TTYverse provides comprehensive poll support, allowing you to create both single-choice and multiple-choice polls, and vote on polls created by others.

Creating Polls

Single Choice Polls

Create polls where users can select only one option:

/poll What's your favorite programming language?

Interactive creation process:

TTYverse> /poll What's your favorite programming language?
Creating single choice poll: What's your favorite programming language?
Poll duration (default 24h): 3d
Enter options (press Enter with no text to finish):
Option 1: Python
Option 2: JavaScript
Option 3: Rust
Option 4: Go
Option 5: [press Enter to finish]
-- Poll posted successfully

Multiple Choice Polls

Create polls where users can select multiple options:

/mpoll Which TTYverse features do you use most? (select all that apply)

The creation process is identical to single choice polls, but voters can select multiple options.

Poll Duration Options

Set how long your poll remains open for voting:

Duration formats:

24h - 24 hours (default)
3d - 3 days
90m - 90 minutes
1w - 1 week
Empty - Defaults to 24 hours

Examples:

Poll duration (default 24h): 2d       # 2 days
Poll duration (default 24h): 12h      # 12 hours
Poll duration (default 24h): 180m     # 3 hours
Poll duration (default 24h): [Enter]  # 24 hours (default)

Poll Options

Guidelines for poll options:

Minimum: 2 options required
Maximum: 10 options supported (most instances limit to 4)
Length: Each option limited to 50 characters
Entry: Press Enter with no text to complete the poll

Example with maximum options:

Option 1: Red
Option 2: Blue
Option 3: Green
Option 4: Yellow
Option 5: Purple
Option 6: Orange
Option 7: Pink
Option 8: Brown
Option 9: Black
Option 10: White
Option 11: [press Enter to finish]

Voting on Polls

Finding Polls

Polls appear in timelines with a distinctive format:

b3> {,POST_ID} <username> (30m ago) via Web [Public] [Poll]
    What's your favorite terminal editor?
    
    Poll:
    1. vim (8 votes)
    2. emacs (4 votes)
    3. nano (3 votes)
    Total: 15 votes (single choice) - expires in 2 days, 6 hours
    Use /vote to participate

Poll indicators:

[Poll] appears on the metadata line
Poll: section shows numbered options with vote counts
Expiration time and voting status displayed
Vote instructions provided

Single Choice Voting

Vote for one option using menu code and option number:

# Vote for option 1 (vim)
/vote b3 1

# Vote for option 2 (emacs)  
/vote b3 2

Multiple Choice Voting

Vote for multiple options using various formats:

# Vote for options 1 and 3
/vote b3 1,3

# Vote for options 2, 4, and 5
/vote b3 2,4,5

# Vote for range of options (1 through 3)
/vote b3 1-3

# Vote for mixed range and individual options
/vote b3 1,3-5,7

Multiple choice examples:

/vote a1 1,2         # Options 1 and 2
/vote a1 1-4         # Options 1, 2, 3, and 4
/vote a1 1,3,5       # Options 1, 3, and 5
/vote a1 2-4,7       # Options 2, 3, 4, and 7

Vote Confirmation

After voting, TTYverse provides confirmation:

-- submitting vote on poll...
-- vote submitted successfully
-- voted for: 1. vim

For multiple choice votes:

-- vote submitted successfully  
-- voted for: 1. Python, 3. Rust, 4. Go

Poll Display Features

Poll Status Indicators

Active polls:

Poll:
1. Option A (5 votes)
2. Option B (3 votes)
Total: 8 votes (single choice) - expires in 1 day, 12 hours
Use /vote to participate

Expired polls:

Poll:
1. Option A (15 votes)
2. Option B (8 votes)
Total: 23 votes (single choice) - EXPIRED

Already voted:

Poll:
1. Option A (12 votes)
2. Option B (7 votes)
Total: 19 votes (multiple choice) - expires in 6 hours
Already voted

Poll Metadata

Polls show comprehensive information:

Vote counts for each option
Total votes cast
Poll type (single choice or multiple choice)
Expiration time (if active) or "EXPIRED" status
Voting status (can vote, already voted, or expired)
Usage instructions for active polls

Advanced Poll Features

Poll in Boosted Posts

TTYverse correctly handles polls in boosted content:

a5> {,POST_ID} <booster> boosted <original_author> (1h ago) [Public] [Poll]
    What's the best fediverse client?
    
    Poll:
    1. TTYverse (25 votes)
    2. Mastodon Web (12 votes)
    3. Tusky (8 votes)
    Total: 45 votes (single choice) - expires in 18 hours
    Use /vote to participate

The poll functionality works on the original post even when viewing through a boost.

Poll Creation with Media

Polls can be created with the same visibility settings as regular posts:

Posts default to your current visibility setting
Poll visibility follows normal post visibility rules
All fediverse visibility levels supported: Public, Unlisted, Followers, Direct

Server Compatibility

Poll support varies by fediverse server:

Mastodon: Full poll support, typically 4 option limit
GoToSocial: Full poll support, admin-configurable limits
Pleroma: Basic poll support, check instance features
Other servers: Poll features vary by implementation

TTYverse supports up to 10 options, but your server may impose lower limits.

Error Handling

Common Poll Errors

Poll creation errors:

-- ERROR: Failed to create poll
-- This instance may limit polls to 4 options or fewer.

Voting errors:

-- poll has expired
-- you have already voted on this poll
-- this poll only allows single choice

Invalid vote format:

-- post a3 does not have a poll
-- invalid menu code

Troubleshooting

Poll not appearing:

Check if post has [Poll] indicator
Verify poll hasn't expired
Refresh timeline: /refresh

Can't vote:

Check if poll is expired
Verify you haven't already voted
For single choice polls, vote for only one option
Use current menu codes (they change as timeline updates)

Poll creation fails:

Check option count (your server may limit to 4)
Verify option length (50 character limit)
Ensure minimum 2 options provided
Check authentication: /refresh to test API access

Best Practices

Creating Effective Polls

Question design:

Be clear and specific in your question
Avoid leading or biased questions
Consider if single or multiple choice is appropriate
Test question clarity with a friend first

Option design:

Keep options concise (50 character limit)
Make options mutually exclusive for single choice polls
Provide comprehensive coverage of likely answers
Consider adding "Other" option for completeness

Duration selection:

1-6 hours: Quick pulse checks, urgent decisions
24 hours: General interest, broad participation
2-3 days: Community discussions, important decisions
1 week: Major surveys, comprehensive feedback

Voting Thoughtfully

Before voting:

Read all options carefully
Consider the question context
Check if multiple selections are allowed
Think about the implications of your choices

Participation tips:

Vote on polls from accounts you follow
Share interesting polls (boost) to increase participation
Comment on poll results to continue the conversation
Respect poll creators' intentions and question framing

Examples

Simple Preference Poll

/poll Coffee or tea?
# Options: Coffee, Tea
# Duration: 24h (default)

Technical Survey

/mpoll Which programming languages do you use professionally? (select all)
# Options: Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, Go, Rust, PHP, C#
# Duration: 3d

Community Decision

/poll Should we have a weekly community meetup?
# Options: Yes - same time each week, Yes - rotating times, No - keep it informal
# Duration: 1w

Event Planning

/mpoll What topics interest you for the next meetup? (choose up to 3)
# Options: Accessibility, CLI tools, Fediverse, Privacy, Security, Programming
# Duration: 5d

See also: Commands Reference | Basic Usage | Posting