> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs2.ahaslides.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Create and Configure a Poll Slide in AhaSlides

> Create live polls in AhaSlides with up to 30 answer options, bar or pie chart results, timers, and correct-answer reveals — all updating in real time.

A Poll slide lets your audience vote on a question with preset answer choices. Results update live on the presenter's screen as votes come in, displayed as a bar, donut, or pie chart.

## Creating a Poll Slide

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a new slide">
    In the slide editor, click the **+** button to add a new slide to your presentation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Poll">
    Choose **Poll** from the list of slide types.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Type your question">
    Enter your question in the question field at the top of the slide.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add answer options">
    Type each answer choice into the option fields. You can add up to **30 answer options** per poll.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload images to options (optional)">
    Click the image icon next to any option to upload a photo. This is useful when comparing visual choices such as product designs or locations.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Your poll is ready. Click **Save** or continue configuring settings before presenting.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Poll Settings

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Chart Layout">
    Choose how your results are displayed to the audience. Select from **Bar Chart**, **Donut Chart**, or **Pie Chart**. Bar charts work well for many options; donut and pie charts are cleaner for three to five options.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Multi-Select">
    Enable **Multi-Select** to allow participants to choose more than one answer. When active, participants can pick as many options as you specify. Useful for "select all that apply" questions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Correct Answer">
    Mark one or more options as correct. The correct answer is not shown to participants until you choose to reveal it — useful for knowledge-check polls or trivia moments during a session.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Show Percentages">
    Display the percentage breakdown alongside raw vote counts. Helps audiences quickly interpret results, especially on polls with many options or large participant counts.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Show Results on Phones">
    Show live results on participants' devices as votes come in, in addition to the presenter screen. Disable this if you want to reveal results dramatically at the end.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Time Limit">
    Set a countdown timer in seconds. When the timer reaches zero, submissions close automatically and the results lock. Leave this off for open-ended group discussions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Close Submissions">
    Manually stop accepting responses at any point during presenting by toggling **Close Submissions**. Use this when you're ready to move on regardless of the timer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Hide Results">
    Keep results hidden from the audience until you decide to reveal them. The presenter screen continues to show incoming results, but the audience sees only the question and options.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Tips for Effective Polls

<Tip>
  A well-designed poll gets higher response rates and more useful data. Keep these points in mind:

  * **Keep options distinct** — overlapping answer choices cause confusion and split votes in ways that are hard to interpret.
  * **Use images when comparing visual options** — attaching images to options (e.g. logo variants, design mockups, photo choices) makes the comparison immediate and clear.
  * **Enable percentages for clarity** — raw vote numbers can be misleading in large or small groups; percentages let everyone understand the spread at a glance.
  * **Use self-paced mode for async surveys** — if you're sharing your presentation as a self-paced link rather than hosting live, polls still collect responses and aggregate results the same way.
  * **Limit to 5–7 options for live sessions** — fewer choices reduce cognitive load and speed up voting, keeping the energy of your session high.
</Tip>

<Note>
  Polls are included in the free plan. However, the free plan allows up to **3 Poll-type slides** per presentation at full participant capacity. If you exceed this limit, participant capacity for additional Poll slides drops to **3 participants**. Word Cloud and Open Ended slides also count toward this limit.
</Note>