Match your testing goal to the right PickFu poll format for dependable insights.
Summary
Choose the PickFu poll format that fits your goal, option count, and desired feedback depth.
Overview
Selecting the correct poll type keeps your data clean, reduces reruns, and helps AI Highlights surface the most relevant themes. Start by clarifying your decision, the number of options you have, and whether you care about preference order, broad appeal, or emotional response.
Decision checklist
Confirm the decision you are trying to make (winner, ranking, bundle, sentiment, rating).
Count how many options you need to test and decide if respondents should choose one, multiple, or respond to each item.
Match your goal to the poll type using the guide below, then add open-ended follow-ups or AI Highlights to surface the "why" behind each response.
Layering AI Highlights or summary questions on any poll type gives you richer qualitative insights without rerunning the poll.
Poll type breakdown
Head-to-Head
Best for: Comparing exactly two options when you need a fast, definitive answer
How it works: Respondents choose between Option A or B and explain their decision
Try it when: Testing two thumbnails, evaluating two elevator pitches, or validating two pricing statements side by side.
Example question: "Which app icon would you tap first?"
Sample options:
Neon Maze icon
Retro Joystick icon
Ranked
Best for: Ordering 3–8 options when you need to understand preferences across the full list
How it works: Respondents drag items into rank order, then justify their top and bottom picks
Use it when: Prioritizing feature roadmaps, arranging product image stacks, or sequencing onboarding flows. For a detailed walkthrough, see Testing more than two options.
Example question: "Rank these hero images for a new kitchen scale listing."
Sample options:
Top-down flatlay
Scale with ingredients
Countertop lifestyle
Try it: Open sample Ranked poll builder
Single Select
Best for: Factual or binary questions where only one answer can be correct
How it works: Respondents choose a single option and explain why they selected it
Why it shines: Perfect when respondents logically pick just one answer—like "Which price tier fits your budget?" or "Are you subscribed to Prime?" If you collect eight creative variants with Single Select, the votes may split evenly (12.5% each) and give you no winner. Learn how to tailor prompts in How to use Single Select polls.
Use Single Select only when the data type demands one choice. When you want a clear winner across many appealing options, switch to Ranked so instant-runoff voting can surface a true champion.
Example question: "How many pets live in your household?"
Sample options:
None
One
Two or more
Multi Select
Best for: Discovering which options resonate together or have broad appeal
How it works: Respondents select all options they like and describe their selections
When to choose it: Feature prioritization, bundle planning, or gauging which ad angles resonate simultaneously. Setup best practices live in How to use Multi Select polls.
Sort results by selection count and scan comments for recurring pairings to inform packages, messaging, or roadmap groupings.
Example question: "Which feature upgrades would you prioritize for our analytics dashboard?"
Sample options:
Custom report builder
Slack alerts
Hourly refresh
Embedded sharing
Star Rating
Best for: Capturing 1–5 ratings for every option when you need a numerical benchmark
How it works: Respondents rate each option independently and explain extreme scores
Use it when: Assessing clarity, trustworthiness, or satisfaction across multiple versions of the same asset.
Example question: "How would you rate this new onboarding checklist?"
Sample options:
Checklist draft
Emoji Reaction
Best for: Getting a quick read on emotional response to individual options
How it works: Respondents react with emojis ranging from 😞 to 😍 and explain what feelings each asset triggers
Great for: Mood boards, storyboards, ad concepts, or early creative exploration where sentiment is the signal.
Example question: "What is your gut reaction to this launch teaser script?"
Sample options:
Teaser script draft
Quick selection guide
Your goal | Recommended poll type | Why it works |
Two options, clear winner | Head-to-Head | Simplest A/B with fast qualitative context |
Find a majority-backed winner across 3–8 options | Ranked | Instant-runoff voting always produces a definitive preference order |
Ask a mutually exclusive factual question | Single Select | Respondents can only pick one logical answer (e.g., household size) |
Spot bundles or shared appeal | Multi Select | Highlights overlapping selections and thematic clusters |
Measure performance on a scale | Star Rating | Quantifies perception across every asset |
Gauge immediate emotional reactions | Emoji Reaction | Captures gut-level sentiment to inform creative direction |
You can test up to 8 options per Ranked, Single Select, Multi Select, Star Rating, or Emoji Reaction poll. Duplicate your poll if you need to explore more variations.
Tradeoffs for 3+ option poll types
When you have more than two options, weigh what insight you need and how much effort respondents should spend.
Ranked delivers a definitive winner because instant-runoff voting keeps redistributing preferences until one option holds a majority. It also shows the full finishing order, making it the go-to choice when several creative variants could succeed.
Single Select should be reserved for mutually exclusive answers (age brackets, household size, subscription status). It is quick to run but cannot surface relative rankings if respondents could logically choose more than one option.
Multi Select captures breadth: respondents can pick every option that works for them, revealing bundles or themes with broad appeal. Follow it with a Ranked or Head-to-Head poll if you need to name a single champion.
FAQs
How do I choose between Single Select, Ranked, and Multi Select?
Use Single Select only for mutually exclusive answers (age, household size, subscription status). Use Ranked when several creative or concept options could win and you need a majority-backed champion. Use Multi Select when respondents may like more than one option and you want to see the full set of appealing choices.
How do I capture both selection and sentiment in one study?
Run a Ranked poll to find your winner, then follow up with Star Rating or Emoji Reaction on that shortlist to understand emotional reactions. If you must run a factual Single Select first (e.g., to screen respondents), chain a Ranked poll afterward for the creative decision.
Can I reuse the same options across different poll types?
Yes. Duplicate your first poll, switch the poll type during setup, and upload the same assets. Many teams run Multi Select to spot appealing themes, Ranked to name the winner, and Single Select only when they later need a mutually exclusive factual response from a filtered audience.
Need more help? Chat with us in the widget or email support@pickfu.com.