By Karl Lehnert, Director, DevProStudio
Published 22 July 2026. Karl Lehnert is Director of DevProStudio, the Australian AI engineering business behind devproai.com.au content on custom AI apps and workflow automation.
A lot of Australian SMEs still collect important information through email attachments, spreadsheet links, website forms, PDF downloads and forwarded inboxes. It starts with a customer enquiry, contractor form, supplier update, safety checklist or booking request. Then someone asks: where does that data actually go? If the answer is “an inbox, then someone copies it into SharePoint later”, the form is not the workflow. It is the first leak in the workflow.
The search phrase is usually “public SharePoint form” or “SharePoint form without Microsoft login”, but the real question is operational: how do you collect external data without turning email into the database? Forms365 Web is one option. A custom app is another. The right answer depends on data sensitivity, workflow depth and who must maintain it.
Why external SharePoint forms are still awkward
SharePoint is a sensible place for many SME records. It already sits inside Microsoft 365, with permissions, lists, version history, retention options and Power Automate triggers. The awkward part is intake.
A normal SharePoint list form is designed for authenticated users. That works for staff, but not for customers, suppliers, subcontractors, tenants, franchisees or event attendees. Those people should not need a Microsoft login just to send you a form.
The common workaround is a standalone form tool, email submissions, and a connection or copy step back to SharePoint. It works for a while, but creates extra places for personal information, extra credentials to govern, and extra failure points when a field changes. Forms365 Web takes a narrower path: publish a public URL, let external people complete it in a browser, and save responses to SharePoint.
Which tools solve the external intake problem?
Forms365 says Forms365 Web publishes public forms, accepts respondents without a Microsoft account, and saves submissions to SharePoint. Its public pages also say Web pricing starts with a free tier, paid Web plans begin at USD $49 per month, and submissions go directly into the customer’s Microsoft 365 tenant with no Forms365 copy of submitted data. Sources: https://forms365.ai/, https://forms365.ai/pricing/ and https://forms365.ai/security/.
That is not the only path. Power Apps can suit internal apps but needs licensing and design effort. Jotform, Typeform, Cognito Forms and Formstack are useful general public form tools, but check whether SharePoint is native or requires a connector/sync step. A custom AI app makes sense when the form also needs classification, document generation, private model handling, role-based workflow or non-Microsoft integrations.
Comparison snapshot: Forms365 Web is strongest when SharePoint is the record store; Power Apps is strongest for richer internal Microsoft 365 apps; Jotform/Typeform are fastest for general public forms; custom apps are best when the intake flow is part of a larger operating system. Prices and data locations vary, so verify the current vendor pages before buying.
Where AI-assisted form design helps
AI is useful in forms when it shortens the distance between a business process and a structured data model.
DevProStudio checks whether the form maps to clear SharePoint column types, whether conditional questions reduce noise, who owns each field, and what happens after submission: notification, PDF, review queue, task or integration. AI-assisted form generation can help, but it should not replace process design. A messy intake process becomes a messy digital intake process quickly.
Cost guidance: Forms365 Web, Power Apps or custom app?
Start with the job, then price the tool. If you mainly need an external public form that saves to SharePoint, a form-specific product is usually the first option to price. Forms365 Web lists a free tier, then paid plans from USD $49, $99 and $199 per month depending on response volume. Those prices are published in USD; Australian buyers should convert at the current exchange rate and allow for tax, card fees and annual terms. Forms365 Workspace, for internal SharePoint forms, starts at USD $149 per month per tenant for up to 25 users. Microsoft publishes separate Power Apps pricing at https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/power-platform/products/power-apps/pricing, so check users, environments and connector needs.
If the form needs industry-specific workflow, AI classification, document generation, approvals, integration with non-Microsoft systems, or a private AI stack, DevProStudio would normally consider a custom AI app, AI workflow automation or a custom SaaS feature. The better question is: what is the smallest governed system that will still be maintainable in 12 months?
Australian privacy and governance checks
The OAIC describes the Australian Privacy Principles as the cornerstone of the Privacy Act privacy protection framework for covered organisations: https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles. Some small businesses fall outside parts of the Privacy Act, but that exemption is not a licence to be loose with customer data. If a form-related incident is likely to cause serious harm, the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme may become relevant for covered organisations. Queensland government-adjacent work may also raise Information Privacy Act expectations; financial services readers should consider APRA CPS 234. Public forms should also meet practical accessibility expectations under the Disability Discrimination Act, with WCAG 2.2 AA as a sensible benchmark.
For public forms, ask five plain questions before publishing:
- What personal information are we collecting, and do we genuinely need it?
- Does the form explain the purpose clearly enough for the person submitting it?
- Where is the data stored after submission?
- Who can access the SharePoint list, attachments and any generated notifications?
- What happens when the information is no longer needed?
Saving to SharePoint is helpful only if the list is governed properly. Use a dedicated list, owner group, sensitivity labels where appropriate, retention settings and a clear review process. Also watch notifications: a form can save safely to SharePoint and still leak data if the follow-up email includes every submitted field. Send a concise alert and link authorised staff back to the record.
A worked implementation pattern
Example pattern, not a client case study.
For a construction contractor onboarding form, create a private SharePoint site called Supplier Governance and a list called Contractor Intake. Columns might include Supplier Name, ABN, Contact Email, Trade Category, Insurance Expiry, SWMS Received, Licence Checked, Consent Captured, Review Owner, Review Status, Risk Notes and Retention Date. This gives WHS and project-admin teams a clearer record than inbox attachments.
The Power Automate flow can trigger when a new item is created, check whether insurance and consent are present, create a Planner task for the review owner, and send only a short notification email with a SharePoint link. Use a dedicated Owners group, a Reviewers group and no broad all-staff access. Label the list according to the business retention policy.
FAQ
Can external users submit a SharePoint form without a Microsoft account?
Usually no. Standard SharePoint list forms are built around authenticated access. Forms365 Web addresses that gap with a public form URL and SharePoint-backed submissions.
Is Forms365 Web an AI form builder?
It can assist with form generation, but treat AI as a drafting aid. The business still needs to approve field purpose, privacy wording, validation and the post-submit workflow.
Where does Forms365 Web store form data?
Forms365 security material says submissions save directly into SharePoint lists inside the customer’s Microsoft 365 tenant, with no Forms365 copy of submitted data. SharePoint permissions still decide who can see it.
When should I choose a custom AI app instead of Forms365 Web?
Choose a custom AI app when the intake form is just one step in a larger workflow: complex roles, multiple systems, AI classification, document generation, approval states or private model requirements.
How do you collect customer data through SharePoint without a login?
If your business is collecting customer, supplier or contractor information through email-heavy forms, DevProStudio can help map the right path: Forms365 Web, a custom SharePoint-backed workflow, or a broader custom AI app where the process genuinely needs it. Start with the data path, then choose the tool.
Contact DevProStudio to review your form workflow, especially if the right answer may be Forms365 Web plus governance, or a broader custom AI app.