Everything you need to know about DirectPoll.
DirectPoll is a free service, offered as is. We limit any poll to 500 concurrent voters.
You can restrict access to your poll in order to prevent multiple voting and system abuse. Restricted polls require voters to enter an authorization token before casting their vote.
Check the "Restrict this Poll" checkbox while creating your poll, or at any time while using the service. Tokens can then be downloaded using the "Download Tokens" button at the top of your poll.
Easily! Just check or uncheck the "Restrict this Poll" checkbox at the bottom of your poll and save.
You have restricted access to your poll to authorized audience members only. Votes cannot be cast without a valid authorization token. Exactly one vote per question is accepted per token, across all browsers and devices.
Tokens can be downloaded by pressing the "Download Tokens" button at the top of your poll. Distribute them to your intended voters before the session.
Open the results link in a separate browser window on your presentation screen. The cockpit link gives you full control over the current question and poll state. You can also use on-slide control links to steer the poll directly from your presentation.
Unfortunately we cannot recover a lost cockpit link. Please use the "Send links via mail" function in the cockpit to always have a backup copy in your inbox. If you have lost access, you will need to recreate your poll.
Yes. New questions will be added after pressing Save. Changes take effect immediately in the running poll.
Questions and answers are limited to 1000 characters each. However, only 180 characters are displayed per question and 40 characters per answer on the results screen. Keep your questions and answers concise for the best visual experience.
DirectPoll is designed for live voting where the presenter controls which question is active. Voters can only answer the currently displayed question. They cannot skip ahead or go back.
Your poll expires 30 days after its creation or last save. Opening the cockpit and saving your poll resets the 30-day timer.
We currently limit DirectPoll to 500 connected voters per poll at any one time. In practice the usable audience is much larger, since completed votes free up the connection slot for new voters to join.
DirectPoll is a reliable service, but it runs on a best-effort basis. We do not offer service-level agreements. For critical events we recommend testing your setup in advance and having a fallback plan.
DirectPoll is based on WebSockets. Some older proxy servers and managed corporate or school networks filter WebSocket traffic, which may prevent the poll from working. Try switching to a mobile data connection or a personal hotspot. You can also check WebSocket compatibility at websocket.org/echo.html.
This is typically caused by a proxy, firewall, or managed network that is filtering WebSocket connections. Ask voters to switch to a different network connection (e.g., mobile data) and try again.
No. DirectPoll is a live polling service designed for real-time audience interaction during a presentation or event. It is not suited for asynchronous surveys where respondents answer at different times.
DirectPoll uses WebSockets. Please update the native Android browser to version 4.4 or higher, or use a modern browser such as Chrome or Firefox instead.
Yes. We only use a secure HTTPS connection to encrypt all traffic between the server and your devices. Restricted polls provide additional control over who can vote. For sensitive content we recommend using the restricted poll option.
From the system perspective, the number of votes cast equals the number of votes displayed in the results – this is very reliable. In unrestricted polls, a determined voter could theoretically cast multiple votes by clearing cookies or using different devices. Restricted polls (with tokens) prevent this entirely.
Yes. Since release 2.9.0 you can download the results of your poll by clicking the "Download Results" button in the cockpit.
Yes. Press the "Delete Poll" button at the top of your cockpit page to permanently delete your poll and all associated data.
Yes, absolutely. We offer several features that are specifically useful for classroom polling, including the ability to mark correct answers and hide results while voting. See the Education page for details.