflows to fail.

A practical plan is:

1. Inventory every SharePoint Designer workflow.
2. Identify the business owner for each workflow.
3. Determine which workflows are still actively used.
4. Classify workflows by complexity and business criticality.
5. Identify dependencies on legacy SharePoint forms and customizations.
6. Select a supported replacement platform.
7. Rebuild and test the highest-priority processes first.
8. Document the new workflows.
9. Retire obsolete workflows and customizations.
10. Monitor the new environment after migration.

This approach is much safer than trying to migrate everything at once.

Office SharePoint Designer 2013: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Office SharePoint Designer 2013?

Office SharePoint Designer 2013, commonly called SharePoint Designer 2013 or SPD 2013, was Microsoft’s free application for creating and customizing SharePoint sites, workflows, forms, and business applications.

Is SharePoint Designer 2013 still available?

SharePoint Designer 2013 was the final version of SharePoint Designer, but it reached end of support on July 14, 2026. Organizations should not use it as the foundation for new business-critical solutions.

Is SharePoint Designer 2013 discontinued?

Yes. SharePoint Designer 2013 is discontinued and reached the end of Microsoft’s support lifecycle on July 14, 2026.

Does SharePoint Designer 2013 work with Office 365?

SharePoint Designer 2013 is not a supported solution for SharePoint Online workflows in Microsoft 365. SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from SharePoint Online on April 2, 2026.

What replaced SharePoint Designer 2013?

There is no single one-to-one Microsoft replacement for every SharePoint Designer capability. Microsoft recommends Power Automate for workflow orchestration, while organizations can also evaluate supported third-party platforms such as NITRO Studio for forms, workflows, and SharePoint application development.

What replaced SharePoint Designer workflows?

For Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online, Microsoft recommends Power Automate and other supported workflow solutions.

Can I still use SharePoint Designer 2013 with SharePoint Server?

SharePoint Designer 2013 was used with SharePoint Server environments, but Microsoft support for SharePoint Designer 2013 ended July 14, 2026. Organizations running on-premises SharePoint should evaluate their long-term modernization strategy rather than building new solutions around the retired designer.

When did SharePoint 2013 workflows retire?

SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from existing SharePoint Online tenants on April 2, 2026.

When did SharePoint Designer 2013 reach end of support?

Microsoft ended support for SharePoint Designer 2013 on July 14, 2026.

Is NITRO Studio a SharePoint Designer replacement?

NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code platform for building SharePoint forms, workflows, and business applications. It is an option for organizations looking for a modern alternative to SharePoint Designer’s visual development and workflow capabilities.

The Bottom Line

Office SharePoint Designer 2013 was an important SharePoint development and workflow tool, but it is now retired.

Microsoft ended support for SharePoint Designer 2013 on July 14, 2026, while SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from SharePoint Online on April 2, 2026.

If your organization still depends on SharePoint Designer, now is the time to identify the workflows, forms, and customizations that need to be replaced.

For Microsoft 365 organizations, Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary workflow automation path. Organizations looking for a no-code/low-code platform focused on SharePoint forms, workflows, and business applications can also evaluate NITRO Studio.

The goal is not simply to replace an old application.

It is to move the business processes that depended on SharePoint Designer onto a platform that is supported, maintainable, secure, and appropriate for your organization’s SharePoint environment.

Ready to move beyond SharePoint Designer? Explore NITRO Studio as a modern SharePoint forms and workflow platform.

Air gap software is software designed to operate in an isolated environment without requiring a connection to the public internet, external cloud services, or other untrusted networks. Organizations use air-gapped software when sensitive systems and data must remain physically or logically separated from outside networks.

An air gap solution can be used for everything from cybersecurity and data protection to business applications, workflow automation, forms, IT help desks, and other systems that need to operate in disconnected environments.

For organizations running Microsoft SharePoint Server in highly secure environments, NITRO Studio with NITRO Secure provides an air-gapped software option for forms, workflows, business applications, and automation without requiring outbound cloud connectivity.

What Is Air Gap Software?

Air gap software is software that can function within an isolated network where there is no normal connection to the internet or other external networks.

A true air-gapped environment is more than simply using a firewall or putting a system on a private VLAN. NIST defines an air gap as an interface where systems are not physically connected and automated logical connections are not present, with data transferred manually under human control.

In practice, air gap software must be designed or configured so that its core functionality does not depend on:

• Internet connectivity
• External cloud services
• Vendor-hosted APIs
• Automatic software updates
• External authentication services
• Continuous outbound connections
• Cloud-based data processing

This distinction is important because many modern SaaS applications assume that systems have continuous internet access.

An application may be described as “secure,” “private,” or “on-premises” while still requiring external connectivity. That does not necessarily make it suitable for a fully air-gapped environment.

What Is an Air Gap Solution?

An air gap solution is a technology, architecture, or combination of technologies designed to protect systems and data by isolating them from external networks.

Depending on the organization’s requirements, an air gap solution may include:

• Air-gapped software
• Isolated servers
• Network segmentation
• Physically disconnected networks
• Secure data transfer processes
• Removable media controls
• One-way data transfer mechanisms
• Offline authentication
• Offline software installation and updates
• Monitoring and auditing within the isolated environment

Air gap solutions are particularly important when an organization cannot allow sensitive information to leave a controlled environment.

NIST recommends considering an air gap around cyber-attack recovery copies of sensitive data and notes that strict implementations provide physical and network-level separation.

How Does an Air Gap Work?

The basic concept is straightforward: remove the network pathway that an attacker or unauthorized external system could use to reach the protected environment.

A simplified architecture looks like this:

External Network → No Network Connection → Air-Gapped Environment

Instead of continuously communicating with external systems, the isolated environment operates independently.

If information needs to cross the air gap, the organization uses a controlled process. Depending on the security requirements, this could involve approved removable media, controlled transfer stations, or other organization-specific mechanisms.

The important point is that the transfer is deliberate and controlled rather than an application automatically communicating with an external service.

Air Gap vs. Firewall

A firewall controls network traffic.

An air gap removes the normal network connection altogether.

A firewall can be an important security control, but a firewall does not automatically create a true air gap.

Air Gap vs. Offline

“Offline” and “air-gapped” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not always the same.

A system might be temporarily disconnected from the internet and still reconnect periodically.

A true air-gapped architecture requires significantly stronger isolation and controls.

NIST specifically distinguishes strict physical and network-level air-gapping from less strict isolation technologies that may periodically reconnect for synchronization.

Why Do Organizations Use Air Gap Software?

Organizations typically consider air gap software when the consequences of external connectivity are too significant to accept.

Common reasons include:

1. Protecting sensitive information

Air-gapped environments can help protect classified, confidential, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information by eliminating normal network pathways to external systems.

2. Reducing attack surfaces

An internet-connected application has potential exposure to threats originating outside the organization.

Removing external connectivity can eliminate entire categories of network-based attack paths.

3. Supporting highly regulated environments

Some organizations have security, regulatory, contractual, or mission requirements that make disconnected operation necessary.

Air-gapped environments are commonly associated with:

• Defense
• Government
• Intelligence
• Aerospace and space operations
• Nuclear operations
• Critical infrastructure
• Financial services
• Healthcare
• Industrial control systems
• Research environments

4. Protecting critical systems from ransomware

Air-gapped systems can provide an additional layer of isolation against attacks that spread through connected networks.

For example, organizations may maintain isolated recovery infrastructure so that a compromised production network cannot automatically reach protected recovery systems.

5. Maintaining operational independence

Some facilities cannot depend on internet connectivity because of their physical location, security requirements, or mission.

Air gap software allows important applications to continue operating inside the isolated environment.

What Software Can Run in an Air-Gapped Environment?

Air-gapped software is not limited to cybersecurity tools or backup systems.

Organizations may need disconnected versions of everyday business applications, including:

• Workflow automation software
• Forms software
• Help desk software
• Ticketing systems
• Document management applications
• Asset management software
• Business process applications
• Case management systems
• Manufacturing applications
• Operational databases
• Monitoring systems
• Development and DevOps tools

This creates an important challenge.

It is relatively easy to say that a server is air-gapped. It is much harder to find modern software that was actually designed to operate there.

Many modern applications depend on cloud services for authentication, licensing, updates, AI processing, integrations, analytics, or other functionality.

That makes air gap compatibility an architectural requirement, not simply a checkbox on a deployment sheet.

What to Look for in Air Gap Software

If you are evaluating air gap software, don’t stop at the words “on-premises.”

Ask these questions before selecting a platform.

1. Does it operate without internet connectivity?

The software should support its core functions without requiring continuous access to the internet.

Ask the vendor:

Can the application operate with zero outbound network connectivity?

2. Does it require vendor cloud services?

A product may be installed on your own servers but still depend on a vendor’s cloud.

Ask whether the application makes outbound connections for:

• Licensing
• Authentication
• Telemetry
• Updates
• Analytics
• AI
• Notifications
• API calls
• Support services

3. Where does the data go?

Understand exactly where application data is stored and processed.

For a highly secure environment, the answer should be clear and verifiable.

4. Can updates be installed offline?

Software still needs security patches and updates in an air-gapped environment.

Ask how updates are transferred into the isolated network and whether the vendor provides a supported offline update process.

5. Can authentication work inside the isolated environment?

Authentication requirements can become a major issue in disconnected networks.

Determine whether the application depends on external identity providers or can use authentication infrastructure available inside the isolated environment.

6. Does the software have an air-gapped deployment model?

A vendor saying “you can probably make it work offline” is very different from a vendor offering a supported air-gapped deployment.

Look for a documented architecture and deployment process.

7. What happens to integrations?

Integrations are one of the biggest challenges in an air-gapped environment.

A workflow application that normally connects to dozens of cloud APIs may require a fundamentally different architecture when deployed in a disconnected network.

Determine which integrations are supported inside the air gap and which require controlled data transfer.

Air Gap Software vs. On-Premises Software

These terms are related, but they are not synonymous.

Deployment	Internet Required?	External Connectivity	Suitable for Fully Air-Gapped Environment?
SaaS	Usually	Yes	No
Cloud-hosted private environment	Usually	Usually	No
On-premises	Depends	Depends	Sometimes
Offline software	No during operation	May reconnect periodically	Sometimes
Air-gapped software	No	No automated external connection	Yes

The key takeaway is simple:

On-premises does not automatically mean air-gapped.

An application can run on your own servers and still require an external connection.

Air Gap Software for Microsoft SharePoint

Organizations using Microsoft SharePoint Server can face a particular challenge when they need business applications inside a disconnected environment.

Traditional SharePoint forms and workflows may rely on technologies or integrations that are no longer ideal for modern application development.

At the same time, many cloud-first automation platforms assume access to Microsoft cloud services.

For organizations that must keep SharePoint applications inside an isolated network, the software needs to support the deployment architecture itself rather than simply provide an on-premises installation.

NITRO Studio as an Air Gap Solution

NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code application development and workflow automation platform for Microsoft SharePoint.

For organizations that need fully disconnected SharePoint applications, NITRO Secure provides an air-gapped deployment option for NITRO Studio.

NITRO Studio can run on SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, and Subscription Edition in on-premises environments, including a fully air-gapped deployment through NITRO Secure.

This allows organizations to build and run applications such as:

• Electronic forms
• Approval workflows
• Business process automation
• Request management
• Custom SharePoint applications
• Dashboards and reports
• Departmental applications
• Automated notifications
• Workflow-driven business processes

The important distinction is that NITRO Secure is designed for disconnected environments, rather than simply being a standard cloud application installed on a local server.

For organizations replacing legacy SharePoint workflows or forms in highly secure environments, this can be especially important.

NITRO Help Desk for Air-Gapped Environments

Air-gapped environments still need IT support.

Users need to report problems, IT teams need to track tickets, requests need to be routed, and support teams need visibility into service performance.

That’s where NITRO Help Desk can fit.

NITRO Help Desk is built natively on SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and Teams and provides ticket management, automated routing, forms, workflows, reporting, and other help desk capabilities.

For organizations operating SharePoint Server in highly secure environments, NITRO Help Desk can be deployed using NITRO Secure for air-gapped environments. Crow Canyon specifically lists NITRO Secure as an air-gapped deployment option for NITRO Help Desk.

This gives organizations a way to maintain help desk operations without introducing a cloud-based ticketing system into an isolated network.

NITRO Studio vs. Traditional Cloud-First Automation

For organizations with normal internet connectivity, cloud automation can be a good fit.

For organizations with disconnected networks, the requirements are different.

Requirement	Cloud-First Automation	NITRO Studio + NITRO Secure
Cloud connectivity	Typically required	Not required for air-gapped deployment
SharePoint Server	Limited or unavailable depending on product	Yes
Fully air-gapped deployment	Typically unavailable	Yes
Forms	Yes	Yes
Workflow automation	Yes	Yes
Microsoft SharePoint integration	Varies	Native
On-premises deployment	Varies	Yes
Air-gapped business applications	No	Yes

The right choice depends on the organization’s security architecture and deployment requirements.

For organizations that cannot connect their systems to external services, however, an air-gapped deployment can eliminate an entire category of cloud dependency.

Who Needs an Air Gap Solution?

An air gap solution is most appropriate when network isolation is a core security requirement rather than simply a preference.

Organizations that may benefit include:

Government agencies

Government environments may have systems containing sensitive or classified information that require strict network separation.

Defense and intelligence organizations

Defense environments often operate networks with highly restricted connectivity and require applications that can function without external services.

Aerospace and space organizations

Mission-critical systems may operate in environments where security, reliability, and connectivity restrictions make cloud-dependent applications inappropriate.

Nuclear and critical infrastructure organizations

Operational systems may require isolation from corporate or public networks to reduce cybersecurity risk.

Financial institutions

Financial organizations may use isolated environments for highly sensitive systems, recovery infrastructure, or specific regulated workloads.

Healthcare organizations

Some healthcare environments have strict requirements around data protection, system architecture, and operational continuity.

Challenges of Deploying Software in an Air-Gapped Environment

Air gaps provide strong isolation, but they also introduce operational challenges.

Software updates

You cannot simply click “Update” and download a new version from the internet.

Organizations need a controlled method for obtaining, validating, transferring, and installing updates.

Dependency management

Applications may depend on third-party libraries, packages, certificates, APIs, or services.

Those dependencies need to be available inside the isolated environment.

Licensing

Some software licensing systems require periodic internet communication.

Air-gapped organizations should verify that licensing can operate without external connectivity.

Support

Vendor support processes may need to account for the fact that support engineers cannot remotely access the environment.

Data transfer

When data needs to move across the air gap, the organization needs documented procedures governing what can cross the boundary and how it is inspected.

These challenges are why organizations should evaluate air gap software before deployment rather than attempting to retrofit an ordinary cloud application into a disconnected network.

How to Choose the Best Air Gap Solution

There is no single best air gap solution for every organization.

The right solution depends on what you are trying to protect and what application you need to operate inside the isolated environment.

Use this checklist when evaluating vendors:

Security

• Does the software require outbound connectivity?
• Does it communicate with vendor infrastructure?
• Can all data remain inside the isolated environment?
• Does it support your organization’s security architecture?

Deployment

• Is fully air-gapped deployment officially supported?
• Which versions of your operating system and SharePoint are supported?
• Can the software be installed without internet access?
• Can updates be transferred securely?

Functionality

• Does the application provide the features your users actually need?
• Do workflows operate without cloud services?
• Can forms operate offline?
• Can reporting and administration operate inside the environment?

Integration

• Does it integrate with the systems available inside your air gap?
• Which integrations require external connectivity?
• Can necessary data transfers be controlled?

Vendor support

• Does the vendor have experience supporting air-gapped environments?
• Is there a documented deployment process?
• Can the vendor support customers without remote access?

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Gap Software

What is air gap software?

Air gap software is software designed to operate in an isolated environment without requiring normal internet or external network connectivity. It is used when organizations need to protect sensitive systems and data from external network access.

What is an air gap solution?

An air gap solution is a technology or architecture that isolates systems and data from external networks. It can include physically disconnected networks, isolated servers, controlled data transfer, and software specifically designed for disconnected operation.

Is air-gapped software the same as on-premises software?

No. On-premises software runs on infrastructure controlled by the organization, but it may still require internet or external services. Air-gapped software is designed to operate without those external connections.

Is an air gap more secure than a firewall?

An air gap and a firewall provide different types of protection. A firewall controls network traffic, while a true air gap eliminates normal network connectivity between systems. Air gaps can therefore remove attack paths that a firewall would otherwise have to control.

Can Microsoft SharePoint run in an air-gapped environment?

SharePoint Server can be deployed on-premises, and solutions such as NITRO Studio with NITRO Secure can provide business application, forms, and workflow capabilities in fully air-gapped SharePoint environments.

Can workflow automation run in an air-gapped environment?

Yes, provided the workflow platform is specifically designed to operate without external connectivity. NITRO Studio supports fully air-gapped SharePoint Server deployments through NITRO Secure.

Can a help desk operate in an air-gapped network?

Yes. An air-gapped help desk can run entirely within the isolated environment, allowing users and IT staff to create, manage, route, and resolve tickets without relying on an external SaaS platform. NITRO Help Desk supports air-gapped deployment through NITRO Secure.

What industries use air-gapped systems?

Air-gapped environments are commonly used in government, defense, intelligence, aerospace, nuclear, critical infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, and other environments where network isolation is important.

The Bottom Line

Air gap software is designed for a fundamentally different security environment from ordinary cloud software.

The goal is not simply to host an application on your own server. The goal is to operate the application without requiring an automated connection to external networks or services.

For organizations using Microsoft SharePoint Server, this makes deployment architecture particularly important.

NITRO Studio with NITRO Secure provides an air gap solution for SharePoint forms, workflows, and business applications, while NITRO Help Desk extends the same approach to IT ticketing and service management. Both provide options for organizations that need modern business software while keeping operations inside a disconnected environment.

If your organization is evaluating air gap software for SharePoint, workflow automation, or help desk operations, the most important question to ask vendors is simple:

Can the software operate completely inside our isolated environment, without requiring outbound connectivity?

For organizations where the answer must be yes, that requirement should be established before comparing features, pricing, or integrations.

How to Create a Form in SharePoint: Quick Answer

Yes, you can create a form directly in SharePoint. The easiest method is to create a SharePoint list, add the fields you want to collect, and use the list’s built-in Forms experience to create and customize your form.

You have four main options for creating forms in SharePoint:

1. Microsoft Lists or SharePoint list forms: Best for simple forms that collect information directly into a SharePoint list.
2. Microsoft Forms: Best for surveys, feedback, registrations, and other simple forms that can be embedded in a SharePoint page.
3. Power Apps: Best for customized SharePoint forms that require more complex logic and user experiences.
4. A dedicated no-code SharePoint form builder: Best for complex business forms and workflows that need to be maintained by business users without coding.

For most simple SharePoint forms, start with the built-in Microsoft Lists form. If your form needs conditional logic, complex layouts, approvals, or workflow automation, you may need a more advanced option.

Table of Contents

• How to Create a Form in SharePoint
• How to Customize a SharePoint Form
• 4 Ways to Create a Form in SharePoint
• Microsoft Lists vs. Microsoft Forms vs. Power Apps
• How to Choose the Right SharePoint Form Method
• Common SharePoint Form Problems to Avoid
• What If You Are Replacing InfoPath Forms?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• The Bottom Line

How to Create a Form in SharePoint

The easiest way to create a basic form in SharePoint is to create a SharePoint list and use its Forms experience.

The form is connected to the list, so the information submitted through the form is stored as list data.

Step 1: Create a SharePoint list

Start by creating the SharePoint list that will store the information submitted through your form.

1. Open your SharePoint site.
2. Select New and then select List.
3. Choose whether to create a blank list, use an existing list, or start from a template.
4. Give the list a name.
5. Select Create.

Your list provides the data structure for the form.

Step 2: Add the fields your form needs

Add columns to the SharePoint list for each piece of information you want users to provide.

Depending on your requirements, you can use columns such as:

• Single line of text
• Multiple lines of text
• Choice
• Number
• Date and time
• Person or Group
• Yes/No
• Lookup
• Currency

For example, an employee equipment request form might include:

• Employee Name
• Department
• Equipment Requested
• Business Justification
• Requested Date
• Manager

Think about the information you need before designing the form. The list columns determine the data your form collects.

Step 3: Create the form

Once your list has the fields you need, open the list and use its Forms option to create a form.

The exact options you see can vary depending on your Microsoft 365 and SharePoint environment.

The form is connected to the SharePoint list, which means submissions become list items.

This is the simplest approach when you need a straightforward form for collecting information in SharePoint.

Step 4: Customize the form

After creating the form, you can customize which fields appear and how users interact with them.

For a basic form, you may want to:

• Rearrange fields
• Make fields required
• Hide fields users do not need to see
• Add instructions
• Adjust the form’s appearance

Keep the form as simple as possible. Users are more likely to complete a form when it asks only for information that is actually needed.

Step 5: Share the form

Once the form is ready, test it and share it with the people who need to submit information.

Before sending it to users, verify:

• Required fields work correctly
• Choice fields contain the correct options
• Dates and other data types behave as expected
• Submitted information appears correctly in the SharePoint list
• Users have the necessary SharePoint permissions

Step 6: Test the form

Always submit a test response before putting a SharePoint form into production.

Test the form as an actual user would use it. If the form will be completed on mobile devices, test it on a phone as well.

For a simple data collection form, this process can take only a few minutes.

How to Customize a SharePoint Form

The built-in SharePoint list form is useful for straightforward data collection. However, you may eventually need more customization.

For example, you might need to:

• Show or hide fields based on previous answers
• Create conditional logic
• Build a more customized layout
• Connect the form to other business data
• Trigger workflows after submission
• Create more advanced user experiences

When the built-in form does not provide enough flexibility, you can customize a SharePoint list form with Power Apps.

Customize a SharePoint list form with Power Apps

To customize a SharePoint list form with Power Apps:

1. Open the SharePoint list.
2. Select Integrate.
3. Select Power Apps.
4. Select Customize forms.
5. Make your changes in Power Apps Studio.
6. Save and publish the form.

Power Apps gives you significantly more control over the form experience than the standard SharePoint list form.

The trade-off is complexity. Power Apps uses Power Fx for formulas and can require more technical knowledge to build and maintain advanced forms.

4 Ways to Create a Form in SharePoint

There is more than one way to create a form for use with SharePoint. The best option depends on what your form needs to do after someone submits it.

Method 1: Microsoft Lists or SharePoint List Forms

Best for: Simple data collection directly into SharePoint.

The built-in form associated with a SharePoint or Microsoft List is usually the best place to start.

Because the form is connected directly to the list, submitted information becomes list data without requiring a separate form platform.

Good examples include:

• Employee information requests
• Equipment requests
• Internal suggestions
• Basic service requests
• Contact information
• Simple approvals

Advantages:

• Built into Microsoft 365
• Easy to create
• No separate form platform required
• Data is stored in SharePoint
• Easy for SharePoint users to maintain

Limitations:

• Limited customization compared with Power Apps
• Complex conditional logic may require another solution
• Advanced workflow requirements may require Power Automate or another platform

Method 2: Microsoft Forms Embedded in SharePoint

Best for: Surveys, feedback, registrations, and simple information collection.

Microsoft Forms is a separate Microsoft 365 application, but you can embed a Microsoft Form on a SharePoint page using the Microsoft Forms web part.

To add a Microsoft Form to a SharePoint page:

1. Open the SharePoint page where you want the form.
2. Select Edit.
3. Add the Microsoft Forms web part.
4. Create a new form or select an existing form.
5. Configure the form.
6. Publish the SharePoint page.

Microsoft Forms is particularly useful when the primary goal is collecting responses rather than creating a SharePoint business process.

Good examples include:

• Employee surveys
• Event registrations
• Customer feedback
• Polls
• Simple questionnaires

One important distinction is that Microsoft Forms and SharePoint list forms are not the same thing. If your goal is to collect information directly into a SharePoint list and use that data in a SharePoint-based process, a SharePoint list form is generally the more direct option.

Method 3: Power Apps Custom SharePoint Form

Best for: Forms requiring advanced customization and logic.

Power Apps can replace or customize the standard SharePoint list form.

With Power Apps, you can create more sophisticated experiences, including conditional behavior, customized layouts, formulas, and connections to other Microsoft data sources.

Power Apps works particularly well when a form is part of a larger business application.

Advantages:

• Highly customizable
• Supports conditional logic
• Integrates with Microsoft 365
• Can connect to multiple data sources
• Works with Power Automate

Limitations:

• More complex to build
• Power Fx knowledge may be required
• Advanced solutions can require significant development and maintenance

Method 4: A Dedicated No-Code SharePoint Form Builder

Best for: Complex forms and workflows that business users need to maintain without coding.

A dedicated SharePoint form builder can provide functionality between the simplicity of native SharePoint forms and the customization of Power Apps.

For example, NITRO Forms is a no-code form solution from Crow Canyon Software that runs natively with SharePoint and Microsoft 365.

A dedicated form builder can be useful when you need:

• Complex business forms
• Conditional logic
• Multi-step processes
• Approval workflows
• Custom layouts
• Integration with SharePoint data
• Business-user maintenance
• Forms that replace legacy InfoPath applications

The main advantage is reducing the amount of custom development required to build and maintain complex forms.

The trade-off is that a dedicated solution introduces another platform and licensing cost.

Microsoft Lists vs. Microsoft Forms vs. Power Apps vs. a No-Code Form Builder

The right choice depends on how much functionality your form needs.

Method	Best For	Difficulty	SharePoint Data	Advanced Logic	Workflow
Microsoft Lists / SharePoint form	Basic data collection	Easy	Yes	Limited	Basic
Microsoft Forms	Surveys and feedback	Easy	Not directly by default	Limited	Limited
Power Apps	Customized business forms	Moderate to advanced	Yes	Yes	Yes
No-code form builder	Complex forms and workflows	Easy to moderate	Yes	Yes	Yes

Which SharePoint form method should you choose?

Use the Microsoft Lists or SharePoint list form if you need a simple form that stores information in SharePoint.

Use Microsoft Forms if you are primarily creating a survey, questionnaire, registration form, or feedback form.

Use Power Apps if your form requires substantial customization or conditional logic and your organization has the technical resources to build and maintain it.

Use a dedicated no-code SharePoint form builder if you need complex forms and workflows but want business analysts or other non-developers to maintain them.

Common SharePoint Form Problems to Avoid

Creating the form is only part of the process. The design decisions you make before and after building the form can determine whether it works well in production.

1. Starting with the form instead of the process

Before creating the form, identify:

• Who will complete it
• What information you need
• What happens after submission
• Who reviews the submission
• Who approves it
• Where the information needs to go
• Who will maintain the process

A form should support a process rather than become the process itself.

2. Using Microsoft Forms when you need SharePoint data

Microsoft Forms is excellent for surveys and simple response collection.

However, if the information needs to become part of a SharePoint-based business process, a SharePoint list form or another SharePoint-connected solution may be a better fit.

3. Making a simple form too complicated

Not every form needs Power Apps.

If users simply need to submit five pieces of information into a SharePoint list, the native list form may be all you need.

4. Choosing a tool nobody can maintain

The person who creates the form may not be the person maintaining it six months later.

Consider the technical skills of the people who will own the form before choosing a platform.

5. Forgetting mobile users

If users will complete the form from phones or tablets, test the actual user experience on those devices before publishing.

What If You Are Replacing InfoPath Forms?

If you are creating a new SharePoint form because an older InfoPath form needs to be replaced, the requirements may be significantly more complex than a basic list form.

InfoPath Forms Services in SharePoint Online was retired on July 14, 2026. Organizations that still depend on legacy InfoPath forms need to evaluate replacement options based on the complexity of their existing forms and workflows.

For a simple InfoPath form, a native SharePoint list form or Power Apps may be sufficient.

For a large collection of complex forms with business logic and workflow, a dedicated SharePoint form platform may be worth considering.

Crow Canyon’s NITRO Studio is one option for organizations looking for a no-code approach to replacing InfoPath forms and building SharePoint-based forms and workflows.

For example, Air Wisconsin had more than 400 InfoPath forms to replace and selected NITRO Studio to support its transition across SharePoint environments.

Read the full Air Wisconsin case study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a form in SharePoint without coding?

Yes. The built-in SharePoint or Microsoft Lists form can be created without writing code. Microsoft Forms also provides a no-code way to create surveys and other simple forms. More advanced customization with Power Apps may require Power Fx formulas and additional technical knowledge.

What is the easiest way to create a form in SharePoint?

The easiest method is to create a SharePoint or Microsoft List and use its built-in Forms experience. This is the simplest option when you need to collect information and store it directly in SharePoint.

How do I create a custom form in SharePoint?

For basic customization, use the built-in SharePoint list form settings. For more advanced customization, open the SharePoint list and select Integrate > Power Apps > Customize forms. Power Apps allows you to add more sophisticated layouts, logic, and behavior.

Should I use Microsoft Forms or Power Apps for SharePoint?

Use Microsoft Forms for surveys, feedback, registrations, and simple questionnaires. Use Power Apps when you need a customized form connected to SharePoint data and require more advanced logic or functionality.

Can I add approval workflow to a SharePoint form?

Yes. SharePoint list forms can work with Power Automate to trigger workflows after information is submitted. Power Apps forms can also work with Power Automate. For more complex multi-step approvals, routing, escalation, and business processes, a dedicated workflow and form solution may be more appropriate.

Does SharePoint have a form builder?

Yes. SharePoint and Microsoft Lists provide built-in forms for collecting information associated with lists. You can also use Power Apps to create more customized SharePoint forms. Dedicated third-party form builders provide additional functionality for organizations with more complex requirements.

Can I create a SharePoint form without creating a list?

A native SharePoint list form is tied to a SharePoint or Microsoft List because the list provides the data structure where submissions are stored.

If you need a standalone survey or questionnaire, Microsoft Forms can be created independently and then embedded in a SharePoint page.

Can external users fill out a SharePoint form?

It depends on the form technology and your organization’s Microsoft 365 configuration.

SharePoint list forms are generally designed around SharePoint permissions and authenticated users. Microsoft Forms may provide different sharing options depending on your organization’s settings. If you need external users to submit information while maintaining a controlled SharePoint-based process, evaluate the specific security and access requirements before choosing a form technology.

Is InfoPath still available for SharePoint?

InfoPath Forms Services in SharePoint Online was retired on July 14, 2026. Organizations still using legacy InfoPath forms should evaluate replacement options such as native SharePoint forms, Power Apps, or dedicated SharePoint form solutions.

The Bottom Line

Creating a basic form in SharePoint does not have to be complicated.

For simple data collection, start with a SharePoint or Microsoft List and use its built-in form.

For surveys and feedback, Microsoft Forms is often the better choice.

For highly customized forms that require advanced logic, Power Apps provides significantly more flexibility.

For complex forms and workflows that need to remain no-code and maintainable by business users, a dedicated SharePoint form builder may be the better fit.

The most important step is choosing the right tool for the process. A simple form should be simple. A complex business process needs a solution that can support its logic, workflow, data, and long-term maintenance.

If you’re looking for the Microsoft equivalent of Google Forms, the answer is Microsoft Forms.

Microsoft Forms is Microsoft’s tool for creating surveys, quizzes, polls, questionnaires, and simple data-collection forms. It is designed to work within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it a natural choice for organizations that use Microsoft 365, Teams, Excel, and SharePoint.

But Microsoft Forms is not the best choice for every type of form.

If you need to collect structured business data, create approvals, build complex forms, or manage a process after someone submits a form, you may need SharePoint forms, Power Apps, Power Automate, or a dedicated forms and workflow platform such as NITRO Studio.

The right Microsoft form tool depends on what you need the form to do.

What Is the Microsoft Equivalent of Google Forms?

Microsoft Forms is the direct Microsoft equivalent of Google Forms.

Both tools let you create forms without extensive technical knowledge and use them to collect information from employees, customers, students, or other audiences.

Microsoft Forms can be used for:

• Surveys
• Quizzes
• Polls
• Feedback forms
• Event registrations
• Questionnaires
• Simple internal data collection

If your organization already uses Microsoft 365, Microsoft Forms is usually the first tool to consider for a simple form.

What Is Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms is a lightweight form and survey tool that is part of the Microsoft ecosystem.

You can use it to create a form, share it with respondents, collect responses, review results, and export data to Excel. Forms can also be accessed through the Microsoft 365 environment and used with Microsoft services such as Teams.

Microsoft Forms is particularly well suited to situations where the primary goal is collecting responses.

For example, you might use Microsoft Forms to:

• Ask employees to complete a satisfaction survey
• Collect feedback after an event
• Create a quiz
• Conduct an internal poll
• Collect registrations
• Gather basic information from employees or customers

For these types of uses, Microsoft Forms is a close equivalent to Google Forms.

Microsoft Forms vs. Google Forms

Microsoft Forms and Google Forms serve essentially the same basic purpose. The biggest difference is the ecosystem each tool belongs to.

Feature	Microsoft Forms	Google Forms
Best fit	Organizations using Microsoft 365	Organizations using Google Workspace
Surveys	Yes	Yes
Quizzes	Yes	Yes
Polls	Yes	Yes
Basic data collection	Yes	Yes
Collaboration	Yes	Yes
Response analysis	Yes	Yes
Spreadsheet integration	Excel	Google Sheets
Ecosystem	Microsoft 365, Teams, Excel, SharePoint, Power Automate	Google Workspace, Sheets, Drive, Calendar
Advanced business workflows	Requires other Microsoft tools	Requires other Google Workspace tools

Which is better, Microsoft Forms or Google Forms?

Neither is universally better.

Microsoft Forms is generally the natural choice if your organization already uses Microsoft 365. It fits into the Microsoft ecosystem and works alongside tools such as Teams, Excel, SharePoint, and Power Automate.

Google Forms is generally the natural choice if your organization uses Google Workspace. It integrates closely with Google Sheets and other Google services.

For a basic survey, quiz, poll, or questionnaire, both tools can accomplish the same fundamental task.

The bigger question is what you need to happen after someone submits the form.

Is Microsoft Forms Free?

Microsoft Forms is available at no additional cost in many Microsoft account and Microsoft 365 scenarios, although available features and response limits can depend on the type of account and subscription.

For organizations that already have Microsoft 365, Microsoft Forms may already be included with their subscription.

Because Microsoft periodically changes licensing, features, and usage limits, check Microsoft’s current licensing documentation for the latest limits before planning a large-scale deployment.

What Can You Do With Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms works well when your primary objective is collecting responses.

Common uses include:

• Employee surveys
• Customer feedback
• Quizzes and assessments
• Event registrations
• Polls
• Simple questionnaires
• Internal requests
• Basic information gathering

You can share forms with respondents and review the results. Responses can also be exported to Excel for further analysis.

For straightforward data collection, this can be all you need.

What Are the Limitations of Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms is designed primarily for collecting responses, not for managing complex business processes.

You may start running into limitations when you need to:

• Store submissions as structured business records
• Route submissions through an approval process
• Create complex conditional logic
• Connect multiple related data sources
• Manage repeating line items
• Build a multi-step business process
• Control a form around detailed SharePoint data
• Create sophisticated workflows after submission

Microsoft Forms can work with other Microsoft tools to accomplish some of these tasks, but that means the solution can become more complicated than simply creating a form.

This is where it helps to understand the difference between Microsoft Forms, SharePoint forms, Power Apps, and dedicated forms and workflow platforms.

Microsoft Forms vs. SharePoint Forms

Microsoft Forms and SharePoint forms can both collect information, but they are designed for different purposes.

Use Microsoft Forms when you primarily need to collect responses.

Use SharePoint forms when the information needs to become structured records in a SharePoint list.

For example, suppose you need employees to complete a simple survey about an upcoming company event. Microsoft Forms is a good fit.

Now suppose you need employees to submit equipment requests. Each submission needs to become a record, contain multiple fields, follow specific permissions, and potentially move through an approval process.

A SharePoint-based form may be a better fit because the submitted information can be stored as items in a SharePoint list.

This distinction is important because many organizations initially look for a “Microsoft equivalent of Google Forms” when what they actually need is a business application or workflow.

For more information, see our guide to SharePoint forms.

Microsoft Forms vs. Power Apps

Power Apps is another Microsoft option when you need more sophisticated forms and applications.

Microsoft Forms is designed to make basic data collection easy.

Power Apps can be used to build more customized applications with complex business logic, data connections, and user experiences.

A simple way to think about the difference is:

• Microsoft Forms: Collect responses
• SharePoint forms: Collect structured information in SharePoint
• Power Apps: Build customized business applications
• Power Automate: Automate actions and workflows
• Dedicated forms and workflow platforms: Combine sophisticated forms, data, and workflows into a purpose-built solution

The right choice depends on the complexity of the process you are trying to support.

What If You Need Forms and Workflows Together?

A form is often only the beginning of a business process.

Consider an employee submitting a purchase request. The form needs to collect the request, but the organization may also need to:

1. Validate the information
2. Route the request to a manager
3. Obtain approval
4. Update a record
5. Notify the employee
6. Track the request through completion

Microsoft Forms can collect the initial information, but a process like this requires additional functionality.

For organizations that need forms, structured data, and workflows together, a dedicated platform such as NITRO Studio from Crow Canyon Software can be an alternative to assembling the solution from multiple Microsoft tools.

NITRO Studio for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Forms

NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code forms and workflow platform designed for Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint.

It can be used to build business forms that include capabilities such as:

• Conditional fields
• Cascading lookups
• Repeating rows
• Electronic signatures
• Connections to other data
• Structured business processes
• Approvals and routing
• Forms and workflows within the same solution

NITRO Studio supports Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Server environments, including cloud and on-premises deployments.

This makes it particularly relevant for organizations that have moved beyond simple surveys and need forms to support an ongoing business process.

If your requirement is simply to create a survey or quiz, Microsoft Forms is probably the better choice.

If you need a complete business process built around a form, it is worth evaluating whether Microsoft Forms plus additional tools is the right architecture or whether a dedicated forms and workflow platform would be more appropriate.

Learn more about NITRO Studio.

How to Choose the Right Microsoft Form Tool

The simplest way to choose is to start with what you need to happen after someone clicks Submit.

What you need	Best option to consider
Survey, quiz, or poll	Microsoft Forms
Simple data collection	Microsoft Forms
Structured records in SharePoint	SharePoint forms
Customized business application	Power Apps
Automated routing or approvals	Power Automate
Complex forms and workflows together	NITRO Studio or another dedicated platform

Ask yourself these questions

Before choosing a form tool, consider:

Are you simply collecting responses?

If yes, Microsoft Forms may be all you need.

Does each submission need to become a structured business record?

If yes, consider SharePoint forms or another structured data solution.

Does the form require complex logic or a customized application experience?

Power Apps may be a better fit.

Does the submission need to trigger approvals, routing, notifications, or other automated actions?

You will likely need Power Automate or another workflow solution.

Do you need sophisticated forms and workflows together?

A dedicated platform such as NITRO Studio may provide a more complete solution.

Where Does Microsoft Forms Data Go?

Where form data lives can become important when you are building a business process.

Microsoft Forms is designed around collecting and managing responses. Responses can be reviewed through Forms and exported to Excel.

With SharePoint forms, submitted information becomes items in a SharePoint list. This can make SharePoint a better fit when your organization needs structured records, list-based permissions, reporting, and other SharePoint capabilities.

Power Apps can use different data sources, including SharePoint and Dataverse, depending on how the application is designed.

For organizations with governance, compliance, or data-management requirements, the underlying data architecture should be considered before choosing a form technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Microsoft have something like Google Forms?

Yes. Microsoft Forms is Microsoft’s equivalent of Google Forms. It lets you create surveys, quizzes, polls, questionnaires, and other simple forms within the Microsoft ecosystem.

What is the Microsoft version of Google Forms?

Microsoft Forms is the Microsoft version of Google Forms. It provides similar functionality for creating forms, collecting responses, creating surveys and quizzes, and reviewing results.

Is Microsoft Forms the same as Google Forms?

No. They are separate products from Microsoft and Google, but they serve a similar purpose. Microsoft Forms is designed for the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, while Google Forms is designed for Google Workspace.

Is Microsoft Forms free?

Microsoft Forms is available at no additional cost in many Microsoft account and Microsoft 365 scenarios. Features and usage limits can vary depending on the account and subscription.

Can Microsoft Forms do approvals or workflows?

Microsoft Forms is primarily a data-collection tool. For approvals, routing, notifications, and other automated actions, you typically need additional functionality such as Power Automate or a dedicated forms and workflow platform.

Where are Microsoft Forms responses stored?

Microsoft Forms manages form responses within the Forms environment and allows responses to be exported to Excel. If you need submissions to become structured records in a SharePoint list, a SharePoint-based form may be a better fit.

Can Microsoft Forms be used with Microsoft Teams?

Yes. Microsoft Forms integrates with the Microsoft ecosystem and can be used in conjunction with Microsoft Teams for surveys, polls, quizzes, and other data-collection scenarios.

Can I use Microsoft Forms for a business process?

You can use Microsoft Forms as the starting point for collecting information, but more complex business processes generally require additional Microsoft tools or a dedicated platform. If you need structured forms, approvals, routing, and workflows together, consider SharePoint, Power Apps, Power Automate, or a platform such as NITRO Studio.

What is the Microsoft equivalent of Google Forms for advanced forms?

There is not one single Microsoft equivalent for every advanced Google Forms use case.

For simple surveys and questionnaires, use Microsoft Forms.

For structured SharePoint data, consider SharePoint forms.

For customized applications, consider Power Apps.

For automated workflows, consider Power Automate.

For complex forms and workflows that need to work together, consider a dedicated platform such as NITRO Studio.

The Bottom Line

Microsoft Forms is the direct equivalent of Google Forms.

If you need a simple survey, quiz, poll, questionnaire, or basic data-collection form, Microsoft Forms is the natural choice for organizations using Microsoft 365.

But if your form is part of a larger business process, the answer may be different.

• Simple surveys and quizzes: Microsoft Forms
• Structured business data: SharePoint forms
• Customized applications: Power Apps
• Automated workflows: Power Automate
• Forms and workflows together: NITRO Studio or another dedicated platform

The most important question is not just “What is Microsoft’s version of Google Forms?”

It is “What needs to happen after someone submits the form?”

If the answer involves structured data, approvals, routing, workflows, or a more sophisticated business process, look beyond a basic survey tool and evaluate the complete process.

Ready to build forms that do more than collect responses? Learn how NITRO Studio can help you create forms and workflows across Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, and SharePoint Server.

Request a NITRO Studio demo

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:

1. What form technology should we use?
2. 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.

Explore NITRO Studio →

A Microsoft help desk system gives IT teams a centralized way to capture, organize, assign, track, and resolve employee support requests. The best systems go beyond basic ticket tracking by connecting help desk operations with the Microsoft tools employees already use, including Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, and Microsoft Entra ID.

For organizations already invested in Microsoft technology, choosing a help desk system that works with that environment can reduce duplicate data entry, simplify administration, improve the employee experience, and give IT teams better visibility into support operations.

But there is an important distinction: Microsoft provides several tools that can support help desk processes, but those tools are not all full-featured help desk systems on their own.

A Microsoft help desk can be built using native Microsoft capabilities, a third-party application integrated with Microsoft 365, or a combination of both.

What Is a Microsoft Help Desk System?

A Microsoft help desk system is software used to manage IT support requests within or alongside a Microsoft technology environment.

At a minimum, a help desk system should allow employees to:

• Submit IT support requests
• Describe problems or service requests
• Check ticket status
• Communicate with support staff
• Search for answers to common questions

For IT teams, a complete system should also provide capabilities such as:

• Ticket assignment and routing
• Prioritization
• Status tracking
• Automated notifications
• Service-level agreements (SLAs)
• Escalations
• Knowledge management
• Reporting and dashboards
• Workflow automation
• Asset or device tracking
• Self-service
• Microsoft Teams integration
• Email-to-ticket capabilities
• AI-assisted support

The Microsoft ecosystem can provide many of the building blocks for these capabilities. For example, Microsoft offers an IT help desk SharePoint site template that includes pages and lists for support requests, devices, FAQs, documents, and other help desk resources. Microsoft notes that organizations can integrate an existing ticketing system or use a Microsoft List to track support requests and assets.

The question is whether those native components provide everything your IT team needs.

How Does a Microsoft Help Desk System Work?

A typical Microsoft help desk system follows a simple lifecycle:

Request → Ticket → Assignment → Investigation → Resolution → Closure → Reporting

An employee submits a request through a portal, Microsoft Teams, email, or another supported channel. The system creates a ticket, categorizes the request, determines its priority, and routes it to the appropriate technician or team.

The technician investigates the issue, communicates with the employee, documents the work performed, and resolves the ticket.

Once the ticket is closed, the information can be used for reporting, trend analysis, knowledge-base development, and continuous service improvement.

A modern system can automate many of these steps.

For example:

1. An employee reports that they cannot access an application.
2. The system creates a ticket automatically.
3. The request is categorized as an application access issue.
4. The appropriate IT team is assigned.
5. An SLA determines the required response time.
6. The employee receives an automated confirmation.
7. A knowledge article is recommended to the technician or employee.
8. The technician resolves the issue.
9. The ticket is closed and included in help desk reporting.

This reduces the amount of manual work required from IT staff while creating a consistent support process.

What We Have Learned From Implementing Microsoft Help Desks

After working with organizations across a wide range of industries and Microsoft environments, we’ve found that the hardest part of implementing a help desk usually isn’t creating a place to store tickets. It’s creating a system that people will actually use and that IT can maintain over time.

Shared inboxes and spreadsheets become difficult to manage quickly

A shared inbox or spreadsheet may seem like a reasonable way to get started. When ticket volume is low, it can work.

The problems usually appear as the organization grows.

With a shared inbox, multiple people may respond to the same request, tickets can get buried in email, and it can be difficult to determine who owns an issue or what has already been done.

Spreadsheets have a similar problem. Although they can track basic information such as the requester, status, and assigned technician, they don’t naturally provide the workflows, communications, automation, knowledge management, SLAs, and reporting that become important as a help desk grows.

Eventually, IT needs more than a list of requests. It needs a repeatable process for managing those requests from intake through resolution.

Building a help desk in Microsoft 365 can be more involved than expected

Microsoft 365 and SharePoint provide powerful building blocks for creating business applications. Organizations can combine SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, Power Automate, Teams, and other Microsoft technologies to create a customized support process.

The challenge is that building the initial solution is only part of the job.

Someone also has to maintain the workflows, update forms, manage permissions, troubleshoot automation, modify processes when requirements change, and make sure the system continues working as Microsoft services evolve.

We’ve seen organizations underestimate that ongoing commitment.

Our biggest advice to an organization considering building its own Microsoft help desk is simple: make sure the person responsible for building it will be with you long-term and will have the bandwidth to maintain it.

A Microsoft ticketing system is not a one-time project. It is an operational system that needs to evolve with the organization.

The help desk should adapt to the organization, not the other way around

Every organization has its own support processes.

One company may need a simple IT ticketing workflow. Another may have different processes for hardware requests, access requests, software problems, and incidents. Larger organizations may need different workflows, permissions, routing rules, and SLAs for different departments.

We’ve found that the most effective approach is to tailor the help desk to the organization’s existing workflows rather than forcing employees and IT staff to change their processes simply to accommodate the software.

That’s one of the principles behind NITRO Help Desk. Organizations can configure the system around their processes, including forms, workflows, routing, notifications, permissions, and other business rules.

Adoption matters as much as functionality

A help desk can have excellent features and still fail if employees don’t use it.

That’s why the employee experience matters.

Single sign-on removes another barrier to adoption because users don’t have to remember another set of credentials. Integrating the help desk with Microsoft Teams can make an even bigger difference because employees can submit and manage support requests from a tool they already use every day.

Instead of telling employees, “Go to this separate website and create a ticket,” organizations can bring support into the Microsoft environment where employees already work.

The easier it is to request help, the more likely employees are to use the formal support process.

AI is most useful when it can answer questions using your organization’s knowledge

We’ve found that one of the most practical applications of AI in a help desk is acting as a first responder.

Instead of immediately creating a ticket for every question, employees can first interact with an AI assistant that uses the organization’s own knowledge base and previously resolved tickets to provide answers.

This is important because generic AI knowledge isn’t necessarily enough to solve an organization’s specific IT problems.

An employee might ask how to connect to a company’s VPN, request access to an internal application, or troubleshoot a specific configuration. The useful answer depends on how that organization actually handles the issue.

Training the AI using the organization’s knowledge base and historical resolved tickets gives it access to that institutional knowledge.

When the AI can resolve a question, the employee gets an answer without waiting for a technician. When it can’t, the request can move into the normal ticketing process.

That makes AI a practical extension of the help desk rather than simply an additional chatbot.

Microsoft environments can vary significantly

Another lesson we’ve learned is that “Microsoft environment” doesn’t mean the same thing for every organization.

We’ve implemented NITRO Help Desk in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online environments as well as SharePoint Server on-premises, Microsoft GCC and GCC High environments, and air-gapped environments.

Organizations with very different infrastructure, security, and deployment requirements can still have the same fundamental need: a reliable way to manage support requests.

That makes flexibility important when evaluating a Microsoft help desk system. The right solution should fit the organization’s environment and requirements rather than assuming every organization can use the same deployment model.

The technology is only part of the solution

Ultimately, implementing a Microsoft help desk is not just about choosing between SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, Teams, Power Automate, or dedicated help desk software.

The bigger question is whether the organization will have a sustainable support process.

Before choosing a solution, consider:

• How will employees submit requests?
• Who will own and maintain the system?
• How will tickets be routed?
• What happens when a ticket becomes overdue?
• How will employees find answers without opening a ticket?
• How will IT measure performance?
• How much customization will the organization need?
• Who will maintain custom workflows and automations?
• How will the system adapt as the organization changes?

A Microsoft help desk should make IT support more organized, not create another application that IT has to manage.

In our experience, the best solution is one that fits the organization’s existing Microsoft environment, matches the way the organization actually works, is easy for employees to use, and can be maintained over the long term.

Can Microsoft 365 Be Used as a Help Desk System?

Yes, Microsoft 365 can be used to build a help desk, but Microsoft 365 itself is not a single, complete help desk application.

Microsoft 365 includes technologies that can support help desk processes, including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Lists, Power Automate, Outlook, and other Microsoft services.

For example:

• SharePoint can provide sites, lists, pages, document libraries, and knowledge-management capabilities.
• Microsoft Teams can provide the employee-facing collaboration and communication experience.
• Microsoft Lists can store structured request information.
• Power Automate can automate workflows and notifications.
• Outlook can provide an email-based request channel.
• Microsoft Entra ID can provide identity and user information.

Microsoft describes SharePoint and Teams as closely integrated components of Microsoft 365. Teams provides the collaboration experience while SharePoint provides sites, pages, files, and other content capabilities behind many Teams-connected environments.

The challenge is turning those individual capabilities into a complete IT service management process.

For organizations with straightforward requirements, native Microsoft tools may be sufficient. Organizations with more sophisticated requirements may benefit from dedicated Microsoft help desk software that is designed to work within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft Help Desk Options

There are several ways to implement a help desk in a Microsoft environment.

1. Microsoft Lists

Microsoft Lists can be used to create a structured list of support requests.

A basic implementation might include fields such as:

• Ticket number
• Requester
• Category
• Priority
• Assigned technician
• Status
• Description
• Date submitted
• Resolution
• Due date

This approach can work for small teams with relatively simple requirements.

However, a list by itself does not necessarily provide the complete employee portal, workflow automation, knowledge management, SLA management, reporting, routing, and service-management capabilities expected from dedicated help desk software.

2. SharePoint Help Desk

SharePoint can provide a more complete foundation for an internal help desk.

Microsoft’s IT help desk SharePoint template includes areas for tickets, devices, FAQs, documents, training, and other support resources.

A SharePoint-based help desk can be particularly attractive to organizations that already use SharePoint extensively.

The limitation is that organizations may still need to build or add functionality for advanced ticketing, automation, routing, SLAs, dashboards, and other service-management requirements.

3. Microsoft Teams Help Desk

Microsoft Teams can provide an employee-friendly front end for IT support.

Instead of asking employees to navigate to a separate help desk website, organizations can allow users to access support through Teams.

This can improve adoption because Teams is already part of the employee’s daily workflow.

However, Teams is primarily a collaboration and communication platform. A Teams channel or chat does not automatically provide the complete functionality of a professional Microsoft ticketing system.

A Microsoft Teams help desk should provide structured tickets behind the Teams interface rather than simply turning Teams conversations into an informal support queue.

4. Power Automate-Based Help Desk

Power Automate can connect Microsoft services and automate help desk processes.

For example, a workflow could:

• Create a ticket when an email arrives
• Notify an IT team
• Assign a request based on category
• Send an acknowledgement
• Escalate overdue requests
• Update a SharePoint list
• Notify a manager
• Trigger another business process

This can be powerful, but organizations should consider the long-term maintenance requirements of building a help desk from workflows and individual Microsoft services.

The more complex the help desk becomes, the more important it is to have a consistent application architecture rather than a collection of disconnected automations.

5. Dedicated Microsoft Help Desk Software

A dedicated help desk application can provide the complete ticketing and service-management layer while integrating with Microsoft 365.

This approach is often appropriate when an organization needs capabilities such as:

• Automated ticket routing
• SLAs and escalations
• Service catalogs
• Knowledge management
• Employee self-service
• Microsoft Teams integration
• Email integration
• Advanced reporting
• Workflow automation
• AI assistance
• Asset tracking
• Role-based permissions

The goal is not to replace Microsoft 365. Instead, the help desk becomes a purpose-built application that leverages the Microsoft environment employees already use.

What Features Should a Microsoft Help Desk System Have?

Not every help desk system is equally capable. When evaluating options, focus on the features that will improve both the employee experience and IT operations.

1. Ticket Management

Ticket management is the foundation of any help desk.

The system should make it easy to:

• Create tickets
• Assign tickets
• Change status
• Set priorities
• Categorize requests
• Add notes and attachments
• Track communications
• Record resolutions
• Search historical tickets

A good ticket record should provide technicians with the complete history of an issue without requiring them to search through multiple emails, Teams conversations, and documents.

2. Multiple Request Channels

Employees should have more than one way to request help.

Common channels include:

• Web portal
• Microsoft Teams
• Email
• Mobile
• Self-service portal

The important consideration is that requests from different channels should ultimately enter the same ticketing process.

An employee who sends an email should not create a separate process from an employee who submits a web form.

3. Microsoft Teams Integration

For Microsoft-centric organizations, Teams integration can be particularly valuable.

A Microsoft Teams help desk can allow employees to:

• Submit tickets
• View existing tickets
• Check status
• Search knowledge articles
• Communicate with IT
• Access support resources

IT technicians can also work with tickets without constantly switching between applications.

4. Automated Ticket Routing

Manual ticket assignment consumes valuable IT time.

A modern system can route tickets based on:

• Category
• Issue type
• Department
• Location
• Technician
• Workload
• Priority
• Availability

For example, a password-related request could automatically go to the appropriate support team while a network issue is routed to network administrators.

5. SLAs and Escalations

Service-level agreements help IT teams establish measurable expectations for responding to and resolving tickets.

A help desk system should be able to:

• Define response targets
• Define resolution targets
• Track SLA status
• Notify technicians of approaching deadlines
• Escalate overdue tickets
• Report on SLA performance

This turns IT support from an informal queue into a measurable service.

6. Knowledge Base and Self-Service

Not every issue requires a technician.

A knowledge base can help employees solve common problems themselves.

Examples include:

• Password reset instructions
• VPN troubleshooting
• Microsoft Teams problems
• Printer troubleshooting
• Software installation instructions
• Account access procedures
• Common Microsoft 365 questions

Self-service can reduce ticket volume while giving employees faster answers.

A particularly effective approach is to make knowledge available directly where employees request support.

7. Workflow Automation

Help desk automation can eliminate repetitive administrative tasks.

Examples include:

• Automatically assigning tickets
• Sending notifications
• Escalating overdue tickets
• Requesting approvals
• Updating ticket fields
• Creating subtasks
• Closing inactive tickets
• Sending satisfaction surveys

The more predictable the process, the more of it can potentially be automated.

8. Reporting and Dashboards

IT leaders need more than a list of open tickets.

A Microsoft help desk system should provide visibility into:

• Open tickets
• Closed tickets
• Tickets by priority
• Tickets by category
• Tickets by technician
• Average response time
• Average resolution time
• SLA compliance
• Ticket backlog
• Recurring issues
• Employee satisfaction

This data can help IT leaders identify bottlenecks and determine where additional automation or training may be needed.

9. AI-Powered Help Desk Capabilities

AI is becoming increasingly useful in IT support, but it should solve real operational problems rather than simply serve as a marketing feature.

Useful AI-powered help desk capabilities can include:

• Automatically categorizing tickets
• Prioritizing requests
• Summarizing ticket history
• Recommending knowledge articles
• Generating draft responses
• Identifying sentiment
• Helping technicians find solutions
• Providing employee self-service answers

For example, AI can analyze a newly submitted request and identify the likely category, priority, and relevant knowledge articles before a technician even opens the ticket.

The best implementations use AI to augment IT staff, not replace the underlying help desk process.

Microsoft Help Desk System vs. Microsoft Teams vs. SharePoint

It is easy to confuse the tools that support a Microsoft help desk with the help desk itself.

Capability	Microsoft Teams	SharePoint	Dedicated Help Desk System
Collaboration	✓	✓	✓
Document management	Limited	✓	Usually integrated
Lists/data	Limited	✓	✓
Ticket management	Limited	Can be built	✓
Automated routing	Via automation	Via automation	✓
SLA management	Requires configuration	Requires configuration	✓
Knowledge base	Can link to resources	✓	✓
Self-service	Requires configuration	✓	✓
Help desk dashboards	Requires configuration	Requires configuration	✓
Ticket automation	Via Power Automate	Via Power Automate	✓
Teams integration	Native	Native/integrated	Depends on solution
AI support	Microsoft AI capabilities	Microsoft AI capabilities	Depends on solution

The takeaway is simple: Microsoft Teams and SharePoint can be important components of a Microsoft help desk system, but they do not necessarily provide the same capabilities as dedicated help desk software.

What Is the Best Microsoft Help Desk System?

The best Microsoft help desk system depends on your organization’s requirements.

A small organization with a low volume of straightforward requests may be able to build an effective solution using Microsoft Lists, SharePoint, Teams, and Power Automate.

A larger IT department may need dedicated help desk software with more sophisticated ticket management, automation, SLAs, reporting, self-service, and AI capabilities.

When comparing solutions, ask:

Does it work with Microsoft 365?

The system should fit naturally into your existing Microsoft environment rather than creating another disconnected technology silo.

Does it integrate with Microsoft Teams?

If employees spend most of their day in Teams, support should be accessible there.

Does it use SharePoint or integrate with it?

For organizations with significant SharePoint investments, integration can make administration, permissions, content management, and user adoption easier.

Can it automate repetitive work?

Look beyond basic ticket creation. Evaluate routing, notifications, approvals, escalations, SLAs, and other workflows.

Can employees help themselves?

A strong knowledge base and self-service experience can reduce unnecessary ticket volume.

Can IT measure performance?

Make sure the system provides the reports and dashboards IT leadership needs.

Can it scale?

Consider future requirements, not just today’s ticket volume.

The right solution should support additional users, technicians, departments, workflows, and service areas without requiring the organization to rebuild the system.

Why Use a Microsoft-Native Help Desk?

There is a significant difference between a help desk that merely connects to Microsoft products and one designed around the Microsoft ecosystem.

A Microsoft-native approach can provide several advantages.

Lower application switching

Employees can access support from tools they already use.

Better integration

User information, Teams, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, email, and other systems can work together instead of operating as isolated applications.

Familiar user experience

Employees do not necessarily need to learn an entirely new platform just to request IT support.

Better use of existing investments

Organizations can extend the value of their existing Microsoft technology instead of replacing it with an unrelated platform.

Easier adoption

The less friction involved in submitting a request, the more likely employees are to use the formal support process.

NITRO Help Desk for Microsoft 365 and Teams

For organizations looking for a dedicated help desk system built around Microsoft technology, NITRO Help Desk provides a ticketing and IT service-management solution for Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Teams.

NITRO Help Desk combines ticket management, workflow automation, knowledge management, reporting, SLAs, self-service, and AI-assisted capabilities within a Microsoft-focused environment.

Features include:

• Microsoft Teams integration
• Microsoft 365 and SharePoint integration
• Ticket management
• Automated ticket routing
• Service-level agreements
• Knowledge base
• Employee self-service
• Dashboards and reporting
• Ticket automation
• AI-assisted knowledge management
• AI-assisted ticket processing
• Automated notifications
• Work and time tracking
• Parent/child tickets and subtasks

The system is designed to let organizations build a structured IT support process while continuing to use the Microsoft technologies they already have.

Is a Microsoft Help Desk Right for Your Organization?

A Microsoft help desk system is particularly useful when your organization already relies heavily on Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint and wants IT support to fit naturally into that environment.

It can be a good fit if you want to:

• Replace email-based IT support
• Move away from spreadsheets for ticket tracking
• Give employees a self-service support portal
• Bring IT support into Microsoft Teams
• Automate ticket routing
• Improve SLA management
• Build a searchable knowledge base
• Reduce repetitive work for technicians
• Improve IT reporting
• Add AI to help desk operations
• Get more value from your Microsoft investment

The key is choosing the right level of functionality.

A simple Microsoft List may be enough for a small support team with basic requirements. A larger organization may need a dedicated Microsoft help desk system that provides structured ticketing, automation, SLAs, reporting, self-service, and AI.

Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft Help Desk Systems

What is a Microsoft help desk system?

A Microsoft help desk system is software used to manage IT support requests in a Microsoft technology environment. It can integrate with Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft services to capture, route, track, and resolve support requests.

Does Microsoft have a built-in help desk system?

Microsoft provides tools that can be used to build help desk functionality, including SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, Teams, Power Automate, and other Microsoft 365 services. Microsoft also provides an IT help desk SharePoint site template. However, Microsoft 365 is not a single, fully featured IT help desk application.

Can I use SharePoint as a help desk?

Yes. SharePoint can be used as the foundation for a help desk, including lists for tickets, pages for employee resources, knowledge-base content, and other support information. More advanced capabilities such as sophisticated ticket routing, SLAs, automation, and service management may require additional configuration or dedicated help desk software.

Can Microsoft Teams be used as a help desk?

Microsoft Teams can serve as the employee-facing interface for a help desk, but Teams by itself is primarily a collaboration platform. A complete Teams help desk should connect Teams to a structured ticketing system so requests can be assigned, tracked, prioritized, and resolved.

What is the difference between a Microsoft help desk and a ticketing system?

A ticketing system primarily focuses on recording and tracking requests. A full help desk system generally adds capabilities such as self-service, knowledge management, automation, SLAs, reporting, routing, and service management.

Can a Microsoft help desk automate ticket routing?

Yes. Help desk workflows can automatically route tickets based on factors such as category, issue type, department, priority, technician, or workload.

Does a Microsoft help desk support AI?

Modern Microsoft help desk solutions can use AI for tasks such as ticket categorization, prioritization, knowledge recommendations, ticket summaries, draft responses, and self-service support. The specific capabilities depend on the help desk solution.

What should I look for in Microsoft help desk software?

Look for Microsoft 365 and Teams integration, ticket management, automated routing, workflows, SLAs, knowledge management, self-service, reporting, security, scalability, and useful AI capabilities. Also consider how much customization and ongoing administration the system requires.

The Bottom Line

A Microsoft help desk system can be much more than a place to record IT tickets.

The strongest solutions connect ticket management with the Microsoft environment employees already use. Microsoft Teams can provide a familiar support experience, SharePoint can support content and knowledge management, and Microsoft 365 can provide the foundation for identity, collaboration, automation, and integration.

For organizations with simple requirements, native Microsoft tools may provide enough functionality. For organizations that need a more complete IT service-management process, dedicated Microsoft help desk software can provide the ticketing, automation, SLA, reporting, self-service, and AI capabilities needed to run support efficiently.

The right solution should ultimately make IT support easier for employees, more efficient for technicians, and more measurable for IT leadership.

If your organization is looking for a dedicated help desk built around Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Teams, explore NITRO Help Desk to see how a Microsoft-native approach can streamline IT support.

Does Dynamics 365 Have a Ticketing System?

Yes, Dynamics 365 can be used as a ticketing system. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service provides case management capabilities for tracking customer issues from intake through resolution, including case records, queues, routing, knowledge management, SLAs, automation, and reporting.

However, whether Dynamics 365 is the right ticketing system for your organization depends on what you are trying to manage.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service is primarily designed around customer service and case management. Organizations looking for an internal IT help desk or Microsoft 365 ticketing system may have different requirements, such as employee self-service, IT request management, SharePoint integration, Microsoft Teams ticket submission, IT-specific workflows, and simpler administration.

This guide explains how Dynamics 365 works as a ticketing system, what it does well, when it makes sense, and when a dedicated Microsoft 365 help desk may be a better fit.

How Does Dynamics 365 Ticketing Work?

Dynamics 365 Customer Service includes case management functionality that can be used to create, track, route, prioritize, and resolve service tickets.

In Dynamics 365 terminology, these tickets are generally called cases.

A case represents an individual service issue that requires resolution. Dynamics 365 Customer Service can track the case throughout its lifecycle, from initial intake through resolution. Microsoft describes case management as a core part of Customer Service and provides capabilities including queues, routing rules, knowledge articles, business process flows, and service-level agreements (SLAs).

A typical Dynamics 365 ticketing workflow can look like this:

Request received → Case created → Case prioritized → Case routed → Agent investigates → Knowledge used → SLA monitored → Issue resolved → Case closed

For organizations already using Dynamics 365 Customer Service, this can provide a powerful way to manage support requests without purchasing a separate ticketing platform.

What Is a Dynamics 365 Ticketing System?

A Dynamics 365 ticketing system is a case-management solution built around Dynamics 365 Customer Service that allows organizations to manage service requests and issues.

Instead of treating every request as an email or Teams message that needs to be manually tracked, the organization creates a structured case record.

A case can contain information such as:

• Customer or requester
• Case title
• Description
• Priority
• Status
• Assigned representative
• Queue
• Activities and communications
• Related knowledge articles
• SLA information
• Resolution information

This creates a centralized record of the issue and its resolution.

Dynamics 365 also supports automated case creation, routing, queues, SLAs, and knowledge management, making it substantially more capable than simply tracking requests in email or a spreadsheet.

Key Dynamics 365 Ticketing System Features

If you’re evaluating Dynamics 365 as a ticketing system, these are the capabilities that matter most.

1. Case Management

Case management is the foundation of Dynamics 365 Customer Service.

Each customer issue can be represented by a case and tracked through its lifecycle.

Teams can view active cases, update priority and status, assign ownership, add information, associate related records, and resolve cases when the issue is complete.

This provides a structured alternative to managing support requests through email alone.

2. Ticket Routing

Dynamics 365 can automatically route cases to the appropriate queue or representative.

Routing rules can evaluate conditions and send cases to the appropriate destination without requiring an employee to manually distribute every ticket. Microsoft also provides unified routing capabilities designed to intelligently classify and assign incoming work items.

For example, an organization could route:

• Password issues → IT Support
• Hardware requests → Desktop Support
• Application problems → Application Support
• Customer billing issues → Finance
• High-priority issues → Senior Support

3. Queues

Queues allow teams to organize cases and determine which group should handle them.

A case can be added to a queue and subsequently routed according to configured routing rules.

Queues become particularly useful for organizations with multiple service teams or specialized support groups.

4. Service-Level Agreements

Dynamics 365 Customer Service supports SLAs for measuring and managing service commitments.

Organizations can configure SLA KPIs around metrics such as response and resolution times and use SLA timers, warnings, and breach conditions to monitor service performance.

For example:

Priority 1: Respond within 30 minutes
Priority 2: Respond within 2 hours
Priority 3: Respond within 8 business hours

This makes Dynamics 365 significantly more capable than a basic ticket-tracking application.

5. Knowledge Management

Dynamics 365 Customer Service includes a knowledge base that representatives can use to find information to help resolve cases.

Knowledge articles can help support teams provide more consistent answers and reduce the amount of time spent solving recurring issues. Microsoft also describes knowledge management as part of the broader case-to-resolution process.

6. Automation

Dynamics 365 can automate portions of the case lifecycle.

For example, organizations can automate processes around:

• Case creation
• Routing
• Assignment
• Notifications
• Escalations
• SLA monitoring
• Case updates
• Resolution processes

This is particularly valuable when an organization receives a large volume of support requests.

7. AI-Assisted Support

Microsoft continues to add AI capabilities to Dynamics 365 Customer Service.

For example, Dynamics 365 can provide AI-generated case summaries to help representatives understand the important details of an issue more quickly. Microsoft’s 2026 roadmap also positions Customer Service as an increasingly AI-focused service platform.

Is Dynamics 365 a Good IT Help Desk?

It can be, but it isn’t automatically the best choice for every IT help desk.

This distinction is important.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service is designed primarily for customer service and case management. An internal IT department may instead need a platform specifically designed around employee support and IT service management.

For example, an internal IT help desk may need:

• Employee self-service
• IT service requests
• Password and access requests
• Hardware requests
• Software requests
• Equipment tracking
• Approval workflows
• IT-specific ticket categories
• Microsoft Teams ticket submission
• SharePoint integration
• Automated escalations
• Knowledge management
• Service-level agreements
• Department-specific workflows

Dynamics 365 can be configured to support many business processes, but organizations should evaluate whether they actually need the broader customer-service capabilities of Dynamics 365.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service vs. a Dedicated IT Help Desk

The most important question isn’t whether Dynamics 365 can manage tickets.

It can.

The better question is:

Is Dynamics 365 the best ticketing platform for the type of support your organization provides?

The right choice depends on the organization’s requirements.

When Should You Use Dynamics 365 for Ticketing?

Dynamics 365 can be an excellent choice when customer service is the primary objective.

Consider Dynamics 365 Customer Service if your organization:

• Already uses Dynamics 365 extensively
• Needs CRM and customer service in the same platform
• Manages customer-facing cases
• Needs sophisticated customer-service workflows
• Requires omnichannel customer interactions
• Needs detailed customer records connected to support cases
• Wants customer service and CRM data in the same ecosystem
• Has the resources to configure and administer Dynamics 365

For these organizations, adding a separate ticketing platform may create unnecessary complexity.

When Should You Consider a Different Ticketing System?

A dedicated ticketing or help desk platform may make more sense when the primary requirement is internal IT support rather than customer relationship management.

Consider another solution if your organization needs:

• A simple employee help desk
• Microsoft Teams-based ticket submission
• SharePoint-based ticket management
• Employee self-service
• IT request forms
• Department-specific service requests
• Approval workflows
• IT-specific automation
• A simpler implementation
• Lower administrative overhead
• A ticketing system designed specifically for Microsoft 365

For organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365, a Microsoft-native ticketing solution can be particularly attractive.

What About a Microsoft 365 Ticketing System?

Organizations don’t necessarily have to choose between Dynamics 365 and traditional third-party help desk software.

Microsoft 365 provides a foundation for building and running business applications using technologies such as:

• SharePoint
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft Power Platform
• Microsoft Forms
• Power Automate
• Power Apps

These tools can be combined to create ticketing workflows.

For a deeper comparison, see our guide to Microsoft 365 ticketing systems.

However, building a ticketing system yourself can require significant design, configuration, testing, maintenance, and administration.

That’s why some organizations choose a purpose-built Microsoft 365 help desk instead.

Dynamics 365 vs. Microsoft 365 Ticketing

The distinction is often less about which technology is “better” and more about what the organization is trying to accomplish.

Choose Dynamics 365 when:

CRM and customer service are central to your requirements.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service provides a robust case-management platform designed around customer interactions, customer records, service processes, routing, knowledge management, and SLAs.

Consider Microsoft 365 ticketing when:

Your primary requirement is internal service management within the Microsoft 365 environment.

A Microsoft 365 (M365) ticketing solution can provide a more focused experience for employees and IT teams while leveraging the Microsoft technologies your organization already uses.

Can Dynamics 365 Work With Microsoft Teams?

Yes.

Organizations can integrate Dynamics 365 Customer Service with Microsoft technologies and channels to support service operations.

However, integrating a ticketing system with Teams and making Teams the actual employee support experience are not necessarily the same thing.

For an internal IT help desk, employees may want to:

1. Open Teams
2. Submit a request
3. Check ticket status
4. Respond to support
5. Receive notifications
6. Search the knowledge base

without having to work directly inside a CRM-oriented interface.

That distinction should be considered when evaluating Dynamics 365 for IT support.

What Is the Best Alternative to Dynamics 365 for a Microsoft 365 Help Desk?

For organizations that want an IT help desk built around Microsoft 365, NITRO Help Desk is an option worth evaluating.

NITRO Help Desk is designed for organizations that want ticket management, workflows, automation, reporting, self-service, and help desk functionality within the Microsoft ecosystem.

It integrates with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams, allowing organizations to build a help desk experience around technologies they already use.

This can be particularly relevant for organizations that want to avoid implementing a full CRM platform simply to manage internal IT tickets.

Learn more about NITRO Help Desk →

Dynamics 365 Ticketing System: Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dynamics 365 have a ticketing system?

Yes. Dynamics 365 Customer Service provides case-management functionality that can be used as a ticketing system. Cases can be created, assigned, routed, prioritized, monitored against SLAs, worked by service representatives, and resolved.

What is a ticket called in Dynamics 365?

A ticket is generally represented as a case in Dynamics 365 Customer Service. A case tracks an individual customer service issue or request through its lifecycle.

Is Dynamics 365 good for IT help desk?

It can be, but it depends on the organization’s requirements. Dynamics 365 Customer Service is designed primarily for customer service and case management. Organizations focused primarily on internal IT support should compare it with dedicated IT help desk platforms before choosing a solution.

Can Dynamics 365 manage SLAs?

Yes. Dynamics 365 Customer Service supports service-level agreements and SLA KPIs, including response and resolution targets.

Can Dynamics 365 automatically route tickets?

Yes. Dynamics 365 Customer Service supports routing rules and unified routing capabilities that can automatically assign cases to queues or representatives based on configured criteria.

Can Dynamics 365 be used for internal employee tickets?

Yes. Dynamics 365 can be configured for employee and internal service scenarios. However, organizations should determine whether its customer-service capabilities and implementation requirements are appropriate for their internal IT support needs.

Is Dynamics 365 the same as an IT service desk?

No. Dynamics 365 Customer Service is a customer-service and case-management platform. An IT service desk is specifically designed around internal technology support, IT requests, incidents, service requests, and related workflows.

What is the best Dynamics 365 alternative for IT help desk?

The best alternative depends on the organization’s requirements. Organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365 may want to evaluate a Microsoft 365-native help desk such as NITRO Help Desk alongside traditional IT service management platforms.

How to Choose a Dynamics 365 Ticketing System

Before selecting a ticketing platform, evaluate these areas:

1. Ticket intake

How will users create tickets?

• Email
• Web forms
• Microsoft Teams
• Self-service portal
• Phone
• Automated workflows

2. Ticket management

Can your team easily:

• Assign tickets?
• Prioritize tickets?
• Categorize tickets?
• Escalate tickets?
• Track status?
• Search historical tickets?

3. Automation

Look for automation capabilities that eliminate repetitive manual work.

4. SLAs

Make sure the system can measure response and resolution commitments and alert teams before SLAs are breached.

5. Knowledge management

A strong knowledge base can help employees resolve common issues without submitting a ticket.

6. Reporting

Your help desk should make it easy to answer questions such as:

• How many tickets did we receive?
• What issues occur most frequently?
• How quickly are tickets resolved?
• Which teams have the largest backlog?
• Are we meeting our SLAs?

7. Microsoft 365 integration

If your organization already uses Microsoft 365, evaluate how naturally the ticketing system works with:

• Microsoft Teams
• SharePoint
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Outlook
• Power Automate
• Microsoft 365

8. Deployment and security requirements

Organizations with strict security or compliance requirements should also evaluate:

• Cloud deployment
• Customer-hosted deployment
• SharePoint Server/on-premises support
• Dedicated environments
• Air-gapped environments
• Identity and access controls
• Compliance requirements

The Bottom Line

Dynamics 365 Customer Service is a powerful case-management platform that can function as a ticketing system. It provides case management, routing, queues, knowledge management, automation, SLAs, and AI-assisted capabilities for managing service issues.

But a Dynamics 365 ticketing system isn’t necessarily the best choice for every organization.

If your primary requirement is customer service and CRM, Dynamics 365 Customer Service may be an excellent fit.

If your primary requirement is internal IT support within Microsoft 365, compare Dynamics 365 with dedicated Microsoft 365 help desk solutions. The right platform should match your users, workflows, integrations, security requirements, and level of complexity.

Looking for an IT help desk built for Microsoft 365? Explore NITRO Help Desk →