The Polls web part is a simple way to gather quick input or feedback from staff by asking short questions directly on your SharePoint page.
Setting up the web part
Step 1: Create the Poll List
- Go to the SharePoint site where the web part will be used.
- In the left-hand menu (or from the settings gear), click Site contents.
- Click + New > List and name the list: Poll.
- After the list is created, add the following columns.
Required Columns (use these exact names and types):
| Column Name | Type |
|---|---|
| Title | (Default column — no changes needed) |
| Choices | Multiple lines of text |
| PeopleVoted | Multiple lines of text |
| PollClose | Date and Time |
| SuggestEnabled | Yes/No |
Make sure the column names match exactly as capitalization and spelling matter. The web part depends on these names and column types being correct.
Refer to the screenshot to confirm your setup matches.
Step 2: Create the Poll Suggestions List
- Go to Site contents on the same SharePoint site.
- Click + New > List and name the list: Poll Suggestions.
- After the list is created, add the following column exactly as shown:
Required Columns (use these exact names and types):
| Column Name | Type |
|---|---|
| Title | (Default column — no changes needed) |
| Body | Multiple lines of text |
Be sure to enter the column name and select the correct type exactly as shown. This ensures the web part can read the data properly.
Last step: Adding the Web Part to Your Page
- Go to the page where you want the poll to appear.
- Click Edit in the top-right corner.
- Click the + button to add a new web part.
- Search for and select the Poll web part.
Adding new poll
- On the Home page, select [Edit] button to edit the page
- Click the Edit app button, as highlighted below:
- In a left-hand side panel, under [Select Poll] drop-down, pick [Create new poll … ] option
- Provide [Poll Question], set expiry date, and chose whether you’d like to enable the user to [Suggest Poll]
- Use [Add Choice] button to add poll answers
- Click [Create Poll] to create a new poll
Swap a poll
Here is how to swap an existing poll with a new one:
-
Edit the page the same way as when you create a new poll
-
Edit the poll app as shown below:
- In a left-hand side panel, under [Select Poll] drop-down, pick [Create new poll … ] option
- Provide [Poll Question], set expiry date, and chose whether you’d like to enable the user to [Suggest Poll]