Polls

What these bots do

A poll bot asks a question with options and counts the answers. That sounds small, and it decides whether a server makes decisions or discusses them indefinitely.

Discord added a native poll feature in 2024. For most cases it is enough: one question, up to ten options, a duration, a result. If it is enough, use it: it costs no permission, no third party and no maintenance. A bot earns its place in exactly the cases it does not cover.

When a bot genuinely helps

Anonymous voting. Discord polls show who voted for what. For questions about people, rule changes and anything uncomfortable, that distorts the answers. A bot with secret ballots produces more honest results.

Rankings instead of ticks. Choosing the best of five dates is not a single choice, it is an order. Bots with ranked or approval voting find majorities a simple poll misses.

Restricting who may vote. Only members above level 5, only holders of a particular role, only people who joined thirty days ago. Without that boundary, whoever has an alt account decides.

Finding dates. A scheduling poll across two weeks is a different object from a yes-no question. Specialised bots show a grid rather than a list.

Results that persist. If votes mean something, you will want them again later. Check for an archive or an export.

Permissions worth checking

Very little: Send Messages, Read Message History, Add Reactions for reaction-based polls, and Use External Emojis. Button-based bots do not even need the reactions.

They do not need Manage Messages, Manage Roles, Manage Channels or Administrator. This is the least demanding category in the whole directory; anything beyond the list above should come with an explanation.

One detail with consequences: for a poll to be anonymous, the bot must store votes rather than count them in public. That means the provider knows who voted for what even when your server does not. For sensitive questions, that is the difference between anonymous and merely invisible.

Where server owners go wrong

The first mistake is a poll with no deadline. One that never closes never gets evaluated. Set a duration before you start it.

The second is too many options. Past roughly six, votes scatter far enough that no majority emerges, and the decision lands back on your desk anyway.

The third is polling something that is not actually up for a vote. If you do not intend to act on the result, do not ask. Nothing costs more trust than a poll whose outcome is ignored.