Secret Poll Guide: Create Password-Protected Anonymous Polls

Whether you're deciding on a restaurant for a team dinner, gathering team opinions, or making a group decision, polls come in handy. But with most polling tools, anyone with the link can participate, which can skew the results.

LOCK.PUB's Secret Poll ensures that only people who know the password can vote. Gather accurate opinions without outside interference.

How Does It Work?

Creating a Poll

1. Enter a title -- Write the poll topic (e.g., "February team dinner location")
2. Add options -- Add 2 to 10 voting options
3. Set a password -- Set a password required to participate
4. Share the link -- Send the generated link to participants
5. Vote -- Participants enter the password and cast their vote

flowchart TD
    A[Create poll] --> B[Enter title + options]
    B --> C[Set password]
    C --> D[Share link]
    D --> E[Participant enters password]
    E --> F[Cast vote]
    F --> G[View results in real-time]

Duplicate Vote Prevention

Duplicate votes are prevented using session-based tracking. Once someone has voted, they cannot vote again from the same browser. Fair polling without requiring sign-up.

When to Use It

Picking a Restaurant or Venue

The most common use case. Share the password in your team group chat, and only team members can vote.

Poll setup example:
Title: Where should we go for Friday dinner?
Options: BBQ / Sushi / Chinese / Italian
Password: teamdinner
Expiration: Thursday 6pm

Team Decision-Making

Vote on project direction, schedules, tool choices, and other internal team decisions. Since it's anonymous, people can vote honestly without worrying about what their boss thinks.

Club & School Activities

Use it to decide club activity dates, trip destinations, or how to spend club funds. Only members who know the password can participate, preventing outsiders from casting prank votes.

Events & Giveaways

Use it for events where participants choose among several options. Simply share the participation code (password) only with event attendees.

Helpful Settings Tips

Number of Options

• 2 -- Yes/No votes (e.g., Should we have a team dinner or not?)
• 3-5 -- Standard multiple choice (e.g., Venue selection)
• 6-10 -- Detailed preference surveys (Pro plan)

The free plan allows up to 3 options, while the Pro plan supports up to 10.

Expiration Time (Pro)

With the Pro plan, you can set a deadline for the poll. Setting a deadline encourages quick decision-making:

Use Case	Recommended Expiration
Today's lunch menu	1 hour
This week's dinner location	3 days
Next month's schedule	7 days

Using the Memo Field

You can add a public memo when creating a poll. Include background context or notes to help participants make informed decisions.

Public memo example:
"Budget is under $30 per person.
Please choose somewhere near the station for Friday at 7pm."

Comparison with Other Polling Tools

	Google Forms	SurveyMonkey	LOCK.PUB Secret Poll
Password protection	No	No	Yes
Signup required	Not for voters	Not for voters	No
Anonymous voting	Needs configuration	Needs configuration	On by default
Auto-expiration	No	No	Yes (Pro)
Real-time results	No	No	Yes
Block outside participation	No	No	Yes

Get Started

Secret polls are free to create. Set up and share a poll in just 30 seconds.

Create a Secret Poll ->