Migration of server infrastructure
We have successfully migrated our entire server infrastructure from DigitalOcean to Hetzner. The transition is complete, and all services are now running stably on the new platform.
Why the Change?
Improved Performance and Lower Costs
Hetzner offers high-performance servers at a significantly better price-performance ratio. This allows us to operate our systems more efficiently and make better use of our resources.
Sustainable Data Centers
One key reason for the move was Hetzner’s focus on sustainability. Their data centers run on 100% renewable energy and are optimized for energy efficiency.
Data Privacy and Location Advantage
Hetzner’s servers are located in Germany and are fully compliant with GDPR. This provides a clear legal framework for data protection and increases overall data security.
What This Means for Our Users
The migration is complete and was carried out without major interruptions. Services remain fully available—now running on a more stable and sustainable infrastructure. Our server location was also previously in Germany, Frankfurt, so we only moved within Germany.
Published at: 2025-05-22 06:46 AM
Migration of server infrast...Bulk Actions for Faster Management
Bulk actions allow you to select multiple items such as images, music files, videos, comments, or participants and apply an action to all selected elements at once. This means you can for example delete entries and moderate comments with just a few clicks.
How Bulk Actions Improve Multi-Round Photo Contests
Let’s say you're organizing a photo contest with several voting rounds. After each round, only the top-rated images should move on to the next stage.
With bulk actions, you can:
- Clone the images into a new PollUnit
- Select and delete all losing entries in one go
- Start voting in the new cloned PollUnit
No need to handle each image one by one – just lasso-select or hold Shift/Ctrl to mark images for deletion, and get started on the next round in seconds.
Published at: 2025-04-24 12:51 PM
Bulk Actions for Faster Man...
Submit Photos with Precision: Categories for Your Photo Contest!
We are excited to introduce an exciting new feature: Submission Categories! From now on, you can make your photo contests even more structured with PollUnit by defining different categories for your submissions.
What are Submission Categories?
With submission categories, you can divide your photo contests into different themes or genres. Participants select an appropriate category when uploading their photos, ensuring that all images are sorted into the correct group. This makes it easier for juries and voters to evaluate photos and determine winners.
Individual Voting per Category
Each category gets its own voting! This way, you can determine a separate winner for each category. This is ideal for contests with diverse themes – for example, »Landscape Photography«, »Portraits«, or »Macro Photography«.
Advantages of Submission Categories
- Better Overview:
All submissions are thematically organized and easier to find. - Fairer Evaluation:
Comparable images compete directly against each other. - Fairer Competition:
Comparable participants, e.g., based on age or experience, compete against each other. - Multiple Winners:
Each category can have its own ranking list. - Flexibility:
You can define and adjust the categories yourself.
Combining Submission and Voting Categories
PollUnit also offers the possibility to create voting categories. These allow images within a submission category to be evaluated based on criteria such as shooting technique, composition, message, and subject. This means a photo contest could have winners in different voting categories within each submission category.
Published at: 2025-04-04 10:33 AM
Submit Photos with Precisio...International Day of Forests – Our Commitment to a Greener Future
Today is the International »Day of Forests« – a time to highlight the importance of our forests for the climate, biodiversity, and our shared future. Forests are not only the lungs of our planet but also home to millions of species and an essential part of our ecosystem.
As a company, we take our responsibility seriously. That’s why we invest 8% of our revenue in planting trees. Through this commitment, we have already planted over 215,000 trees!
With climate change and an increasingly careless attitude toward scientific facts, it is more important than ever to actively contribute to the preservation and reforestation of our forests. While many people and organizations worldwide are fighting for a sustainable future, setbacks continue to challenge our collective efforts. Extreme weather events, droughts, and wildfires destroy vast areas every year, while global CO2 emissions keep rising. Every tree we plant helps capture CO2, purify the air, and preserve habitats for animals and plants.
Our mission is clear: We want to create a more sustainable future. And every tree we plant brings us one step closer to that goal.
Let’s use the "Day of Forests" as a reminder of how valuable and worthy of protection our forests are. Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Would you like to contribute and make a difference? Every donated tree counts! Visit our Plant for the Planet Page to learn more and help plant trees yourself.
Published at: 2025-03-21 07:05 AM
International Day of Forest...
Enhance photo and video uploads with URL parameters
With our latest improvement to the PollUnit feature »URL Parameters«, we offer even more possibilities for customization and automation. This feature allows you to append key-value pairs to the URL of a poll or a photo contest to transfer custom data.
Original Feature: Forward Custom Participant Data to Surveys
Originally, this feature was developed to enrich participants in surveys with additional data. By appending parameters to the URL, internal user IDs or segmentation information could be transferred and used in the analysis.
You can find the original feature announcement at Save URL Parameters in Surveys.
New: Parameters for Voters and Submitters
With the latest update, we are expanding this feature: URL parameters can now be linked not only to survey participants but also to voters and submitters in contests. This opens up entirely new possibilities for using the PollUnit platform:
- Custom Identification: For example, using a user ID from your own system, each submission in a photo contest can be assigned to a specific user.
- Improved Evaluation: The stored parameters are visible in the analysis and export, allowing for detailed analysis.
- Automated Integration: Companies and organizations can integrate PollUnit even more seamlessly into their existing systems by transferring relevant data directly.
Example: User ID in a Photo Contest
Suppose you run a platform with registered users and are hosting a photo contest via PollUnit. You can now automatically assign the user ID from your system to each submitted photo by appending the following parameter to the contest URL:
https://pollunit.com/polls/examplecontest?user_id=12345
This user ID will then be stored with the uploaded photo or votes and will be available in the analysis and export.
Published at: 2025-01-29 11:45 PM
Enhance photo and video upl...Surveys and forms with flexible field layout
With our new flexible field layout, we now offer a powerful solution for designing forms and surveys. It enhances user experience, improves data entry efficiency, and ensures a visually appealing design.
Flexible Field Layout – What Does It Mean?
With PollUnit, forms and input fields can now be arranged flexibly and individually. This feature allows for the placement and size of fields to be tailored precisely to the needs of your form. It is particularly useful for designing address forms, where fields like postal code or city require a logical and intuitive layout.
Using the context menu (three dots) for each field, you can set the width individually. PollUnit will then automatically arrange the fields in the most optimal way. For instance, two fields with 50% width can be placed side by side effortlessly.
Why Is a Flexible Field Layout Important?
A flexible field layout offers numerous advantages, boosting both user-friendliness and the efficiency of data entry.
Arranging fields in a well-structured manner allows users to input information more easily and quickly. This reduces confusion and ensures that users intuitively understand where to enter specific information. As a result, efficiency increases and form completion rates improve. Additionally, a clean and visually appealing design not only makes forms easier to understand but also gives them a more professional look.
Try it out today! The layout features are also available in our free plans.
Published at: 2024-11-06 02:35 PM
Surveys and forms with flex...
Free Tables VS Participant Tables
With today's update, we've introduced some exciting changes to our online tables. You now have access to two different table types:
- The Participation Table is perfect for lists like potlucks or orders. Participants can add their details to predefined rows.
- The new Free Table offers maximum flexibility. It allows all users to edit not just individual rows, but the entire table, including all rows, columns, and cells.
These updates give you even more opportunities for efficient collaboration!
This blog post will focus on the new table type, the »Free Table.« The »Free Table« is the perfect tool for those seeking a flexible, customizable, and secure solution for team data organization.
The Free Table and Its Key Features
Collaborative Editing with Real-Time Updates
Work with your team in real time on the table. Changes are synchronized instantly, so everyone working on the table is always up to date.
Easy to Use
The Free Table offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface. Without any technical knowledge, you can quickly create your own tables, enter data, and share them with others.
Customizable Design
Customize the design of the table according to your preferences. You can perfectly match the tables to your corporate design or personal style. PollUnit’s familiar features such as your own logo, themes, custom CSS, and white label are available.
Access Control
Decide who can view and edit your table. With access control, you can assign reading and editing permissions specifically. The Free Table is, of course, GDPR-compliant, ensuring that you always maintain control over your data.
Embeddable on Your Own Website
Seamlessly integrate the table into your own website. This allows you to conduct surveys, collect data, or manage collaborative projects directly on your site without redirecting visitors to external platforms.
Labels and Comments
Assign labels to your cells to categorize and keep everything organized. In addition to commenting on the entire table, you can also add comments to individual cells – enhancing clarity and collaboration.
Published at: 2024-10-02 09:58 AM
Free Tables VS Participant ...Device, Browser, and Platform Statistics in PollUnit
We are excited to introduce a new feature in PollUnit – Visitor Analytics! With this feature, admins can access detailed statistics about the types of devices, browsers, and operating systems used by the visitors of a survey, photo contest, or any other PollUnit type.
Visitor analytics provides valuable insights into user behavior. Admins can see whether participants are primarily accessing the survey via mobile devices, tablets, or desktops. The analysis also shows which browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and operating systems (such as Windows, macOS, or Android) are being used.
Additionally, you can track how many people visit your PollUnit compared to how many actually vote or participate. These insights help measure the success of advertising campaigns, optimize the user experience and improve content for the most commonly used devices and technologies. All information is collected anonymously, ensuring that no individual user can be identified.
Published at: 2024-09-30 08:10 PM
Device, Browser, and Platfo...
Halloween and the Possibilities PollUnit Offers
Halloween is just around the corner, and for many, that means spooky costumes, eerie decorations, and unforgettable parties. But it's not just the planning of these spooky details that matters; organizing and coordinating with friends, family, or colleagues to create the perfect Halloween event is equally important. This is where PollUnit comes in – a versatile tool that helps you plan your Halloween celebrations efficiently and interactively.
1. Easy Costume Contest Organization
One of the most popular Halloween traditions is the costume contest. With PollUnit, you can easily set up a vote to determine the best costumes. Every participant can upload a photo of their costume, and the other guests can then vote for their favorite.
PollUnit's photo voting feature makes this simple:
- Upload photos: Participants can directly upload pictures of their costumes.
- Real-time voting: Other participants can cast their votes immediately.
- Anonymous voting: You can decide whether the voting should be anonymous or open.
This way, you’ll have a clear winner, and they can be awarded a spooky prize!
2. Decoration and Party Planning
A Halloween party wouldn't be complete without the right decorations! PollUnit allows you to involve your guests in deciding on the decor. Should it be a classic setup with pumpkins and cobwebs, or a modern horror movie theme? Let your guests decide!
With the voting feature, you can put various decoration ideas to the vote and let your friends or family choose their favorites:
- Gather suggestions: Everyone can share their own ideas.
- Multiple choice: Your guests can vote for multiple options if that's important to you.
- Result overview: You get a clear view of the most popular decoration ideas.
3. Finding the Best Date for the Party
When multiple people are involved, finding the perfect date for your Halloween party can be tricky. PollUnit's date poll makes this easy. You can propose several dates, and your guests can vote on when they are available, ensuring maximum attendance.
4. Food and Drink Polls
A spooky party needs spooky treats. Whether you’re planning pizza with »bloody« tomato sauce, creepy cupcakes, or eerie snacks, PollUnit lets your guests vote on what should be on the menu.
A multiple choice poll for food and drinks helps you gather the best ideas and ensures there's something for everyone. Or you can create a spooky potluck list or table where participants can sign up to indicate who is bringing which eerie snacks or drinks to the Halloween party
5. Group Gift Ideas for Halloween Parties
Sometimes, as a group, you might want to get the host or a special person a unique gift. PollUnit’s idea collection and rating features allow everyone to share their suggestions and then collectively choose the best gift.
And don’t forget: as soon as Halloween is over, Christmas is just around the corner! PollUnit offers many great features for the holiday season as well. You can organize an Ugly Sweater Contest, where your guests can vote for the most hideous holiday sweater design. Or set up a virtual advent calendar and make your friends and family happy with little surprises. Whether spooky or festive, PollUnit makes event planning a breeze!
Published at: 2024-09-24 09:41 AM
Halloween and the Possibili...How to Easily Recruit Participants for Your Polls
We’re excited to announce that you can now easily recruit participants for the polls, contests, and surveys you create on PollUnit using Positly!
With Positly, you can now get responses to your surveys in minutes, starting at just $0.25 per response. Here’s why Positly might be valuable if you need more people going through your polls or you want to recruit study participants:
- Wide Reach: Tap into a platform with over 10 million potential participants around the world.
- Powerful Targeting: Effortlessly reach your ideal audience using predefined attributes such as geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics.
- Fast Setup: Launch your study and start collecting data within minutes.
- Top-Quality Responses: Positly's advanced machine learning algorithms help ensure that every participant is reliable and engaged to give you high-quality data.
Ready to get started? Create a free account on Positly, define your target audience and the number of participants you need, link your PollUnit survey during the setup, and watch the responses roll in.
If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to Positly's support team.
Published at: 2024-08-29 08:33 AM
How to Easily Recruit Parti...