{"id":182,"title":"Out now: create Online Advent Calendars","description":"Discover the new PollUnit Advent Calendar feature! Create creative events all year round, from summer countdowns to exciting daily activities, and of course Christmas calendars.","post_text":"We're thrilled to introduce our latest feature: the PollUnit Advent Calendar! Many of you have been asking for this tool to enhance your end-of-year events like Halloween Costume Contests or Ugly Christmas Sweater Competitions you are creating with our \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ePhoto Contest Maker\u003c/a\u003e.\r\n\r\nNow, you might be thinking: Releasing an advent calendar in the middle of summer? Don't worry! Our Advent Calendar is incredibly flexible and suitable for any season. Create calendars with daily doors showcasing the best summer photos from your community, a holiday activities calendar with surprises for families and kids during the summer break, or a festival countdown featuring exclusive content and a giveaway before your summer festival or concert.\r\n\r\nOur Advent Calendar is fully customizable – with your own backgrounds, door designs, entry forms, and content tailored to your preferences. This way, every event becomes unique.\r\n\r\nEven though it's summer, now is the perfect time to explore this new feature and plan creative events. Get ready for the festive season and delight your community with interactive experiences!\r\n\r\nWe're excited to see your creative ideas and hear your feedback. Try out our \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/advent-calendar\"\u003eAdvent Calendar Maker\u003c/a\u003e for free now!","created_at":"2024-06-12T12:00:16.334Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:58.646Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/182/advent-calendar-in-summer"}
{"id":181,"title":"Approval Workflow Updates","description":"Our Approval Dashboard streamlines submission management and approval. Admins can now provide feedback through approval messages, enabling resubmission or edits for disapproved submissions.","post_text":"In 2020, we launched our \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/98/submission-approval-dashboard\"\u003eSubmission Approval Dashboard\u003c/a\u003e, initially designed for managing and approving submitted images in \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ePhoto Contests\u003c/a\u003e. Since then, we've made significant progress. Now, you can create your own \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/video-contest\"\u003eVideo Contests\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/music-contest\"\u003eMusic Contests\u003c/a\u003e, both benefiting from an approval workflow. Recently, we've added some new features that we'd like to share with you.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat is an Approval Dashboard?\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nThe Approval Dashboard provides an overview of all submissions. You can review each submission, approve or disapprove it, and the submitter will be informed about the approval status. Approved items become visible to other participants.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eApproval Messages\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nAdmins can now add messages when disapproving an item. This feature allows you to explain why a submission was not approved and what needs to be done for it to be approved.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, you can add positive feedback or express gratitude when approving an item.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eResubmitting or Updating Disapproved Submissions\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nIf a user knows what needs to be corrected, they can resubmit or edit their submission. The Approval Dashboard now has the capability to filter for disapproved submissions that have been updated after disapproval, making it easier to recheck and approve them.","created_at":"2024-05-25T20:18:23.063Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:56.418Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/181/resubmit-disapproved-submissions"}
{"id":180,"title":"Use PollUnit as Customizable File Upload Solution","description":"Although PollUnit was primarily developed for conducting polls and competitions, it can also be used without the traditional voting feature. This opens the door to an alternative usage as an effective upload service.","post_text":"Although PollUnit was primarily developed for conducting polls and competitions, it can also be used without the traditional voting feature. This opens the door to an alternative usage as an effective upload service.\r\n\r\nThe idea of using PollUnit as an upload service is based on its ability to create custom forms that allow participants to upload files. Instead of using the platform for a traditional voting or rating process, organizers can utilize PollUnit's competition types to invite participants to upload their music, images, or videos, collecting them in this way.\r\n\r\nPollUnit becomes yourCustomizable File Upload Solutions with several benefits.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eThe benefits of using PollUnit for file uploads:\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eYou can set file requirements such as resolution.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eCustom forms help collect various data from participants.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe embedding function allows you to integrate the uploader into your own website.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eYou can customize the design.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eMany admin and evaluation tools are available to view and manage content.\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to create a file upload for your media with PollUnit:\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nOur competition types are particularly suitable for \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ecollecting images\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/music-contest\"\u003emusic\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/video-contest\"\u003evideos\u003c/a\u003e. For example, if you choose \"Photo Contest\" as the PollUnit type, you can disable the voting function and enable \"Hide Submissions\" in the \"Advanced\" step. This way, submitting individuals will only see their own uploaded images. They can edit their images and see if an image has been rejected by an admin.","created_at":"2024-04-24T09:33:10.013Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:54.402Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/180/customizable-file-upload-solutions"}
{"id":179,"title":"Music competitions and audio voting","description":"Showcase your music to a wide audience and receive valuable feedback, or organize your own music contest. Now featuring cover art and layout options.","post_text":"Today, we have an update for all music fans, musicians, and anyone interested in voting on music, sounds, or other audio data. PollUnit \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/music-contest\"\u003emusic contests\u003c/a\u003e and audio data \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/voting\"\u003evoting have received a comprehensive update.\r\n\r\nA PollUnit \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/music-contest\"\u003emusic contest\u003c/a\u003e allows you to create your own competition for audio data. You can ask participants to submit their own music and let others vote on it. You have access to the familiar PollUnit features to customize your contest flexibly. This includes custom designs, custom forms, embedding the voting on your own website, and much more.\r\n\r\nNot only do music fans benefit from the capabilities of our music voting platform, but musicians and creatives also have the opportunity to present their music to a broad audience and receive valuable feedback.\r\n\r\nBut now, let's talk about the latest updates in PollUnit \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/music-contest\"\u003emusic contests\u003c/a\u003e.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eCover Art\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nIf your uploaded MP3s contain album cover art, we extract them and use the graphics in your contest for a more impressive music player. If your MP3s don't include cover data, you can also upload your own graphics. This can be useful even if you're not voting on music tracks but on other sounds or audio.\r\n\r\nYou can add your own cover via the context menu (three dots) of the respective audio option.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eChoose between Gallery and Playlist View\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nAs an organizer or creator of a music contest, you can now choose between two layout options. In Playlist Layout, your participants can quickly scroll through your audio data in a compact and modern player and vote directly in the audio player.\r\n\r\nThe new Gallery Layout, on the other hand, displays large covers and can show additional information like the artist directly on the cover. With optional search and filter functions, you can quickly find the right track.","created_at":"2024-04-23T22:10:37.585Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:52.490Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/179/music-competitions-and-audio-voting-with-cover"}
{"id":178,"title":"Add File Upload Fields to your Surveys","description":"Surveys can now collect more than just text! You can now add file upload fields to your surveys and collect files such as images, PDFs, or Word documents from your participants.","post_text":"We are excited to introduce a new feature for our form fields: File upload fields! Starting now, you can collect not only text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and multiple-choice fields in \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/survey\"\u003esurveys and forms\u003c/a\u003e, but also files such as images, PDFs, or Word documents from your participants.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eHere's how it works\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003eCreate a survey step of the type »Collect information«\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eEnter a title and optional description for the step, then click »Next«\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eCreate and label the desired fields\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eSelect »File upload« as the field type.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eSave and share the questionnaire, done!\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ci\u003eThe file upload fields can be created in a form with other field types. This allows you to collect files anonymously or simply create additional fields and ask for names or email addresses. This opens up a variety of new use cases.\u003c/i\u003e\r\n\r\nMarket researchers can collect visual feedback from customers on new products or services. You can collect applications online and have them upload their resume and other relevant documents. In feedback forms, participants can upload photos of problems with products or services. In idea collection, participants can submit ideas in the form of sketches or text documents.","created_at":"2024-04-10T14:55:04.884Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:50.403Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/178/file-upload-in-surveys"}
{"id":177,"title":"Competitions with Jury Mode","description":"Discover the benefits of the Jury Mode in voting and photo contests. Learn how expert evaluations enhance quality, promote objectivity, and foster innovation.","post_text":"In the world of \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/voting\"\u003eonline voting\u003c/a\u003e, as well as in \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/video-contest\"\u003evideo\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ephoto competitions\u003c/a\u003e, the participation of experts is invaluable. Their expert judgment can not only improve the quality of submitted entries but also ensure a fair and objective evaluation. This is where our new Jury Mode comes into play.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat is the Jury Mode?\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nThe Jury Mode is a feature that allows selected jurors to have special rights to judge the submitted entries. In contrast to traditional voting by the general public, the Jury Mode enables the formation of an expert panel to evaluate the submitted works.\r\n\r\nParticipants visiting a PollUnit with the Jury Mode enabled can submit, review, and view the voting results. Voting is only possible for members of the jury. Of course, you can also configure your PollUnit so that the voting results or distribution of votes remain confidential.\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference compared to invitations without Jury Mode?\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\r\nYou can also require an invitation in the security settings of your PollUnit without activating Jury Mode. Without Jury Mode, our system assumes that all visitors to your competition should be able to vote. Therefore, without Jury Mode, participants without an invitation will be shown an error message, stating that they need a valid invitation to vote. This error message is not displayed in Jury Mode.\r\n\r\nAlso, check out our article \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/de/tutorials/prevent_multiple_participation\"\u003e»Preventing Multiple Participation«\u003c/a\u003e.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eBenefits of Voting with a Jury\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert Judgment\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\r\nWith the Jury Mode, professionals from relevant industries or disciplines can be invited to evaluate the entries. Their expertise and experience contribute to ensuring a high-quality assessment and selecting the best works.\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eObjectivity and Fairness\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\r\nThe involvement of a jury ensures an objective and fair evaluation since decisions are not solely dependent on the opinions of the general public. This minimizes potential biases or manipulations and ensures a fair competition.\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eImprovement in Quality\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\r\nThe expertise of the jury helps to improve the quality of submitted entries, as they are able to assess technical aspects, recognize creative innovations, and identify works with high potential. This leads to a higher level of excellence and innovation in the results.\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eVersatility of Evaluation Criteria\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\r\nUnlike purely quantitative voting, the Jury Mode allows for a more nuanced evaluation based on various criteria such as aesthetics, originality, message, and relevance. This considers more facets of the submitted entries and enables a more comprehensive assessment. For this PollUnit offers also a \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/134/photo-contest-maker-with-categories\"\u003eVoting Category Feature\u003c/a\u003e.\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eAppreciation for Experts\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\r\nInvolving professionals as jurors in voting and photo competitions contributes to the recognition and appreciation of their expertise. It provides them with a platform to showcase their knowledge and share their opinions on relevant topics.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eInviting Jurors\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nThe Jury Mode can be activated in the \"Advanced\" step. After activation, you can invite jury members via email in the admin link of your PollUnit. Each member will then receive their own unique one-time link, ensuring that each juror can only vote once. Alternatively, you can also generate manual invitation links and distribute them yourself.","created_at":"2024-04-10T09:07:51.713Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:48.482Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/177/jury-mode"}
{"id":176,"title":"Introducing our new poll type Video Contest","description":"Discover the new PollUnit video competitions! Simply upload videos, have them rated and join in the excitement – start your own competition now!","post_text":"\u003ci\u003eToday, we are excited to introduce an exciting new feature: Video contests! Now, our users have the opportunity not only to create \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/survey\"\u003esurveys\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/voting\"\u003evotings\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ephoto contests\u003c/a\u003e but also to \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/video-contest\"\u003eorganize video contests\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/i\u003e\r\n\r\nYou benefit from the comprehensive features and customization options that you already know from our other PollUnit types. These include our various voting types, the ability to create custom designs, comment on submissions, or request any information from submitters and voters. \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/tutorials/embed_poll\"\u003eEmbedding a video contest on your own website\u003c/a\u003e is also possible.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eVideo-specific features\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nPollUnit accepts all common video formats and can automatically convert them into web-ready videos. The videos are stored in different resolutions and qualities. When a video is streamed, the quality adjusts automatically to the available bandwidth. This allows people to view your videos smoothly.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eAdjustments to our packages\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nIn order to offer you video contests, we had to make changes to our packages. The prices remain as affordable as usual, and our free account still allows you to create free video contests. Since videos need to be transcoded and consume significantly more storage, there is now a new storage limit. This limit is chosen so that you can create countless photo contests. If you create many video contests or collect particularly long videos, you will need to upgrade to a larger package. This way, the costs are fairly distributed among those who consume more storage and cause more server load.","created_at":"2024-03-13T11:40:12.526Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:46.641Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/176/create-video-contests"}
{"id":175,"title":"Attach files to surveys and votes","description":"Utilize file attachments to enhance your surveys, votes, and idea collections. By attaching files, additional information can be provided that goes beyond mere text or image.","post_text":"The PollUnit \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com\"\u003ePoll Maker\u003c/a\u003e have always allowed for files such as images to be directly provided as options for voting. We are now expanding this functionality to include file attachments.\r\n\r\n\u003ci\u003eBy attaching data in various file formats, additional information can now be provided that goes beyond mere text or image. This can help explain complex topics better, present visual examples, or provide detailed instructions that enhance participants' understanding.\u003c/i\u003e\r\n\r\nThese file attachments can be associated with various objects in PollUnit, enabling a whole range of new use cases.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eFile Attachments in Surveys\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nEach \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/survey\"\u003eonline survey\u003c/a\u003e consists of at least one step. Each of these steps in your questionnaire consists of a title, an optional description, and the associated questions. The description can include not only text but also images and videos. With the new file attachments, you can now provide additional information and instructions, up to presenting product designs or other data such as PDFs, Excel documents, etc.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eFile Attachments in Votes\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nEach vote itself, as well as each voting option, can now be enriched with additional files. Whether it's a photo in a \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ephoto contest\u003c/a\u003e, text options, or a person in an \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/voting\"\u003eonline election\u003c/a\u003e. For example, resumes, candidate profiles, election programs, and much more can be added.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eFile Attachments in Idea Collections\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nIf you create an \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/collect-ideas-and-feedback\"\u003eonline idea collection\u003c/a\u003e, ideas can be better visualized through images, graphics, or videos. This allows participating individuals to get a clearer picture of the proposed ideas and understand them better.\r\n\r\nFile attachments can provide additional information that complements or supports ideas. This can include relevant research results, statistics, case studies, or reference materials that help strengthen the credibility and relevance of the ideas. Complex or abstract ideas can be made more understandable by attaching diagrams, infographics, or presentations.","created_at":"2024-03-06T10:59:00.711Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:44.397Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/175/attachments"}
{"id":174,"title":"Prevent cheating with email confirmation and restricted domain scope","description":"Our latest update introduces two new measures that allow you to prevent multiple participations by checking the email address of your voters.","post_text":"Depending on the requirements of a vote or competition, various options are available to prevent multiple votes. Not all methods offer the same level of security; some require additional steps from voters, while others necessitate a technical background that not all organizers can provide. In our tutorial \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/tutorials/prevent_multiple_participation\"\u003e»Preventing Multiple Participations«\u003c/a\u003e, you'll find an overview of the security measures and their prerequisites available to you in our \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en\"\u003epoll maker\u003c/a\u003e.\r\n\r\n\u003ci\u003eOur latest update introduces two new measures that allow you to prevent multiple participations by checking the email address of your voters.\u003c/i\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eEmail Confirmation\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nImplementing email confirmation adds an extra layer of security to the voting process. Participants are required to verify their email address by clicking on a confirmation link sent to them. This not only ensures the authenticity of participants but also minimizes the risk of fraudulent entries.\r\n\r\nBut by creating different email addresses, users could participate multiple times in the same process, compromising the integrity of votes or competitions.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003eEmail Confirmation with a Restricted Domain Scope\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\r\nTo further enhance security, we offer the option to restrict voting to specific email domains. This means participants must use an email address associated with an allowed domain, significantly reducing the likelihood of unauthorized or multiple entries. For instance, if your domain is »yourdomain.com«, only email addresses ending in »@yourdomain.com« will be accepted.\r\n\r\nBy combining email confirmation and limited domain scope, we provide a robust solution to prevent cheating and maintain the integrity of your online voting events. Especially if you have control over the domain, this method provides a low-barrier and highly secure option. It allows you, for example, to permit only company addresses that cannot be independently created by individuals.\r\n\r\nFor organizers looking to employ advanced security measures for their voting events, selecting a reliable web hosting service is crucial. \u003ca href=\"https://www.namehero.com\"\u003eNamehero\u003c/a\u003e, known for its fast web hosting and domain services, can provide the technical reliability and support needed to maintain website integrity during high-traffic events such as competitive polls or votes requiring email confirmation and domain restriction.\r\n","created_at":"2023-12-06T12:28:01.162Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:42.429Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/174/prevent-cheating-with-email-confirmation-and-a-restricted-domain-scope"}
{"id":173,"title":"Prevent self-voting","description":"Specify whether participants have the opportunity to vote on their own submissions. This is particularly useful if you want to ensure that each competition is fair and transparent.","post_text":"Self-voting refers to the ability of an individual to vote for their own submissions or suggestions. In a voting context, this means that participants have the permission to support their own choice or contribution. This can occur in various situations and use cases, including \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/voting\"\u003egroup or team voting\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en/photo-contest\"\u003ephoto contests\u003c/a\u003e, and more.\r\n\r\nThe ability for self-voting can have both positive and negative implications, depending on the specific rules and objectives of the voting process.\r\n\r\n\u003ch2\u003ePositive Aspects\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe ability for self-voting allows individuals to actively support their own preferences or contributions, leading to a stronger sense of self-expression.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eIn certain contexts, self-voting can make the evaluation process more transparent, as participants can openly vote for their own contributions.\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\r\n\u003ch2\u003eNegative Aspects\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eIn some cases, self-voting may lead to bias when individuals tend to favor their own options, regardless of the actual quality or relevance.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eIn competitions or votes where fairness and equality are crucial, self-voting may be considered an unfair practice.\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ci\u003eWith our \u003ca href=\"https://pollunit.com/en\"\u003eonline poll creator\u003c/a\u003e, you can now specify whether participants have the ability to vote for their own submissions. If this topic interests you, you should also take a look at our tutorial on preventing multiple participations.\u003c/i\u003e","created_at":"2023-12-06T11:08:50.314Z","updated_at":"2025-01-30T12:05:40.664Z","url":"https://pollunit.com/en/posts/173/prevent-self-voting"}