---
title: "Which poll type should I use? | PickFu Help Center"
description: "How to choose the right PickFu poll type based on how many options you're testing and what kind of feedback you need."
---

# How many options are you testing?

Start by asking how many options you're testing. If you're comparing two or more options, use Head-to-Head, Ranked, Single Select, or Multi Select. If you're getting feedback on a single item, use Open-Ended, Star Rating, Emoji Reaction, Click Test, 5-Second Test, or Screen Recording.

The first decision is whether you're comparing multiple options or evaluating a single one. This determines which poll types are available to you.

If you have **two or more options** to compare, see the multi-option poll types below. If you're collecting feedback on **a single item**, skip to the single-option poll types.

# Multi-option poll types (comparing 2+ options)

## 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?"

## 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. Instant-runoff voting produces a definitive winner.

**Try it when:** Prioritizing feature roadmaps, arranging product image stacks, or sequencing onboarding flows.

**Example question:** "Rank these hero images for a new kitchen scale listing."

For a detailed walkthrough, see [Testing more than two options](https://help.pickfu.com/en/articles/1986314-testing-more-than-two-options).

## Single Select

**Best for:** Mutually exclusive factual questions where only one answer can be correct.

**How it works:** Respondents choose a single option and explain why they selected it.

**Important:** Only use Single Select for factual or binary answers — like age brackets, yes/no, or subscription status. If you use it for creative preference testing with many options, votes may split evenly (e.g., 12.5% each across 8 options) and give you no clear winner. When you want a definitive winner among creative options, use Ranked instead.

**Example question:** "How many pets live in your household?"

Learn more in [How to use Single Select polls](https://help.pickfu.com/en/articles/11833548-how-to-use-single-select-polls).

## 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.

**Try it when:** Doing feature prioritization, bundle planning, or gauging which ad angles resonate simultaneously.

**Example question:** "Which feature upgrades would you prioritize for our analytics dashboard?"

Learn more in [How to use Multi Select polls](https://help.pickfu.com/en/articles/11833569-how-to-use-multi-select-polls).

# Single-option poll types (feedback on one item)

## Open-Ended

**Best for:** Collecting detailed written feedback on a concept, question, or asset.

**How it works:** Respondents write a free-text response. There are no options to choose from — you're simply asking for their thoughts, reactions, or answers to your question.

**Try it when:** You want qualitative feedback on a concept, need to validate an idea before committing to designs, or want to understand how people describe or react to something in their own words.

## Star Rating

**Best for:** Capturing a 1–5 numerical benchmark for a single item.

**How it works:** Respondents rate the item on a 1–5 star scale and explain their score.

**Try it when:** Assessing clarity, trustworthiness, or satisfaction for a single version of an asset — like a product description, landing page, or onboarding checklist.

**Example question:** "How would you rate this new onboarding checklist?"

**Try it:** [Open sample Star Rating poll builder](https://app.pickfu.com/ask/survey?q1-prompt=How+would+you+rate+this+new+onboarding+checklist%3F&q1-type=star_rating&q1-o1-value=Checklist+draft&maxAssignments=50)

## Emoji Reaction

**Best for:** Getting a quick read on emotional or gut response.

**How it works:** Respondents react with emojis (from negative to love) and explain what feelings the asset triggers.

**Try it when:** Testing 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?"

**Try it:** [Open sample Emoji Reaction poll builder](https://app.pickfu.com/ask/survey?q1-prompt=What+is+your+gut+reaction+to+this+launch+teaser+script%3F&q1-type=emoji_rating&q1-o1-value=Teaser+script+draft&maxAssignments=50)

## Click Test

**Best for:** Understanding where people look or click on an image.

**How it works:** Respondents click on specific areas of a single image. Results show a heatmap of where attention focused, along with written explanations for each click.

**Try it when:** Testing layouts, packaging shelf placement, ad designs, or any visual where you need to know what draws the eye first.

Learn more in [What is a Click Test?](https://help.pickfu.com/en/articles/5046553-what-is-a-click-test)

## 5-Second Test

**Best for:** First-impression testing — what do people notice and remember after 5 seconds?

**How it works:** Respondents view an image for exactly 5 seconds, then answer questions about what they recall. It measures instant comprehension and visual hierarchy.

**Try it when:** Testing whether your key message, branding, or call-to-action is immediately clear on a landing page, ad, or product image.

## Screen Recording

**Best for:** Watching how respondents interact with a page or prototype.

**How it works:** Respondents record their screen while completing a task you define. You get video recordings of their actual behavior, plus their spoken or written commentary.

**Try it when:** Evaluating website usability, checkout flows, app navigation, or any experience where seeing the full user journey matters.

# 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 produces a definitive preference order |
| Ask a mutually exclusive factual question | Single Select | Respondents can only pick one logical answer |
| Spot bundles or shared appeal | Multi Select | Highlights overlapping selections and thematic clusters |
| Collect detailed written feedback | Open-Ended | Free-text responses with no constraints on what respondents say |
| Measure performance on a scale | Star Rating | Quantifies perception with a 1–5 benchmark |
| Gauge immediate emotional reactions | Emoji Reaction | Captures gut-level sentiment to inform creative direction |
| See where people look or click on an image | Click Test | Heatmap reveals visual attention patterns |
| Test first impressions in 5 seconds | 5-Second Test | Measures instant comprehension and recall |
| Watch how users interact with a page | Screen Recording | Full video of user behavior and commentary |

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 multi-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.

## 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.

## Can I combine poll types in one survey?

Yes. When you build a survey with multiple questions, you can use a different poll type for each question — up to 16 questions per survey. For more on surveys, see [What is a survey and when should I use it?](https://help.pickfu.com/en/articles/9078244)

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