Public-Facing Forms That Don’t Compromise on Security

The Hidden Risks of External Data Collection 

Public-facing data collection is a necessity for governments, municipalities, educational institutions, and other service-driven sectors. Whether it’s citizen feedback, permit requests, or job applications, organizations often default to third-party tools to get the job done. But what seems like a convenient solution often introduces significant risk.  

Most external form tools, such as Typeform or Jotform store forms data outside of your Microsoft 365 tenant. This creates serious governance challenges. You lose visibility into where the data is stored, how it's accessed, and whether it aligns with your compliance policies. Even seemingly minor issues like spam, form hijacking, or unsecure file uploads can become operational threats, especially for agencies tasked with safeguarding public trust and sensitive data. 

Often times, Forms responses are stored in the Forms backend, not SharePoint, and public links are subject to abuse without proper protections. Tools like Power Apps, while powerful, require licensing and expertise that many departments don’t have. There’s a clear need for a secure, Microsoft-native alternative that doesn’t sacrifice control. 

Why Public Forms Is Different 

SnapOn Software's Public Forms addresses this gap head-on by enabling external form access without compromising compliance. It’s a SharePoint-native solution that lets organizations publish forms to the public—without requiring sign-in, external hosting, or complex infrastructure. Everything stays inside your existing Microsoft 365 environment. 

Public Forms allows external users (e.g., citizens, vendors, applicants) to submit data anonymously through forms that are fully embeddable, mobile-optimized, and brandable. Unlike Microsoft Forms, all data—including uploaded files, photos, or annotations—is stored directly in SharePoint, where your existing permissions, retention policies, and audit trails apply. 

It includes key safeguards like: 

• Human verification to reduce spam 
• Secure file uploads to SharePoint 
• Custom redirects after submission 
• Full audit visibility for every response 

This makes Public Forms ideal for regulated environments that need to maintain tight control over intake processes while still delivering a seamless experience to the public. 

A Real-World Scenario: QR to Resolution 

Imagine a resident seeing a broken streetlight and scanning a QR code on the pole. The form opens instantly on their phone, no login required. They fill in a short description, take a photo, and hit submit. 

Immediately, the submission is routed to a SharePoint list and a Power Automate workflow kicks off, alerting city staff through Teams and assigning a maintenance task. The resident even receives an automated follow-up when the issue is resolved. 

There’s no email trail, no external platform to log into, and no question about where the data went. Everything is visible, auditable, and contained within Microsoft 365. 

Get started with SharePoint-integrated Power Automate or SnapOn Workflows from the data a Public Form collects. 

Why It Matters 

For public sector teams and other regulated organizations, security isn’t a checkbox—it’s a mandate. But too often, data collection tools operate in silos, with disconnected systems and little accountability. 

Public Forms brings external intake into the Microsoft 365 environment you're already using and securing. It gives your team the power to say yes to external engagement—without giving up control. 

Every submission stays within your Microsoft 365 boundary. Every upload is subject to your organization’s policies. And every step—from capture to workflow—is trackable in SharePoint and Teams. 

Request a Demo of secure, SharePoint-native Public Forms for external data collection without compliance risk.