Creating a poll on Facebook takes three minutes and works on both desktop and mobile
A Facebook poll is a post that asks your friends or followers a question with preset answer options. When someone clicks an answer, their vote registers and they see the live results. You create a poll directly in the compose box — the same place you write a regular status — and it appears on your timeline or in a group just like any other post.
Facebook polls are visible to whoever can see your regular posts. If your timeline is set to public, anyone on Facebook can see the poll and vote. If it is set to friends only, only your friends can vote. If you post in a group, only group members can vote. The person who created the poll can see how many people voted for each option, but individual votes are not attributed to names — Facebook does not tell you that Sarah voted for option A.
Key Takeaways
- Polls are created in the compose box on your timeline or in a group, and they appear as regular posts that anyone with access can see and vote on.
- You can add up to four answer options, and voters see results update in real time as more people vote.
- Facebook does not show you who voted for what — you see only the total count and percentage for each option.
- Polls posted to your timeline follow your privacy settings, so check whether your profile is set to public or friends-only before posting.
- You cannot edit a poll after you post it, so double-check your question and options before you hit publish.
How to create a poll on desktop
Open Facebook and go to your timeline or the group where you want to post the poll. Look for the compose box at the top — it says "What's on your mind?" Click anywhere in that box. A menu appears below it with options like Photo, Tag Friends, and Feeling/Activity. Look for the three dots (more options) at the right end of that menu and click it. A dropdown list appears. Select "Poll".
Type your question in the box that says "Ask a question...". Below that, you see two boxes labeled "Option 1" and "Option 2". Type your first answer choice in Option 1 and your second answer choice in Option 2. If you want to add a third or fourth option, click "Add Option" and type the new answer. You can have up to four options total. Leave the boxes blank if you do not need all four.
Once your question and options are written, click "Post" at the bottom right. The poll appears on your timeline or in the group when ready. People can start voting right away, and you can see the results update as votes come in.
How to create a poll on mobile
Open the Facebook app and tap the compose box at the top of your feed — it says "What's on your mind?" Tap the three dots (more options) at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down and tap "Poll". Type your question in the box that says "Ask a question...".
Below the question, you see two boxes for answers. Type your first option in the first box and your second option in the second box. If you want to add more options, tap "Add Option" and type the new answer. You can add up to four options total. Once your question and all options are filled in, tap "Post". The poll goes live when ready.
Where your poll appears and who can see it
A poll posted to your timeline appears in the same place as your regular posts. Your privacy settings control who can see it and vote. If your profile is set to public, anyone on Facebook can see and vote on your poll. If it is set to friends only, only people on your friends list can vote. If you post the poll in a group, only members of that group can see it and vote.
When someone votes, their name does not appear next to their vote. Facebook shows you the total number of votes for each option and the percentage, but not which person voted for which answer. This means your friends can vote without their choice being publicly visible to other voters.
What you can and cannot change after posting
Once you post a poll, you cannot edit the question or the answer options. If you make a mistake in your wording or realize you want to add a different option, you have to delete the entire poll and create a new one. Before you click Post, read through your question and all four options carefully to catch any typos or unclear wording.
You can delete a poll the same way you delete any other post. Click the three dots in the top right corner of the poll and select "Delete". This removes the poll from your timeline or group and erases all the votes that were recorded. If you delete a poll by mistake, Facebook does not have an undo option, so you would need to create it again from scratch.
Polls in groups versus polls on your timeline
A poll works the same way whether you post it to your timeline or to a group, but the audience is different. On your timeline, your privacy settings decide who votes. In a group, only group members can see and vote on the poll, regardless of your privacy settings. Group admins can see the poll results, and so can you if you created it.
Some groups have rules about what kinds of posts are allowed. Before you post a poll in a group, check the group description or pinned posts to see if polls are permitted. Some groups ban polls entirely, and some allow them only on certain days or for certain topics.
Why a poll might not appear or let you vote
If you try to create a poll and the option does not show up in the menu, you may be using an older version of the Facebook app. Update the app from your device's app store and try again. On desktop, if the Poll option does not appear, try refreshing the page or switching to a different browser.
If you cannot vote on someone else's poll, it is usually because your privacy settings or the poll creator's settings are blocking you. If the poll is on someone's timeline and their profile is set to friends only, you must be on their friends list to vote. If the poll is in a group, you must be a member of that group. If you were recently removed from a group or unfriended, you will no longer be able to vote on polls from that person or group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who voted for what on my poll?
No. Facebook shows you only the total votes and percentage for each option, not which person voted for which answer. This is by design — it keeps individual votes private even though the overall results are public.
What happens if I delete a poll after people have voted?
The poll disappears from your timeline or group, and all the votes are erased. There is no way to recover the poll or the vote data after you delete it. If you think you might want to keep the results, take a screenshot before you delete.
Can I create a poll that only certain friends can see?
Not directly. A poll follows your timeline privacy settings, so if your profile is set to friends only, only friends can vote. If you want only specific people to vote, you would need to post the poll in a private group that includes only those people.
How long does a poll stay active on Facebook?
A poll stays active as long as the post stays on your timeline or in the group. People can continue voting on it indefinitely unless you delete it. There is no automatic expiration date.
Can I add more than four options to a poll?
No. Facebook limits polls to four answer options maximum. If you need more options, you would have to create multiple polls or use a different tool outside of Facebook.