How to create a poll in WhatsApp: step by step on mobile, PC, groups and channels

Shall we meet on Thursday or Friday? Which cake flavor should we order? What time do your customers prefer for the workshop?

Asking in a group and reading forty scattered replies is chaos. A WhatsApp poll solves it in a single message: each person taps their option and you see the result instantly.

In this guide you’ll find how to create a poll in WhatsApp on Android, iPhone and computer, who sees the votes in chats and groups, and poll ideas for your business.

And finally, what to do if you want to ask your whole customer list, not just a group.

How do you create a poll in WhatsApp step by step?

You don’t need to install anything to create a poll in WhatsApp: the feature is in the same menu you use to send photos or documents. It works the same in the regular app and in WhatsApp Business:

When you create it, you need to decide three things:

• The question. Short and specific: “Which day works best for you for the workshop?”
• The options. You can add up to 12. Three or four are usually enough.
• Whether multiple answers are allowed. There’s a toggle to let each person select more than one option. Turn it off if you want one vote per person.

Menu names may vary slightly depending on the app version, but this is the path to create a poll in WhatsApp.

How to see the results of a WhatsApp poll

The votes of a WhatsApp poll appear in the poll itself, with a bar for each option that updates in real time. From the poll you can open the vote details.

Mind the privacy: in chats and groups, participants can see who voted for each option. It’s not a secret ballot.

This is how it changes depending on where you post it:

You can also post polls in a WhatsApp channel to ask your followers.

If you need anonymous answers in a group, the built-in poll won’t work. For that, an external form such as Google Forms is a better option: just share the link.

WhatsApp poll ideas for your business

A WhatsApp poll works very well for quick decisions with customers who already know you. Some ideas:

• Choose a time slot: “What time do you prefer for the November workshop?” Morning / Afternoon / Saturday.
• Test a new product: “Which flavor should we launch next month?” with three options.
• Confirm attendance: “Are you coming to Thursday’s presentation?” Yes / No / Not sure yet.
• Measure satisfaction at a glance: “How was your last visit?” Very good / Good / Could be better.
• Decide on content: “What would you like us to talk about in the next newsletter?”
• Organize your team: shifts, company lunches or vacation dates.

Best practices:

• One question per poll. If you want to know three things, create three polls or a form.
• Options that don’t overlap and, if it makes sense, an “Other” option.
• Say what you’ll do with the result, and then do it. That’s what makes people vote again.
• Don’t overdo it: a poll every few days wears out the group.

If you’re writing the message that goes with the poll, it helps to use WhatsApp text formatting so the date or the question stands out.

What if you want to ask your whole customer list?

The built-in poll works inside a chat, a group or a channel. It has limits when you want to ask hundreds of customers at once. If you put your customers in a group, they all see each other’s numbers. And with a channel you only reach those who follow you.

With a WhatsApp campaign tool, you can send the question to the contacts on your list who have agreed to receive your messages, each one in their own private chat. And to get them to message you, add a WhatsApp link to your emails and your website.

Mailrelay doesn’t send WhatsApp polls like the ones in the app, but you can do something similar:

1. Create a template with quick reply buttons, for example “Yes”, “No” and “Later”. Meta has to approve it before you can use it.
2. Send it to the group of contacts you want from your dashboard.
3. Read the replies in Mailrelay and answer whoever needs it.

For long questions, rating scales or several questions in a row, use an external form and send the link. Here’s how to create a satisfaction survey with Google Forms or measure loyalty with NPS.

Not sure which channel to use? Here’s when email, SMS or WhatsApp fits best.

How Mailrelay helps you

With Mailrelay you can take your questions to your whole list, through the channel each customer prefers:

• WhatsApp campaigns with Meta-approved templates, quick reply buttons and statistics for each send. You see your contacts’ replies and can answer them, and your WhatsApp Business app keeps working on your phone.
• Email and SMS in the same dashboard, so you can also ask those who don’t use WhatsApp.
• Segmentation, to send each question only to the people it concerns.

WhatsApp is included in the Standard and Enterprise plans, with a 10-day trial on the free account. Meta’s per-message fees are paid separately.

Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp polls

Three common questions before launching your first WhatsApp poll.

Can you create an anonymous poll in WhatsApp?

Not in chats and groups: participants see who voted for each option. If you need anonymous answers, use an external form and share the link.

How many options can a WhatsApp poll have?

Up to 12. Even so, with three or four options people reply faster and the result is easier to read.

Can you edit a poll after sending it?

The most practical option is to delete it and send a new one with the changes. Do it early, before there are many votes.

Jose Argudo

CMO at Mailrelay. Writes about email marketing, copywriting and conversion for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

More articles by Jose · LinkedIn