How to use the /poll command in Slack

/poll is Simple Poll's slash command. Typed on its own, it opens the poll form. Typed with a question, options and a few keywords, it builds the whole poll in one line, shows you a preview, and posts it. This page is the reference for the one-line version.

Step by step

  1. Start with the question in double quotes

    /poll "Which day works for the team lunch?"

  2. Add each option in double quotes

    /poll "Which day works for the team lunch?" "Tuesday" "Wednesday" "Thursday". Leave the options out and voters add their own.

  3. Add settings after the last quote, without quotes

    /poll "Which day works for the team lunch?" "Tuesday" "Wednesday" "Thursday" anonymous limit 1

  4. Press Enter, check the preview, post

    Simple Poll shows a preview only you can see. Click Create Poll to post it.

Example polls

Paste any of these into the message box in Slack.

/poll "Which day works for the team lunch?" "Tuesday" "Wednesday" "Thursday"

Choice poll. The basic form. Free.

/poll "Which day works for the team lunch?" "Tuesday" "Wednesday" "Thursday"

Free

/poll "Where should the team dinner be?" "Thai" :curry: "Pizza" :pizza: "Tacos" :taco: allow-options anonymous

Choice poll. Option emoji, anonymous votes and room for more suggestions. Free.

/poll "Where should the team dinner be?" "Thai" :curry: "Pizza" :pizza: "Tacos" :taco: allow-options anonymous

Free

AnonymousAllow options

/poll "Which launch date works for you?" "Next Monday" "Next Wednesday" "The Monday after" limit 1 close after 1 day remind 2 hours before closing @here

Choice poll. A one-vote decision that closes itself, with a reminder (Premium).

/poll "Which launch date works for you?" "Next Monday" "Next Wednesday" "The Monday after" limit 1 close after 1 day remind 2 hours before closing @here

Premium: vote limits, closing automatically, reminders

Limit votes: 1 per personClose automatically: after 1 dayReminder: 2 hours before closingMentions: @here

/poll "Ideas for the next offsite" short text :bulb:

Short text with voting. Free-text ideas that people can upvote with a light bulb. Free.

/poll "Ideas for the next offsite" short text :bulb:

Free

Quoting rules

  • Put the question and every option in straight double quotes. Slack's curly quotes count too.
  • There's no escaping, so a question or option can't contain a double quote. Use single quotes or reword.
  • Settings go after the last quote, separated by spaces. Words inside quotes are never read as settings, so "Anonymous or named feedback?" is a safe question.
  • Give an option its own emoji by putting the code right after its closing quote: "Pizza" :pizza: "Tacos" :taco:.
  • Slack formatting works inside quotes: *bold*, :emoji:, and links.
  • A misspelt keyword is ignored, so anonymus makes a poll that isn't anonymous. Check the preview.

Poll types

Without a type keyword you get a choice poll, where people can pick any number of options. Add one of these to change it:

  • ranked: voters put the options in order. See ranked choice polls.
  • scale: a 1 to 5 rating. No options, or exactly five labels.
  • short text: free-text answers. No options. short text :bulb: lets people vote on answers with that reaction; the choices are :thumbsup: :bulb: :heart: :joy: :tada: :rocket: :fire: :small_red_triangle:.
  • q&a: people post questions and upvote them. No options. See running an AMA.

Settings keywords

Free on every plan:

  • anonymous: nobody, the creator included, sees who voted for what.
  • allow-options: voters can add options.
  • order-results-by-votes: list options by votes, not in your order.
  • hide results: voters see the results only once you close the poll (on Premium, once you also choose to reveal them).
  • @here or @channel: notify the channel when it posts.

Premium:

  • limit 1 (or limit 2, and so on): the most options each person can pick.
  • close after 1 day: close on its own. Allowed: 10, 30 or 60 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 or 24 hours; 1, 2, 3 or 7 days.
  • remind 2 hours after posting or remind 1 hour before closing: repost it at the bottom of the channel. Allowed: 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 12 or 24 hours; 1 day. A before-closing reminder needs close after.
  • show results to creator: only you see the results.
  • schedule tomorrow 9am: post it later. Always put it last.
  • More than 5 options (up to 45), and surveys with --- between questions.

Case doesn't matter in keywords, and hyphens, underscores or spaces between words all work: allow-options and allow options are the same.

Surveys in one command

Separate questions with ---. The first part is a title, an optional description and the survey-wide settings; each part after it is one question with its own type, plus limit 1 or optional if you need them. See surveys in Slack.

What the command can't do

It can't send a poll to people by DM, close at a set date and time, repeat a poll, or change a poll after it's posted. Repeating polls are set up in the poll form with the Schedule button; edits are made from the posted poll's Open button (Premium).

Questions

How do I open the poll form instead?

Type /poll with nothing after it and press Enter. The form has every setting as a checkbox or dropdown, plus scheduling, templates and drafts.

Can I skip the preview?

Yes. Add no-preview at the end and the poll posts straight away. Only do this once you trust your syntax.

Why did a setting not apply?

Usually a typo or a keyword placed inside quotes. Keywords only count after the last quote, and a misspelt one is ignored. Check the preview before you click Create Poll.

Do I need quotes at all?

Simple Poll understands some unquoted forms, but they're easy to get wrong. Always quote the question and each option.

Is /poll free?

Yes. The command and the free keywords work on every plan. Premium keywords are listed above; start a 14-day trial with /simplepoll trial.

From the help centre

Run your next poll in Slack

Simple Poll is the #1 polls and surveys app for Slack. 945,000+ teams use it. Free to start: type /poll and your first poll is live.

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