Turn Google Slides Into a Polling Tool

When you give a presentation in Google Slides, engagement is the name of the game. You want to interact with your audience. It’s only natural that you might want to embed a poll everywhere in Google Slides to increase engagement.

You don’t want to just stand in front of them and talk at them. As you share, you’re really having a conversation. A live poll in Google Slides is a great way to do exactly that.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a poll for Google Slides. We’ll explore two key methods to do just that: using Google’s own Forms tool and an online poll maker right inside your slide deck.

How to Create a Poll in Google Slides (With Google Forms)

With a Google survey poll, you can ask your audience questions and collect their responses in real time. It’s the perfect way to keep audiences focused and engaged.

Did you know that Google has its own free survey maker? Indeed! Google Forms is part of the Google Docs Editors suite of productivity apps, which includes Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drive, and more.

With Google Forms, you can create questions in various formats and share them to collect responses efficiently. It’s a powerful way to gather feedback quickly, on your own terms.

As we work in this section, we’ll use a premium Google Slides presentation deck from Envato Elements called the Brusso - Google Slides Template, which you can download to follow along.

1. Create a Google Forms Survey

To get started, go to your Google Drive homepage. On the left, in the upper corner, click + New.

From the dropdown list, select Google Forms at the bottom. You’ll be taken to a page where you can create your Google Form.

At the top, give your Form a name and optionally add a description. Then, type in a question or statement that you want to pose to your audience.

You can choose the type of response you want. The default is Multiple choice, which works well for a live poll in Google Slides.

Below the question, outline your response options. They default to Option 1, Option 2, and so on. Rename these options by clicking and typing. You can add more responses by clicking Add option.

2. Share Your Free Poll Maker Google Forms With an Audience

Once your online poll maker question is created, it’s time to share it with your audience. Click Send in the upper right corner, and a menu will appear with several sharing options.

For maximum impact, you can share a link. Click on the Link icon and then choose Copy in the lower right corner.

This link can be shared with anyone who has online access. To share it in Google Slides, place the link on a slide of choice. This way, anyone with access to your slide deck can open the Google survey and respond in real time.

3. Embed the Online Poll Maker Results in a Google Slides Theme

To track and share the results of your live poll in Google Slides visually, click on the Responses tab at the top of your Google Form. Here, you’ll see a pie chart displaying your results.

Just above and to the right of the pie chart, click Copy. Open a second tab in your web browser, go to Google Slides, and find a slide with some open space for the Results pie chart.

Press Command + V on Mac or Control + V on Windows. The Paste chart box will appear. To track results in real time, click the Link to form bubble and then choose Paste.

Your Google Slides results will appear formatted like any other chart. You can move it around and resize it as needed.

4. Track the Results in Real Time

Now, audiences can read your question and respond. When someone new responds to your live poll, a refresh icon will appear. This is the Update button.

When you click Update, the pie chart refreshes, providing a running tally of your results. In real time, you can create a poll and gather responses as you present in Google Slides.

How to Do a Live Poll in Google Slides (With Add-Ons)

In addition to using Google Forms, you can also create polls with third-party tools and apps that integrate with your Google Slides presentation decks.

1. Choose a Google Slides Online Poll Maker Tool

Several online tools allow you to embed a poll in Google Slides. Some are free, while others offer premium features. Popular tools include Slido and Live Polls Maker.

For this tutorial, let’s use Live Polls Maker, which is available from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Click Install and grant the necessary permissions to install the add-on.

2. Create a Poll With the Free Survey Maker Add-on

Return to your Google Slides presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to create a live poll.

In the menu bar, click Extensions, then hover over Live Polls Maker and click Open.

A sidebar will open on the right, where you can choose from various poll types. Select Multiple Choice and type in your question. Fill in the answer options below. You can choose when to show results and whether to allow multiple answers.

When you’re finished, click Save. The poll will be placed on your slide, and you can share it with your audience. They’ll see a QR code linked to the live poll on their mobile devices.

Your results will be tracked in real time, and you can send a Join link to others who may not be physically present. You can also cut off submissions or reset the results as needed.

This is a powerful way to conduct polling, turning any presentation into a conversation that keeps audiences engaged.

Create a Poll for Google Slides Today

You’ve learned how to create a poll for Google Slides using two effective methods. First, you explored Google’s Forms tool, allowing you to ask questions inside your presentations. Then, you learned how to use a free survey maker add-on to embed a poll everywhere in Google Slides.

With these techniques, you can connect with your audience in new ways, enhancing engagement and collaboration. Start using live polls in your presentations today!