Creating a poll on Facebook takes about two minutes
Facebook polls let you ask your friends or followers a question and see their answers in real time. You can create a poll directly in the Facebook app or on the website, and it appears as a post on your timeline or in a group. The poll shows answer options, lets people vote, and displays results as they come in.
The steps are the same whether you're posting to your own timeline, a group, or a page you manage. You'll use the "Poll" option in the post creation menu, write your question, add two to four answer choices, and publish. Once it's live, anyone who can see the post can vote.
Key Takeaways
- Polls appear as posts on your timeline or in groups and show live results as people vote.
- You can add two to four answer options, and Facebook displays them as clickable buttons.
- Only people who can see your post can vote, so privacy settings control who participates.
- You cannot edit a poll after you publish it, so check your question and answers before posting.
- Results stay visible even after the poll ends, and you can delete the entire post if you want to remove it.
How to create a poll on your personal timeline
Open Facebook on your phone or computer and go to your home feed or your profile. Look for the "What's on your mind?" box at the top — this is where you start a new post. Tap or click inside that box to open the post creation menu.
You'll see a row of icons below the text field. One of them is labeled "Poll" or shows a bar chart symbol. Tap or click that icon. Facebook will open a poll template with fields for your question and answer options.
Type your question in the top field — for example, "What's your favorite pizza topping?" or "Should we meet on Friday or Saturday?" Then fill in the answer boxes. You must have at least two answers, and you can add up to four. Type each answer option in its own box, then tap or click "Post" to publish the poll.
Creating a poll in a Facebook group
The process is nearly identical in a group. Open the group, find the post creation box at the top, and tap or click inside it. The same row of icons appears, including the Poll option. Select it, write your question, add your answer choices, and post.
Group polls work the same way as timeline polls — members of the group see the poll in their feed, vote by tapping an answer, and results update live. Only group members can vote, so the group's privacy settings determine who participates. If the group is private, only members see the poll. If it's public, anyone can see it and vote.
What to check before you publish
Facebook does not let you edit a poll after you post it. You can only delete the entire post and start over. Before you tap "Post," read your question and all answer options out loud to catch typos or unclear wording.
Make sure your answers are roughly equal in length and clarity. If one option is much longer or more detailed than the others, people may be more likely to choose it just because it stands out. Also check that your answers actually match your question — if you ask "What time works best?" make sure all your answers are times, not a mix of times and days.
Understanding poll results and visibility
Once you publish, the poll appears as a post and people can vote immediately. Results show as a percentage next to each answer, and the percentages update as more people vote. You can see how many total votes the poll has received.
The poll stays visible and voteable until you delete the post. There is no automatic expiration date. People can change their vote by tapping a different answer, so the results may shift over time. If you want to close the poll, you have to delete the post entirely — there is no "end poll" button that keeps the post but stops votes.
Polls on Facebook pages you manage
If you manage a Facebook page, you can create polls the same way. Open the page, find the post creation box, select Poll, and fill in your question and answers. Page polls work identically to personal timeline polls, except they appear on your page's timeline instead of your personal one.
People who follow your page or see it in their feed can vote. The poll's visibility depends on your page's privacy settings and who you've shared the post with. Public pages show polls to anyone, while restricted pages show them only to people you've invited.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is publishing a poll with a typo or unclear question, then realizing you cannot fix it. Always proofread before posting. The second mistake is creating answer options that overlap — for example, "Pizza" and "Italian food" — which confuses voters about which box to choose.
Another frequent issue is making one answer much longer than the others, which biases the results. Keep all answers roughly the same length. Finally, some people create polls with only two answers when they could have asked a yes-or-no question in the post itself. Polls work best when you genuinely want to see how a group splits across three or four options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who voted for which answer?
No. Facebook shows you the total votes and percentages for each answer, but not which specific people voted for what. This keeps voting private and encourages honest answers.
What happens if I delete a poll?
The entire post disappears from your timeline or the group feed. All votes are lost. If you want to keep the results visible, do not delete the post — just leave it up and people can still see the final vote counts.
Can I create a poll with only two answer options?
Yes. Facebook requires a minimum of two answers, so a simple yes-or-no poll is allowed. However, if your question only needs two answers, you might consider just asking it in a regular post instead.
Do polls work the same way on the Facebook app and website?
Yes. The steps are identical on mobile and desktop. The poll creation menu, voting process, and results display work the same way across all devices.
Can people vote on a poll more than once?
Yes. If someone taps a different answer after voting, their vote switches to the new answer. Facebook counts only their most recent vote, so changing your answer updates the results.