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WP-Polls

By Lester Chan

Community & Social /

WP-Polls Review - In-Depth Analysis

WP-Polls adds an AJAX poll system to your WordPress blog. Customize polls with templates and CSS styles. Supports multiple answer selections.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.91/10

User Rating

4.2/5 (based on 136+ reviews)

Active Installations

40,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

6.73 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

WP-Polls is a powerful tool for adding polls to your WordPress site. It is highly customizable, allowing you to modify templates and CSS styles to fit your needs. With a variety of options available, you can ensure that WP-Polls operates exactly as you want.

This plugin also supports multiple selections of answers, making it easier for your audience to engage with your content. Whether you are looking to gather opinions or create interactive content, WP-Polls provides the functionality you need.

Feel free to use WP-Polls without any obligations, though donations are appreciated to support ongoing development and maintenance.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP-Polls is a straightforward polling plugin for WordPress, offering essential features for creating polls. When compared to alternatives like Democracy Poll, it stands out for its simplicity but lacks some advanced functionalities.

Top alternatives

Democracy Poll ( WPS: 6.76)

Strengths

Easy to use and set up polls quickly
Highly customizable appearance with HTML and CSS
Supports unlimited answers per poll
Lightweight and does not add unnecessary bloat

Weaknesses

Only supports one question per poll
Compatibility issues with some caching setups like Cloudflare
Limited privacy options for poll responses
No built-in anonymous voting feature

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's ease of use and customization options, though some concerns about privacy and caching compatibility are noted.

Positive highlights

'Excellent, easy going plugin.' - redima
'Love the feature set, easy to use, great to work with.' - expirator
'Perfect for those familiar with HTML and CSS for customization.' - Zeljko Jagust
'Allows unlimited answers per poll.' - astrodates
'Simple and effective polling solution.' - joel05

Common complaints

Only one question allowed per poll
Does not work well with certain cache setups like Cloudflare
Lacks anonymous poll option
Admin interface reveals voter identities with their answers

Weaknesses

No option to hide usernames from poll answers
No support for multiple questions in a single poll
No updates addressing caching issues recently

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple, lightweight polling plugin that is easy to customize with HTML and CSS and who do not require advanced features like multiple questions or anonymous voting.

Not ideal for

Those needing multi-question polls, anonymous voting options, or compatibility with complex caching setups may find WP-Polls limiting and should consider other plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core polling functionalities including unlimited answers, customizable appearance, and basic poll management without any cost.

Final Verdict

WP-Polls is a solid choice for users who want a simple and customizable polling plugin without extra features. Its ease of use and flexibility in design make it appealing for basic polling needs.

However, limitations like single-question polls, lack of anonymous voting, and caching compatibility issues mean it may not suit all users. Those requiring more advanced features should explore alternatives.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP-Polls plugin.

ajax poll system

customizable polls

polling plugin

Screenshots

FAQ

<?php if ( function_exists( 'vote_poll' ) && ! in_pollarchive() ): ?>     <li>         <h2>Polls</h2>         <ul>             <li><?php get_poll();?></li>         </ul>         <?php display_polls_archive_link(); ?>     </li> <?php endif; ?>

To show specific poll, use <?php get_poll(2); ?> where 2 is your poll id.
To show random poll, use <?php get_poll(-2); ?>
To embed a specific poll in your post, use [poll id="2"] where 2 is your poll id.
To embed a random poll in your post, use [poll id="-2"]
To embed a specific poll’s result in your post, use [poll id="2" type="result"] where 2 is your poll id.

Courtesy Of TreedBox.com
Open poll-css.css
Add to the end of the file:

.wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(01) .pollbar{ background:#8FA0C5} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(02) .pollbar{ background:#FF8} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(03) .pollbar{ background:#ff8a3b} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(04) .pollbar{ background:#a61e2a} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(05) .pollbar{ background:#4ebbff} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(06) .pollbar{ background:#fbca54} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(07) .pollbar{ background:#aad34f} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(08) .pollbar{ background:#66cc9a} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(09) .pollbar{ background:#98CBCB} .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(10) .pollbar{ background:#a67c52} .wp-polls-ul li .pollbar{ transition: background 0.7s ease-in-out } .wp-polls-ul li .pollbar:hover{ background:#F00 }

<?php if ( function_exists( 'get_pollquestions' ) ): ?>     <?php get_pollquestions(); ?> <?php endif; ?>

<?php if ( function_exists( 'get_pollanswers' ) ): ?>     <?php get_pollanswers(); ?> <?php endif; ?>

<?php if ( function_exists( 'get_pollvotes' ) ): ?>     <?php get_pollvotes(); ?> <?php endif; ?>

<?php if ( function_exists( 'get_pollvotes_by_id' ) ): ?>     <?php get_pollvotes_by_id($poll_id); ?> <?php endif; ?>

<?php if ( function_exists( 'get_pollvoters' ) ): ?>     <?php get_pollvoters(); ?> <?php endif; ?>

<?php if ( function_exists( 'get_polltime' ) ): ?>     <?php get_polltime( $poll_id, $date_format ); ?> <?php endif; ?>

The plugin templates can be translated via template variables.
There are these filters for the custom template variables

wp_polls_template_votebody_variables wp_polls_template_votefooter wp_polls_template_resultheader_variables wp_polls_template_resultbody_variables wp_polls_template_resultfooter_variables

Add filter to your theme and register custom variable where you will add your translation.
Good practice is to name them for example with prefix STR_ in the example STR_TOTAL_VOTERS.

    /**      * Localize wp_polls_template_resultfooter_variables.      *      * @param array $variables An array of template variables.      * @return array $variables Modified template variables.      */     function wp_polls_template_resultfooter_variables( $variables ) {          // Add strings.         $variables['%STR_TOTAL_VOTERS%'] = __( 'Total voters', 'theme-textdomain' );          return $variables;     }  // Trigger the filter add_filter( 'wp_polls_template_resultfooter_variables', 'wp_polls_template_resultfooter_variables' , 10, 1 );

In the admin side just call the custom variable like so and the variable has been translated in the front-end.
%STR_TOTAL_VOTERS%’

WordPress is behind a proxy or a CDN and every request reaches it from the proxy’s
address. Name the header your proxy sets under Settings -> Header That Contains
The IP — HTTP_CF_CONNECTING_IP for Cloudflare — or, to trust the usual set of
proxy headers without naming one, add this to wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_POLLS_TRUST_PROXY', true );

Sites that need to decide per request can use the wp_polls_trust_proxy filter, which
defaults to that constant.

3.0.0 rebuilt the poll bar. It used to be one <div class="pollbar"> sized by an
inline width; it is now a track holding a fill:

<div class="wp-polls-bar" aria-hidden="true"><div class="wp-polls-bar-fill" style="width: 42%;"></div></div>

The Result Body and Result Body (Voted) templates are rewritten to that markup
on upgrade, including customised ones. There was no way to keep them: the class names
and the stylesheet changed with the markup, so a customised copy of the old template
would have rendered a bar with no rules left to match it. Re-apply your changes on
Poll Templates, keeping the two wp-polls-bar elements.

If you re-add a bar by hand, use %POLL_ANSWER_PERCENTAGE% for the width.
%POLL_ANSWER_IMAGEWIDTH% was removed in 3.0.0 and is no longer substituted, so a
template still containing it emits the literal token into the style attribute and
the bar renders with no width at all.

If your theme ships its own wp-polls.css, the bar rules are not in it — they used to
be generated by PHP into an inline <style> block, and they now live in the plugin’s
stylesheet. Either copy the .wp-polls-bar rules across, or delete your copy and
override these instead, which is the supported way now:

.wp-polls {     --wp-polls-bar-height: 8px;     --wp-polls-bar-background: #d8e1eb;     --wp-polls-bar-border: #c8c8c8;     --wp-polls-bar-radius: 3px; }

Courtesy Of TreedBox.com
Set --wp-polls-bar-background on the answer rather than styling the bar itself. The bar reads that custom property, so this works whichever poll bar style is configured, and it keeps working if the markup changes again.
Add to the end of your wp-polls.css:

.wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(01) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #8fa0c5; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(02) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #ffff88; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(03) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #ff8a3b; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(04) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #a61e2a; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(05) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #4ebbff; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(06) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #fbca54; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(07) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #aad34f; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(08) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #66cc9a; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(09) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #98cbcb; } .wp-polls-ul li:nth-child(10) { --wp-polls-bar-background: #a67c52; } .wp-polls-ul li:hover { --wp-polls-bar-background: #ff0000; } .wp-polls .wp-polls-bar-fill { transition: background-color 0.7s ease-in-out; }

Before 3.0.0 this was written against .pollbar, the single element the bar used to
be. That class no longer exists, so the old snippet colours nothing.