How to Create a Poll in Zoom

Zoom has become an essential tool for remote work, online learning, and virtual events. One of its essential features is the ability to create polls, which can enhance engagement and interaction during meetings. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss how to create, manage, and launch polls in Zoom. This guide will cover the following sections:

1. Introduction to Zoom Polling
2. Pre-creating a Poll for Scheduled Zoom Meetings
3. Creating a Poll During a Zoom Meeting
4. Launching a Poll During a Zoom Meeting
5. Poll Question Types and Best Practices
6. Managing Polls and Viewing Results
7. Exporting Poll Results
8. Anonymity and Privacy Settings
9. Zoom Polling Limitations
10. Tips for Effective Polling on Zoom

1. Introduction to Zoom Polling

Zoom polling is a feature that allows meeting hosts to ask questions and gather participants’ responses in real-time. Polls can be used for various purposes, including gauging audience understanding, fostering engagement, and gathering feedback. To use Zoom polling, the meeting host must have a licensed Zoom account with the polling feature enabled. The polling option can be found in the account settings under the “In Meeting (Basic)” section.

2. Pre-creating a Poll for Scheduled Zoom Meetings

2.1 Accessing Zoom Settings in Your Scheduled Meeting

To pre-create a poll for a scheduled Zoom meeting, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Zoom account and navigate to the “Meetings” tab.
2. Locate the scheduled meeting for which you want to create a poll and click on the meeting title.
3. Scroll down to the “Poll” section at the bottom of the meeting settings page.

2.2 Creating a Poll using CSV Template

1. Click the “Download a CSV Template” link to download a CSV file that serves as a template for creating your poll questions and answer choices.
2. Open the downloaded CSV file in a spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
3. Fill out the template with your poll questions and answer choices, following the format provided in the template. Save the CSV file when you are done.
4. Return to the Zoom meeting settings page and click the “Import CSV” button.
5. Locate the saved CSV file on your computer and upload it to the meeting settings page.

3. Creating a Poll During a Zoom Meeting

3.1 Accessing the Polls Feature

To create a poll during a Zoom meeting, follow these steps:

1. Start or join a Zoom meeting as the host.
2. Locate the “Polls” button in the meeting toolbar and click on it.

3.2 Creating a New Poll

1. In the Polls window, click the “+ Create” button. This will open the “Create a Poll” page in your default web browser.
2. Click “Untitled Poll” to give your poll a unique name.
3. Click “Untitled Question” to edit the text of your first polling question.

3.3 Choosing Question Types and Adding Answer Choices

1. Select the type of question you want to ask (Single Choice or Multiple Choice) using the drop-down menu next to the question text.
2. Enter the answer choices for your question by clicking on the blank fields and typing in your desired answers.
3. Add additional questions by clicking the “Add a Question” button at the bottom of the page.

3.4 Configuring Poll Settings and Saving

1. To allow participants to answer questions anonymously, click the “Options” button and check the “Allow participants to answer questions anonymously” box.
2. Click “Save” to save your poll.

4. Launching a Poll During a Zoom Meeting

4.1 Accessing the Polls Feature

1. During the Zoom meeting, click on the “Polls” button in the meeting toolbar.

4.2 Selecting and Launching a Poll

1. In the Polls window, use the drop-down menu at the top to select the poll you want to launch.
2. Click the “Launch” button to share the poll with meeting participants.
3. Monitor the live results as participants answer the poll questions.

4.3 Ending and Sharing Poll Results

1. When you are ready to close the poll, click the “End Poll” button.
2. To share the results with meeting participants, click the “Share Results” button.

5. Poll Question Types and Best Practices

There are two types of poll questions in Zoom: Single Choice and Multiple Choice. Single Choice questions allow participants to select only one answer, while Multiple Choice questions enable participants to select multiple answers.

When creating your poll questions, consider the following best practices:

1. Keep questions concise and clear.
2. Limit the number of answer choices to avoid overwhelming participants.
3. Use a mix of question types to maintain participant engagement.

6. Managing Polls and Viewing Results

After creating and launching polls, you can manage them and view the results within the Zoom meeting. To do this, click on the “Polls” button in the meeting toolbar and navigate to the “Poll Management” section. Here, you can edit, delete, or reorder the polls you have created.

To view the results of a poll, click on the poll in the “Poll Management” section and then click on the “View Results” button. The results will be displayed in a new window, showing the percentage of votes for each answer choice.

7. Exporting Poll Results

To export poll results, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Zoom account and navigate to the “Reports” tab.
2. Select “Meeting” from the report type options.
3. Locate the meeting for which you want to export poll results and click on the “Generate” button next to it.
4. Once the report is generated, click on the “Download” button to download the poll results in a CSV file format.

8. Anonymity and Privacy Settings

Zoom allows participants to answer poll questions anonymously. To enable this feature, check the “Allow participants to answer questions anonymously” box in the poll settings. Participants will be able to choose whether their answers are associated with their names or submitted anonymously.

9. Zoom Polling Limitations

Zoom polling has some limitations, including:

1. A maximum of 25 polls per meeting.
2. A maximum of 10 questions per poll.
3. Polling is not available in breakout rooms.

10. Tips for Effective Polling on Zoom

To make the most of Zoom polling, consider these tips:

1. Plan your polls in advance to ensure smooth integration into your meeting agenda.
2. Use polls to engage participants and gather feedback throughout the meeting.
3. Share poll results with participants to foster transparency and encourage discussion.

In conclusion, Zoom polls are a valuable tool for enhancing engagement and interaction during virtual meetings. By following this comprehensive guide, you can effectively create, manage, and launch polls in Zoom to make your online meetings more interactive and productive.