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A Ranked poll asks respondents to order 3 to 8 options from most to least preferred and explain their ranking. Use it when you need to understand the full preference hierarchy – not just which option wins, but how all options compare to each other. Ranked polls use instant runoff tallying to determine the true preference winner. This method accounts for everyone’s full ranking, not just first-place votes, giving you more accurate results than simple majority voting. This poll type is ideal for decisions where understanding your audience’s complete preference order matters.

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When should I use a Ranked poll?

Ranked polls work best when you need to understand how all options stack up against each other. They’re ideal for:
  • Product optimization – which design, name, or image should be your primary choice (and your backup)?
  • Feature prioritization – how do users rank features from most to least important?
  • Creative testing – which ad concepts resonate most, and in what order?
  • Content decisions – which headlines, thumbnails, or covers have the strongest appeal?
  • Competitive analysis – how does your option rank against alternatives?
Choose Ranked when you want more than a winner – you want the full picture of how preferences distribute across all options, so you can make more nuanced, informed decisions.

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How to create a Ranked poll

Setting up a Ranked poll takes just a few steps:
  1. Start a new poll – click the New poll button from your dashboard
  2. Choose Ranked – select it from the Comparison section of the question type menu
  3. Add your options – upload 3 to 8 options (text, images, video, or audio)
  4. Write your question – ask something like “Please rank these designs from your favorite to least favorite” or “Which product names appeal to you most?”
  5. Target your audience – choose demographics that match your target market
  6. Preview and launch – review your poll, then launch to start collecting feedback
Respondents will drag and drop options into their preferred order, then write a comment explaining their ranking.

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How to read your Ranked poll results

Once your poll completes, you’ll see:
  • Ranked results with instant runoff winner – the option that wins when all rankings are tallied using instant runoff voting
  • Position breakdown – how often each option was ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
  • Written feedback – detailed comments explaining why respondents ordered options the way they did
Instant runoff tallying ensures the winner truly reflects overall preference – not just which option got the most first-place votes. This is especially important when no single option dominates.

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How Ranked choice voting works

PickFu requires a majority to win a Ranked poll (earning over 50% of the votes). If an option does not earn a majority of votes, PickFu eliminates the option with the lowest number of votes and reassigns those votes to the respondent’s next choice. This process continues in rounds until a majority winner emerges. If there is no majority winner, compare the vote percentages and review the comments to better understand respondent preferences.

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Frequently asked questions

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How many options can I include in a Ranked poll?

You can include 3 to 8 options. All options must be ranked by each respondent.

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What content formats can I test?

Ranked polls support text, images, image sets, videos, audio files, and product mockups.

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How is Ranked different from Single Select?

Single Select asks respondents to pick just one option. Ranked asks them to order all options from best to worst.

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What is instant runoff tallying?

Instant runoff tallying simulates multiple rounds of voting. If no option has a majority, the lowest-ranked option is eliminated and those votes redistribute to voters’ next choices. This continues until one option has majority support, revealing the true consensus preference.
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