Have you ever needed to survey your Discord server members or facilitate an important decision? Adding polls to your community chats is a fantastic way to engage users and get their feedback.
But what‘s the best way to create a poll on Discord? From built-in reactions to dedicated poll channels and bots, you have options.
In this in-depth beginner‘s guide, we‘ll explore:
- What Discord is and why polls matter
- Step-by-step instructions for making reaction, channel, and bot polls
- Limitations and best practices for each polling method
- How to analyze results and listen to your community‘s voice
Let‘s start by looking at why Discord itself has become so popular and how polls can enhance your servers.
What is Discord? A Quick Overview
In case you‘re new to Discord, it‘s a free chatting app that lets communities communicate via text, voice, and video. It rose to popularity incredibly fast thanks to its slick interface and robust features.
Some Discord growth stats:
- 150 million+ monthly active users
- 19 million+ weekly active servers
- 1 million+ active servers added every 6 months
- $7 billion valuation after 2021 funding round
With Discord dominating as the gathering place for online communities, its well-designed features lend themselves perfectly for polls and surveys.
Now let‘s dive into the techniques for creating polls tailored to your chat server‘s unique needs!
Why Polls Matter: Increasing Community Engagement
Before we get to the how-to, it‘s important to know what polls actually help you accomplish on Discord:
Gather Feedback
Polls let you check in with members to see what server features they like or want added in the future.
Facilitate Decisions
Easily put key questions up for a vote by the community instead of just the mods or owner making unilateral choices.
Understand Preferences
Survey users to detect trends, such as when most members are active or what event types are most popular.
Boost Enjoyment
Injecting polls into conversations lends a playful element that keeps users coming back.
The key benefit? Greater community involvement.
Polls incentivize members to stay engaged with your server for longer. But which method should you use? Let‘s compare them.
Comparison: Discord Poll Methods
There are three main ways to post polls on Discord servers, with their own pros and cons:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Reactions | Simple setup | Limit of 20 reaction options Low customization No metrics reports |
| Poll Channels | Clean separation of polls/chat More control over settings Pins keep polls organized | Still reaction limited Requires mod permissions |
| Poll Bots | Unlimited choices Custom commands Embed visuals Visitor metrics Scheduled timing | Potentially complex setup Addition of another bot |
As you can see, poll bots resolve nearly all limitations—but come with marginally more effort. Ultimately, choosing reaction polls, a dedicated channel, or bot depends on your needs.
In the following sections we‘ll explore how to create each style of poll from start to finish.
Creating Reaction Polls in Discord
Reactions take mere minutes to set up, making them the easiest starting point for polls:
Step 1: Choose Your Channel
Decide if you want the poll visible to a smaller niche channel or open it up to a community hub like #general.
This lays the foundation for participation levels.
Step 2: Post Your Poll Question and Answers
Type a clear yes/no or multiple choice question, putting each answer on a separate line:
What game should we play next Friday night?
A) Fortnite 🚧
B) Rocket League ⚽️
C) Call of Duty 🎮Limit to 2-10 options max. Descriptive emoji reactions help clarify what users are voting on for each choice.
Step 3: React to Your Own Post with Matching Emojis
Here comes the interactive element! React under your poll post with appropriate emojis for voters to then click.
And that‘s it – your community can now vote on the options you specified through reactions. Pretty straightforward right?
But reaction polls aren‘t without their limitations…
Reaction Poll Restrictions
While reactions provide the absolute easiest poll creation, they:
- Only allow a max of 20 reaction options per post
- Have zero customization of visual design
- Don‘t aggregate vote data showing counts
- Can‘t prevent vote splitting across options
Let‘s go over how to close reaction polls and wipe emojis next.
Ending and Deleting Reaction Polls
To prevent stale polls from cluttering channels, remember to close voting then delete the post when finished.
When the poll duration expires, remove all but one voter reaction. The reactions will disappear after 60 seconds if no others remain.
Then delete your original post with the trash can icon for a clean wrap up!
For serious polling needs though, dedicated poll channels have some advantages.
Building Dedicated Poll Channels
If your server hosts regular votes, cordoning them off into an exclusive channel makes organization easier.
Step 1: Make a New Text Channel
From your server settings sidebar, open channels and click the green circle with a plus to make a new channel. Name it something related like #polls or #votes.
Having a centralized spot makes it easy to find ongoing polls rather than them getting lost across conversations.
Step 2: Limit Channel Permissions
Click the gear icon to open channel settings then go to permissions. Toggle which roles can:
- Read messages
- Add reactions
- See channel
Disable sending messages for members so they can ONLY react to poll options posted by mods/admins.
This restricts non-staff members to solely voting on posted polls.
Step 3: Post, Pin, Repeat Polls
Staff can now create simple reaction-based polls that users can vote on but not disrupt. Make sure to ping members when posting new polls in announcements!
Pinning important polls to the top ensures active questions don‘t get buried.
However, restrictions still apply with poll channels…
Drawbacks of Poll Channels
While dedicated poll organization resolves clutter and disruption aspects, you still can‘t:
- Post polls requiring over 20 reaction choices
- View detailed analytics on participation and results
- Schedule opening/closing poll duration
That level of customization calls for Discord‘s ultimate polling solution – bots!
Configuring Robust Poll Bots
If you want unlimited poll options, appealing visual designs, timed durations, and in-depth analytics – it‘s time to install a dedicated poll bot.
But which should you choose from the sea of Discord bot options?
Comparing Top Poll Bots
| Bot | Key Features | Primary Users |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Poll | Extremely easy setup Unlimited choices Clean embeds | Beginners Smaller servers |
| Straw Poll | Streamlined mobile experience Quick polls during calls/streams | Gamers Streamers |
| Dyno | Module system including games/music Robust permissions | Established communities Technical admins |
| MEE6 | Highly customizable commands Dashboard for server insights | Servers wanting custom features Analytics-focused |
I recommend Simple Poll for beginners wanting frictionless poll creation. But explore features meeting your server community‘s needs.
Let‘s install Simple Poll and make your first bot-powered poll!
Step 1: Install the Poll Bot
Search top.gg for "Simple Poll" then click install on your server. Select a channel for welcome messages.
The process takes under 60 seconds start to finish!
Step 2: Initialize Setup
Simple Poll posts intro info to get you rolling. Type /poll help for available commands.
Delete the #rules channel if desired. Then you‘re ready to poll away!
Step 3: Make Your First Poll
Design your poll by running:
/poll "Favorite day for meetings?" Monday Tuesday
The bot handles automatically generating a clean embed for members to vote on with emoji reactions!
Could that BE any simpler? 😉 No 20 reaction cap. No constraints!
But why stop at ease of setup? Bots offer EVEN more…
Unlocking Peak Poll Functionality
Poll bots aren‘t just convenient – they transform Discord surveys with:
🔴 Visitor metrics showing who voted
🗳️ Setting opening and closing times
📰 Invite links for promoting across channels
📈 Exporting detailed CSV reports
Combine that with unlimited poll questions and visual customization – there‘s no rival.
The only remaining step is listening to your community‘s collective voice:
Analyzing Poll Results and Listening to Feedback
Driving participation means nothing if polls disappear into the abyss! Once voting concludes, be sure to:
💬 Share results in a follow-up announcement
📊 Include metrics like total votes or choice percentages
❓ Request feedback on how members felt about the poll itself
👂🏼 Consider open-ended suggestions for new poll topics or durations
😁 Thank participants for their input and discuss next steps
This wrap up and listening cycle is key for polls realizing their maximum impact – fostering true community.
So now you‘re ready to tap into Discord polls‘ power for engaging members!
Let Your Community‘s Voice Be Heard
Creating polls on Discord has never been easier thanks to built-in reactions, configurable channels, and customizable bots.
I encourage you to experiment with each method – from simple emoji votes to advanced bots equipped with inviting embeds and analytics. Each caters to different experience levels and server needs.
Most importantly, leverage polls to give your members a say and feel closer alignment with your Discord community. Their involvement sustains long-term enjoyment and participation.
Now get out there and start surveying! Please drop any poll questions in comments below.
