Microsoft Forms file upload is greyed out for outside people

Upload file is greyed out because the form is set to Anyone can respond. Change Who can respond to Only people in my organization or Specific people in my organization and the question type turns on. If the people sending files are outside your company, one way to start is a file request link or plain email, both covered below. The exact names of menus and buttons may differ from what is written here, because Microsoft changes its screens from time to time.

Why the option is greyed out

Microsoft's help page for file upload questions says: "File upload is only available when 'Only people in my organization can respond' or 'Specific people in my organization can respond' is the selected setting." A form that anyone can open does not meet that rule, so the Upload file choice is greyed out.

A Microsoft Q&A answer to a person with this exact problem says the same thing: file upload works only for the two organization settings, and there is no admin setting that turns it on for anonymous people. The answer suggests a file request link as the workaround. That is the path this guide follows.

Three other facts from Microsoft's help page are worth knowing:

Uploaded files go to OneDrive for Business. Microsoft's page gives the path: Files, then Apps, then Microsoft Forms, then the folder matching the name of your form.
If your SharePoint site moves to a different domain, Microsoft says existing file upload questions stop working and you must recreate them in the new domain.
Personal forms with Microsoft Information Barrier turned on cannot include file upload questions. The page suggests a group form instead.

Audience setting and upload

Who can respond | Upload file question

Anyone can respond | Greyed out

Only people in my organization can respond | Available

Specific people in my organization can respond | Available

When you open the Collect responses panel, look for these audience choices as a short list of options with one selected. The selected one is the one that decides whether Upload file is available.

Signs this is your problem

You set the form to "Anyone can respond" and the Upload file question is greyed out.
Outside people, such as customers or contractors, cannot open the form without signing in.
Your team asks people to reply by email with attachments, and the files end up in several inboxes.

Choose your path

There are three options. Pick the one that fits who is sending files.

People inside your company only: keep the form on an organization setting and use the Upload file question.
Anyone outside, no sign-in: use a file request link (Option 2 below).
Very few files, no admin change: use email (Option 3 below).

Option 1. Use the Upload file question for inside people

Open your form in Microsoft Forms.
Select Add new question, then More question types, then Upload file.
Type the question text.
Set the file number limit and the single file size limit. Microsoft's page lists up to 10 files per question and a size choice of 10 MB, 100 MB or 1 GB per file.
Turn on Required if every person must send a file.
Under More settings for question, choose the file types you allow. The page lists Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, pictures, video and audio.
Use Preview to see what responders see. The upload button is inactive for you as the author while you edit, and it becomes active in Preview and for responders. If you see a button that looks inactive, you are not locked out. Open Preview to see it working.

Option 2. Collect files from outside people with a file request

A file request gives an upload-only link to a folder in OneDrive or SharePoint. Microsoft's help page says people with the link do not need OneDrive. They can only upload. They cannot view, edit, delete or download files in the folder, and they cannot see who else has uploaded.

To create one:

In OneDrive, open the folder where you want the files to land.
Select Request files.
Under "What files are you requesting", type a clear name. People who open the link see this name. Example: "Signed contract and photo ID copy for Order 1042".
Select Next.
Select Copy link to share it yourself, or enter email addresses and a short message and let OneDrive send it.
Select Done.

Microsoft's page describes the request in OneDrive.

What the person on the other end does:

Open the link and select Select files. Use Add more files to add others.
Select Upload.
Wait for the success message.

If the person is not signed in, the page asks for a first and last name. Microsoft says these are not verified. Do not treat that name as proof of who sent the file.

Where the files go

All files go into the one folder you picked.
Each file name gets a prefix that identifies who uploaded it.
If two files have the same name, OneDrive adds a number to the second file's name.
You get an email notification when files are uploaded.

What your admin must allow

This is the step that can block a file request. Two Microsoft pages say what is needed:

Microsoft's help page says your administrator must enable the Request files feature.
Microsoft's admin page says file requests need the OneDrive external sharing setting set to Anyone, and edit permission turned on for Anyone links. Any other OneDrive setting turns file requests off. For folders, the Anyone link permission must be View, edit, and upload, or View and upload.

If you see no Request files button, send your admin those two points. They can read the admin page listed under SOURCES. Whether Anyone links are a good idea for your company is a decision for your admin. It is a security choice, so do not change it just to make one form work.

Put the pieces together

One way to start, and this is our advice, not a Microsoft rule:

Build your form with the questions that do not need files, and set it to the response setting you need.
Create the file request for a folder used only for this purpose.
Add the link and a one-line instruction in the form description or in the message you send with the form. Example: "After you submit, upload your documents here."
Ask people to put the same reference, such as an order number, in the form and in the file request name, so you can match them.

The form and the files stay separate. You match them yourself by that shared reference. If you need the form answers and the files to live together in one record, see "Save Microsoft Forms answers to a SharePoint list" for the form side.

Option 3. Use email

Email is the simplest way and it needs no admin change. Give people one address that your team watches, and tell them exactly what to attach. It has costs: files land in one inbox, names are messy, and someone must save each file by hand. If the volume is small, this may be enough. If it grows, move to a file request.

What to avoid

Do not weaken your company sharing settings only to enable one form. Ask your admin first.
Do not expect the Upload file question to appear after you pick "Anyone can respond". It will stay greyed out.
Do not treat the unverified name on a file request as proof of identity.
Do not use one folder for unrelated requests. Make one request per purpose, so you can delete one link without affecting others.
Do not ask for very sensitive documents through a link you cannot control. Decide with your admin what is allowed.
Do not forget to stop old requests. In Microsoft's page, you open the folder, select the three dots, select Manage Access and delete the link. Deleting it cannot be undone, and you need a new request to collect files again.

Honest limits

A file request does not read, sort or approve what people send. It also does not connect to your form answers by itself. Your admin controls whether it exists at all. If your company does not allow Anyone links, outside people cannot use this route without signing in, and email may be your only choice.

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Why is Upload file greyed out in Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft says the question type is available only when responses are limited to people in your organization. If the form lets anyone respond, the option is greyed out.

Can you upload a file in Microsoft Forms?

Yes, with the Upload file question, up to 10 files per question and 10 MB, 100 MB or 1 GB per file, for organization-only forms.

The Upload file button looks inactive for me. Is it broken?

Microsoft says the button is inactive for you as the author and active for responders. Open Preview to see it active.

Upload questions stopped working after a SharePoint move. Why?

Microsoft says that if your SharePoint site moves to a different domain, existing file upload questions stop working. Recreate them in the new domain.

Where do uploaded files go?

Microsoft says they are in OneDrive for Business, under Apps, then Microsoft Forms, then the folder matching the name of your form.