Guides

Practical guides for better polls

Short, specific write-ups on the settings, templates, sharing and results of a votemaker.cc poll — plus how to write a question people actually answer.

Basics

How to create a poll people actually answer

The five-minute setup behind a poll that collects finished votes instead of silence: one clear decision, parallel options and a deadline.

6 min read Features

Every poll setting, explained

A reference to the switches in the poll editor: what each one changes for voters, and which ones are worth thinking about twice.

7 min read Templates

Choosing a poll template

Nine templates, two content modes, one decision: what the voting page looks like when someone opens your link.

5 min read Features

Creating an image poll

When pictures make the question clearer, how to upload them, and what to keep consistent across options.

5 min read Sharing

Embedding a poll in your own page

The iframe snippet, how to size it, and what happens to voting and results inside the frame.

6 min read Results

Exporting poll results

PDF, Word, Excel or CSV — what each export contains, who can download it, and why the number you quote should come from a file.

5 min read Results

Watching votes arrive in real time

The results page refreshes itself, Live mode is built for a projector, and both respect who is allowed to see the numbers.

5 min read Account

Accounts, My Polls and My Votes

What registering adds, where your polls and votes live, and how the browser-side vote list differs from the account one.

6 min read Writing

Writing poll questions and options that work

Small wording choices decide whether people understand the poll the first time — and whether the result means anything.

5 min read Rules

Single choice vs multiple choice: picking the right format

Two formats, two different readings. Choose by what you plan to do with the result, not by what feels more flexible.

5 min read Sharing

Sharing a poll: link, QR code or embed

Three ways out of the same poll, each fitting a different audience. Pick the one that shortens the path to a vote.

6 min read Results

Reading poll results without fooling yourself

A live tally looks like an answer. Here is what it actually tells you — and the four ways it misleads.

7 min read Privacy

Anonymous voting: what it hides and what it does not

Anonymous polls protect the voter’s identity, not the poll’s integrity. Both halves of that sentence matter.

5 min read Teams

Running a group decision in two rounds

One poll usually produces a winner nobody loves. A cheap shortlist round fixes most of it.

6 min read Troubleshooting

Why a poll got no votes, and how to fix it

Silence is rarely a comment on your question. Here are the usual causes, roughly in order of frequency.

5 min read

Still stuck on something specific? The FAQ covers the short answers, and you can contact us any time.

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