VoteBot: a poll in your chat in a minute

Friends argue about where to go on Friday. Colleagues cannot agree on a call time. Channel subscribers wait to see what you write next. In all these cases you need a quick poll, and VoteBot makes it right inside Telegram.

The bot helps you create a poll and share it with others. First you assemble the poll in a dialogue with the bot, then send it to a chat through inline mode.

A poll in five steps

Everything happens in the conversation with the bot:

1. Press /start. The bot offers to create a new poll.
2. Choose the type: public or anonymous.
3. Send the question.
4. Send answer options one by one, the first, the second and as many as you need.
5. Finish with /done and the poll is ready.

No extras: no forms, no sign-ups.

Public or anonymous? 🤔

This choice sets the mood of the vote.

• A public poll shows the names of voters. It suits picking a meeting date: you can see who wants which day.
• An anonymous poll hides names. It is better for touchy topics and honest feedback.

Decide what you value more: accountability or candor.

Getting the poll into a chat

The bot works through inline mode. Open the chat you want, type the bot's name in the message box and a space: your polls appear among the suggestions. Pick one and it is sent to the dialogue.

Another route: tap the publish button in the bot's message and choose a group or chat. Menus differ slightly between Telegram versions, but the idea stays the same.

Managing polls with /polls 🗂️

The /polls command opens the list of your polls. From there you can view results, send a poll again or close voting once the answers are in.

The /help command gives a short explanation of how the bot works.

Where VoteBot helps

• Planning. Date, time and place of a meeting.
• Communities. Choosing the next post topic or a chat name.
• Study. Quick feedback after a class.
• Family. Where to go on vacation.

Tips for a good poll

Ask one question at a time. Options should exclude each other, otherwise votes scatter. Instead of "What do you think?" ask "Which day suits you best?".

If there are many options, keep the likeliest ones and fold the rest into "Other", then talk it over in comments. Do not overuse polls: when they arrive daily, people stop answering.