Poll types and the titles they need
The title and the answer format are a package deal. A mismatched title confuses voters and wastes the format. Here are the five poll types you will actually use, what each is for, and the title style that fits.
Multiple choice polls
What it is: a question with three or more predefined answers; voters pick one (or several). The workhorse format — good for preferences, feedback and decisions with several options.
Title style: "Which" questions. Name the decision and the options live underneath.
"What's your biggest blocker this week?"
"Pick the next book club read."
Tips
- Keep options to 2-5 choices for quick polls; more than that and voters skim.
- Make options mutually exclusive — overlapping choices produce mushy data.
- Always include the real options in the poll body; the title only frames the decision.
Yes / No polls
What it is: the simplest format — a binary question. Perfect for approvals, attendance checks and quick sentiment reads.
Title style: "Should we…?", "Do you…?", "Is…?". The title must be answerable with yes or no and nothing else.
"Are you joining Friday's demo?"
"Is the new homepage clearer than the old one?"
Tips
- One proposition per title — "Should we launch Friday and invite press?" is two polls.
- Yes/no polls are great decision closers: run the discussion first, then the binary vote.
- Add a deadline to the title when the answer triggers action: "…? Vote by EOD."
This-or-that polls
What it is: exactly two options, head to head. The format of rivalries, A/B preferences and icebreakers.
Title style: "X vs Y" or "Team X or Team Y?". Short, punchy, a little dramatic.
"Pizza night or taco night?"
"Mountains or beach for the offsite?"
Tips
- This-or-that shines on social media — two taps, instant tribalism, high engagement.
- Keep both options genuinely plausible; a joke option kills the data but can boost laughs for fun polls.
- For product decisions, this-or-that forces prioritization when "both" is not an option.
Ranking polls
What it is: voters order several options from most to least preferred. Richer data than multiple choice, because you learn the full preference order, not just the winner.
Title style: "Rank these…" or "Order by…". The title must signal that ordering — not just picking — is expected.
"Order these lunch spots, best to worst."
"Your top 3 priorities for Q3?"
Tips
- Limit ranking polls to 4-6 items; ranking ten things feels like homework.
- Tell voters the criterion: "by impact", "by cost", "by fun" — otherwise everyone ranks by different logic.
- Ranking polls take longer to answer, so reserve them for engaged audiences, not casual scrollers.
Open-question polls
What it is: no predefined answers — voters write their own. Best for brainstorming, naming, and feedback you cannot predict.
Title style: "What…?", "How…?", "Tell us…". Invite words, not votes.
"One idea to improve standup?"
"Describe our team culture in three words."
Tips
- Constrain the format ("in three words", "one sentence") or answers sprawl.
- Open questions get fewer responses but richer ones — pair with a multiple-choice poll when you need both breadth and depth.
- Anonymous open polls surface honest feedback; named ones surface accountable ideas. Choose deliberately.
Quick chooser: which type do I need?
| Your goal | Use this type |
|---|---|
| Pick one of several options | Multiple choice |
| Approve / confirm something | Yes / No |
| Settle A vs B | This or that |
| Learn full preference order | Ranking |
| Collect ideas in people's own words | Open question |
| Maximum engagement, minimum effort | This or that (social) |
Matched titles in seconds: the PollPilot generator has templates for all five types — pick your format and tone, enter the topic, and get titles written for that exact interaction.