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Polls

What are polls?​

Polls are an interactive post type on daily.dev that allow users to create multiple-choice questions and gather community opinions with a single click. They provide a frictionless way to engage with the developer community and collect structured feedback on various topics.

Each poll includes:

  • 2–4 answer options
  • One-click voting mechanism
  • Real-time results with vote counts and percentages
  • 7-day active voting period
  • Full integration with daily.dev's commenting, upvoting, and sharing features

Polls bridge the gap between passive consumption and active participation, offering a middle ground for users who want to contribute meaningfully without writing lengthy comments.

See a live poll in action →

Why use polls?​

Polls offer several benefits for community engagement:

  1. Low-effort participation: Vote with a single click without needing to write detailed responses
  2. Instant gratification: See immediate results and community sentiment
  3. Structured feedback: Generate clear, queryable data compared to freeform comments
  4. Community insights: Discover what the developer community thinks about specific topics
  5. Discussion starters: Use poll results as a foundation for deeper conversations

How to create a poll​

Starting a new poll​

  1. Click the "+" button or "Create Post" button in your feed
  2. Select "Create Poll" from the options
  3. Fill in the required information:
    • Question: Write your poll question (be clear and specific)
    • Answer options: Add 2–4 possible answers
    • Audience: Choose to post to everyone or a specific Squad

Poll creation tips​

  • Keep questions clear: Write concise, unambiguous questions
  • Provide balanced options: Ensure answer choices cover the likely range of opinions
  • Use relevant tags: Help users find polls related to their interests
  • Consider your audience: Tailor the question complexity to your intended audience

How to participate in polls​

Voting in polls​

Polls appear directly in your feed with a distinct visual layout:

  1. Identify poll posts: Look for the "Poll" label in the top-left of the card
  2. Read the question: Review the poll question and available options
  3. Cast your vote: Click on your preferred answer option
  4. View results: After voting, see the percentage breakdown and vote counts for all options

Important voting details​

  • One vote per poll: You can only vote once, and votes cannot be changed
  • Anonymous voting: Your individual vote choice is private
  • Login required: You must be logged in to vote
  • Results visibility: Vote counts and percentages are only visible after you vote

Poll lifecycle​

Active polls (First 7 days)​

  • Users can vote and see results immediately after voting
  • Comments, upvotes, bookmarks, and shares work normally
  • Poll creator and voters receive engagement notifications

Expired polls (After 7 days)​

  • Voting is automatically disabled
  • Results remain permanently visible to all users
  • Commenting and other interactions continue to work
  • Final results notifications are sent to the creator and all voters

Engaging with poll results​

Post-vote discussions​

After voting, consider engaging further:

  • Comment on results: Share why you voted a particular way
  • Discuss surprising outcomes: Engage when results don't match your expectations
  • Ask follow-up questions: Use poll results to spark deeper conversations
  • Share insights: Provide context or expertise related to the poll topic

Using poll data​

Poll results can inform:

  • Technology decisions: See what tools the community prefers
  • Industry trends: Understand emerging patterns in development
  • Learning priorities: Discover what skills other developers value
  • Community sentiment: Gauge opinions on controversial topics

Poll notifications​

You'll receive notifications for:

As a poll creator​

  • When your poll receives votes
  • When someone comments on your poll
  • When your poll expires (final results summary)

As a poll participant​

  • When a poll you voted in expires (final results)
  • When there's significant activity on polls you've engaged with

Content preferences​

Like other post types, you can customize your poll experience:

  1. Go to your Content Preferences settings
  2. Find the Content Types section
  3. Toggle polls on or off based on your preferences
  4. Adjust frequency settings if you want to see fewer or more polls

Best practices​

For poll creators​

  • Ask relevant questions: Focus on topics that interest the developer community
  • Provide context: Include background information when helpful
  • Engage with voters: Respond to comments and explain your reasoning
  • Follow up: Share insights or conclusions based on the results

For poll participants​

  • Vote thoughtfully: Consider your answer carefully, as you can't change it
  • Explain your choice: Use comments to provide context for your vote
  • Respect different opinions: Remember that polls reveal diverse community perspectives
  • Stay engaged: Return to see final results and ongoing discussions

Moderation and quality​

Polls follow the same community guidelines as other posts:

  • Report inappropriate or spam polls using the report function
  • Polls are subject to the same content moderation policies
  • Community members can upvote high-quality polls and downvote poor ones
  • Rate limiting applies to poll creation just like regular posts

Polls represent a new way to engage with the daily.dev community, offering structured interaction that complements existing discussion formats while providing valuable insights into developer opinions and trends.