Do you host regular Zoom meetings? Want to make them more interactive? Adding polls is an easy way to boost engagement.
Polls let you survey your participants in real-time. They are perfect for:
- Getting quick feedback
- Interactive presentations
- Consensus building
- Quizzes and teaching
But Zoom‘s native polling has some catches. Unlike generics features like screen sharing or chat, it is only available to paid subscribers. And polls can only be created on the desktop.
No worries! In this guide, I‘ll give you a step-by-step walkthrough for setting up polls in Zoom, with plenty of examples and troubleshooting advice.
By the end, you‘ll have the confidence to make your next meeting fun and engaging with polls!
Zoom Poll Basics
Before we dig into the how-to, let‘s quickly cover the key capabilities offered by Zoom‘s poll feature:
Poll Types
- Single choice (pick one)
- Multiple choice (pick many)
- Ranking polls
- Rating scales
- Text response
Setup
- Create polls beforehand or ad-hoc
- Launch to meeting participants
- View live updating results
Limitations
- Requires paid Zoom license
- Desktop app required for creation
- Polls per meeting: 50
- Questions per poll: 10
Now that you know the basics, let‘s go over the prerequisites.
Zoom Poll Prerequisites
Zoom polls require a bit of setup. Before you can create your first poll, you‘ll need:
A Paid Zoom Account
Zoom polling is only included in these tiers:
| Plan | Polling Support |
|---|---|
| Basic | ❌ |
| Pro | ✅ |
| Business | ✅ |
| Enterprise | ✅ |
So if you currently use Zoom‘s free tier, you‘ll need to upgrade to enable polls.
Desktop App Version 5.3.0+
The Zoom desktop app must be upgraded to v5.3.0 or later to access poll creation and management.
- Mobile apps do not support creating polls, only participating.
Enable Polling in Settings
Even with a paid account, the polling feature remains disabled by default. So you‘ll need to enable it under the "Meetings" tab in your Zoom account settings online.
If you meet these requirements, you‘re ready to start creating polls!
Create a Poll in Zoom Before Your Meeting
The easiest way to prepare a poll is in advance of your meeting. Just follow these steps:
First, log into the Zoom Portal in your browser…
Step 1) Schedule a Meeting
Click on "Meetings" and schedule a new meeting if you don‘t already have an upcoming session.
Take note of the meeting ID number – you will need this later.
Step 2) Open Meeting Polls Tab
From your meeting page, click on the "Polls/Quizzes" tab next to info.
This is where you access poll creation and management.
Step 3) Click "Create Poll"
Select the blue "+" button labeled "Create."
A pop-up window will appear to setup your poll.
Step 4) Choose Poll Type
You have two options when creating a poll – basic or advanced.
Basic is good for quick yes/no questions or simple A/B/C multiple choice.
Advanced unlocks more complex poll types like ranking, rating, matching, or text response.
For this example, let‘s click "Poll" to create a basic multiple choice poll.
Step 5) Name and Add Questions
Give your poll a name at the top – this makes it easy to identify later.
Then use the + buttons to add questions and answers choices.
Add more questions or choices by selecting "+ Add Question" or "+ Add Choice" at the bottom.
Step 6) Click Save
When finished, click the blue "Save" button at the bottom to save your poll.
Now your poll is ready to use in your upcoming meeting!
Launching a Poll in a Zoom Meeting
When you start the meeting you created polls for, launching them to participants takes just a couple clicks:
Step 1) Start Meeting
Launch your scheduled Zoom meeting from the desktop app.
Make sure you are starting using the meeting ID that you created polls for.
Step 2) Open Polls Window
From the Zoom meeting controls at bottom, click "Polls."
This opens the polls manager.
Step 3) Select and Launch Your Poll
Choose your saved poll from the dropdown and click "Launch Polling."
Once launched, the poll appears immediately on all participants‘ screens.
Now just watch the live results come in! When you‘re finished discussing, close the poll and optionally share results.
Alternative Poll Options
What if you want to conduct a quick poll without the setup? Or have issues with Zoom‘s native tools?
Third party polling apps for Zoom provide added flexibility:
- Free basic plan
- Audiences vote at pollev.com/myname
- Share poll via Zoom chat
- Create word clouds
- Quiz modes
- 14 languages
- Polls embedded on PowerPoint slides
- Works seamlessly in Zoom meetings
- 28 poll & survey templates
While external polls require an extra step for audiences to open their web browser, they offer polling without any Zoom signup or install. Try them out as an easy alternative if you have issues with limitations of native Zoom tools.
Troubleshooting Zoom Polls
Can‘t get your poll working in Zoom? Try these troubleshooting tips.
Gray Polls Icon
If polls are grayed out during your meeting, make sure:
- Your Zoom account has an active Paid license
- The desktop app is updated to v5.3.0 or later
- Polling is enabled in Account Settings > Meetings
Unable To Create Poll
If you can‘t access poll creation:
- Try logging out and back into the Zoom web portal
- Use a browser popup blocker in case creation window blocked
- Verify your meeting ID matches license owner
Participants Can‘t See Poll
If meeting attendees don‘t see an active poll, check:
- You clicked the blue "Launch Polling" button after selecting it
- You have host/co-host controls to launch polls in a meeting
Best Practices For Zoom Polls
Now that you know how to create interactive Zoom polls, here are some pro tips:
Introduce the Poll Before Launching
Give a quick explanation of the poll topic and guidelines before launching (e.g. pick 1 or all that apply). This avoids confusion.
Pause for Answers
Allow sufficient time for participants to respond before closing a poll, at least 30 seconds per question. Periodically give reminders.
Share Key Takeaways Afterward
Recap the poll results and have an open discussion on implications, decisions, or next steps based on the data collected.
Foster Engagement
Make participants feel included by referencing poll choices and responses frequently. Ask open ended follow-ups to incorporate feedback into meeting discussion using first names.
Use Anonymous Polls for Sensitive Topics
Anonymized responses encourage participation for polls on personal opinions, criticisms, or other sensitive subjects.
Ready to Poll Your Next Zoom Meeting?
Congratulations – you now have the complete guide to creating and managing engaging polls in Zoom meetings!
We covered poll types, prerequisites, setup on both desktop and web, launching polls in live meetings, troubleshooting, and best practices.
See how easy it is to make your Zoom sessions more interactive?
So whether you‘re facilitating important business decisions, hosting webinars, or teaching remote classes this year, polls help capture stakeholder feedback seamlessly.
Go forth and poll, my friend! Let me know if you have any other questions.
