Capture audience opinion while the story is live.
Launch fast, brand-safe polls around breaking news, opinion, sport, entertainment and evergreen coverage.
Ask the right question while readers are already paying attention.
Publisher polls give readers a quick way to react to a story without asking them to write a full comment. They work well around breaking news, television moments, political decisions, sport, awards, opinion columns and questions that naturally divide an audience.
Editorial teams can create a poll in minutes, associate it with a story and decide when results are shown. Polls can be embedded individually or managed through the connected publisher workspace.
Results add useful context for editors and can spark a deeper reader discussion. Commercial teams can also use clearly labelled sponsored polls where the subject and placement are appropriate.
Fast audience feedback without a separate polling stack.
Live polling
Publish while the story is developing
Instant results
Show audience opinion in real time
Editorial prompts
Ask focused questions around each story
Audience insight
Compare response patterns across coverage
Newsroom-first workflow
Organise activity around stories, editorial teams and publication controls rather than disconnected widgets.
Brand-safe by design
Use sentiment signals, moderation controls and accountable editorial decisions to protect readers, advertisers and the publication.
Flexible integration
Use an embed for one format or a secure CMS bridge for a connected newsroom workflow without replacing the publishing stack.
Audience insight
Understand participation, sentiment and engagement by story, section and format.
Commercial-ready
Create measurable sponsored formats with clear disclosure, controlled branding and editorial oversight.
Secure roles
Separate editorial, moderation, commercial and analytics permissions so each team sees the tools it needs.
Use polls whenever a story invites a clear audience response.
Fast participation can help a newsroom understand opinion without disrupting the reading experience.
Breaking news reaction
Ask a focused question as a story develops and update or close the poll when the context changes.
Entertainment moments
Capture instant reaction to reality finales, awards, casting announcements and television debates.
Sport predictions
Invite readers to predict results, select players or react to major decisions before and after an event.
Opinion and public interest
Add a structured response alongside columns, explainers and policy coverage.
Publish a useful poll in four straightforward steps.
- 1
Write one clear question
Keep the prompt focused on the story and avoid combining multiple issues.
- 2
Set answer choices
Use balanced, understandable options and include a neutral choice where appropriate.
- 3
Choose display rules
Decide whether results appear before or after voting and when the poll should close.
- 4
Review response patterns
Compare participation with story traffic, discussions and sentiment.
Make the result clear about what it is — and what it is not.
Website polls reflect participating readers, not a representative scientific sample. Incentively helps publishers present them transparently and retain control over wording, timing and results.
Transparent context
Explain that results represent voluntary participation from readers.
Editorial wording
Keep questions and answers balanced, clear and suitable for the story.
Abuse controls
Reduce repeat or automated voting using proportionate technical controls.
Sponsored disclosure
Clearly identify partner-funded polls and keep editorial approval with the publisher.
Questions publishers ask before getting started.
Are these polls scientific surveys?+
No. They are audience-engagement polls and should be described as responses from participating readers, not representative research.
Can results be hidden until someone votes?+
Yes. Publishers can choose when results are revealed and when a poll closes.
Can polls be used during live coverage?+
Yes. They can be embedded in live blogs or linked to developing stories through the CMS bridge.
Can a poll lead into a discussion?+
Yes. A poll can act as a low-friction first response before inviting readers into a moderated discussion.
Turn audience reaction into useful editorial insight.
Add live polling without adding newsroom complexity or replacing the CMS.