A Streamlabs viewer poll is set up as a Cloudbot poll profile, then launched manually when you want viewers to vote. Viewers submit a command in chat; if you want progress or results visible in the video itself, add the Streamlabs Poll source as well.
The poll can be useful for a practical choice such as which bhajan to play next, which topic to cover, or whether to repeat a segment. The chat workflow and the on-screen display are related but distinct: saving a profile does not start a poll, and a poll can run in chat without showing a results graphic.
Enable Cloudbot first
Open the Streamlabs Dashboard and connect the channel you intend to use, then enable Cloudbot. Streamlabs’ Cloudbot setup guide recommends linking the channel during setup. The exact labels may shift as the dashboard changes, but the key requirement is that Cloudbot is enabled for the channel before you create a profile.
A poll depends on chat, so check which account and channel are connected before building the question. If the dashboard is connected to a different channel from the one viewers are watching, your profile may be present but the audience will not be voting in the intended chat. For a YouTube broadcast, confirm that the YouTube channel is the one selected and that live chat is available to viewers.
Cloudbot is the part that handles the command-based poll flow: it posts the poll prompt and accepts the specified voting commands. It is not the same as adding a poll graphic to your scene. Think of chat as the place where votes are cast and the scene source as an optional visual layer.
If your channel uses a stable video loop rather than a presenter speaking live, keep the poll question tied to what people can actually influence. For instance, ask viewers to choose the next item in a scheduled sequence, not to choose something that cannot be changed until the next day. The same planning discipline helps when you create a 24/7 Vishnu mantra stream on YouTube: decide in advance what participation can affect.
Create a reusable poll profile
In Cloudbot’s poll area, choose Add Poll Profile. A profile stores the poll’s setup so that a recurring question can be reused rather than entered from scratch each time. It is a saved template, not a running poll.
Give profiles names that make sense to you later. “Evening request choice” is more useful in a profile list than “Poll 1”, particularly if you run several questions for a regular programme. The profile name is for organising the setup; the poll title is what explains the current question to viewers.
Before saving, think about whether this is a one-off decision or a repeated feature. A daily music choice might reuse a profile, while a question about a special event might need fresh options. Reuse saves setup effort, but it also makes it worth checking the question and choices each time you launch. Do not assume yesterday’s wording is still accurate today.
For a channel with long-form programming, the poll should fit into a clear point in the run of show. A question placed during a quiet interlude can be easier to understand than one launched while several things are happening. If you are structuring a longer broadcast, a run of show for a live stream can mark when the poll opens, when you mention it, and when you act on the result.
Write the title and voting options
Enter a concise title that states the choice viewers are making. Add at least two options, and give each option a name and a command viewers can type. Keep the relationship between the option label and command obvious: if the option is “Morning aarti”, use a simple command such as .vote aarti rather than an unrelated abbreviation.
The documented viewer format is .vote <option>. The text inside the angle brackets is a placeholder, not something the viewer types literally. If the option’s command is aarti, the viewer enters .vote aarti in chat. Include one command per choice and avoid commands that are easy to confuse with each other.
Write for chat, where someone may see the poll while listening rather than reading a long explanation. A title such as “Which segment should we replay?” is clearer than “What next?” when your stream contains several kinds of content. Options should be short enough to type accurately. If a choice has a long formal name, use a memorable command and explain it in the poll announcement.
Use options that are distinct. “More devotional music” and “Continue music” may mean the same thing to many viewers, making the outcome hard to interpret. “Play the next bhajan” and “Repeat the current bhajan” express different actions. Be especially clear if the poll is advisory rather than binding; viewers should know whether you will follow the winning choice or simply use the votes as feedback.
For a language-specific audience, use familiar names in the title and option labels, but keep the voting command easy to enter on a standard keyboard. A Hindi or Assamese title can still pair with short Roman-character commands if that is easiest for the audience. This is a small operational choice, much like ensuring that a Hindi gaming commentary VOD loop has labels viewers can recognise without disrupting the programme.
Set optional timing and vote notifications
Cloudbot’s poll setup allows optional timer or duration settings, and you can enable vote notifications if you want viewers to receive confirmation that their vote was recorded. These are choices, not prerequisites for creating the poll. A duration is useful when you want a poll to close without relying on you to end it manually; confirmation can reassure a viewer that the command was accepted.
Choose a duration in context rather than setting it by habit. If viewers need time to notice the question in a fast chat, a very brief window may close before they see it. On a slow-moving channel, leaving a poll open too long can make the result less useful because people may arrive after you have already moved on. Set the timing to match how and when you plan to act on the answer.
Vote notifications can add clarity, but they also add chat messages. On a busy stream, repeated confirmations may make it harder to follow the conversation. On a quieter channel, a confirmation can make the process feel less uncertain. If you are unsure, test the setting in a private or low-stakes broadcast before relying on it during an important segment.
The poll should not interrupt the sound or visual flow of a loop. If you use music under a still or visual sequence, plan your spoken or on-screen reminder so it does not obscure lyrics, prayer, or other important content. For a broader example of balancing spoken and background sound, see how to add background music without losing the audio mix.
Save the profile, then start the poll
Save the profile after checking the title, choices, commands, timing, and notification behaviour. Saving stores the configuration for later use. It does not automatically announce a poll or open voting.
When the question is ready for the audience, return to the profile list and click Start Poll. That is the launch step. Cloudbot then announces the poll in chat and tells viewers how to vote. If you saved the profile earlier, you still need to take this explicit action at the time you want the poll to run.
This separation is useful on an always-on channel. You can prepare a profile ahead of a programme without beginning the poll while nobody is ready to respond. It also gives you a final chance to check that the choices still make sense before viewers see them. Treat the profile as a stored instruction and Start Poll as the actual launch.
A short spoken or written introduction can help. Tell viewers what decision is being made, how long they have if a timer is configured, and whether you will follow the result. Then launch the poll and repeat the command format once. Avoid launching it during a scene change or a section where the audience may miss the announcement.
Explain how viewers vote in chat
The command format is .vote <option>. Replace <option> with the voting command assigned to a choice. For example, if the two commands are aarti and bhajan, viewers type .vote aarti or .vote bhajan as a chat message. They should not type the angle brackets or the display label unless that is also the configured command.
Put the instruction where viewers can see it: mention it when the poll starts, and if you use a visual source, include the format in a short scene label or reminder. Keep the syntax consistent. If you change the option commands between polls, say so rather than assuming regular viewers remember the previous question.
If someone says the vote did not work, first ask them to check the command spelling and that they sent it in the correct channel’s live chat. Then check that the poll has actually been started and is still open. A saved profile alone is not enough to accept votes. If you enabled a timer, the poll may have closed before they tried.
Do not promise that every viewer will be able to vote in every circumstance. Chat availability and account-specific settings can affect participation, and Streamlabs’ documentation describes the feature rather than guaranteeing that every message will be accepted. If the result matters, leave room for people to report a problem and decide how you will handle ambiguous or late votes.
Show progress or results on the stream
A poll can be chat-only. If the audience can follow the announcement and commands in chat, there is no requirement to add a visual. Add the Streamlabs Poll source when you want the poll results to appear in the broadcast itself, for example for viewers watching on a television or in a player with chat hidden.
In Streamlabs Desktop, add a new source and choose Poll. Place and size it like other scene elements, keeping it out of the way of subtitles, lyrics, faces, or important programme details. Streamlabs’ Poll Widget page describes its poll display for Twitch and YouTube chat. The poll still needs to be started from the Streamlabs Dashboard for the widget workflow; adding the source to a scene is not itself the launch action.
The Poll source supports customization, so check the result in the actual scene before going live. Confirm that the title, option labels, and results are readable at the size you intend to use. If the source covers a lower-third or text that is important to a devotional or study stream, move it to a quieter part of the frame. Consider whether viewers need to see live progress, a final result, or neither; a graphic should clarify participation rather than compete with the content.
Streamlabs also documents a separate YouTube route from the Desktop chat panel, using the plus button and Poll control. This is not the same UI sequence as making a Cloudbot profile. Choose that path when you are creating the poll from the YouTube chat panel; choose the Cloudbot profile when you want the documented reusable profile-and-command workflow. Streamlabs’ YouTube polls tutorial shows that Desktop route alongside the Cloudbot and Poll source workflows. Interface labels can change, so check the current Streamlabs instructions if your panel differs.
The Poll source is not restricted to Streamlabs Desktop. Streamlabs identifies Twitch and YouTube chat as supported for the widget, and its documentation describes options for OBS users as well: install the Streamlabs OBS plugin or use a browser source. Those are presentation choices, not evidence that every other platform has identical poll behaviour. If you use OBS, follow the current Streamlabs instructions for adding the widget to your scene and verify that the poll is launched through the appropriate dashboard flow.
A graphic can also be useful after the vote closes, but avoid implying that it records a decision automatically. The poll tells viewers how votes are represented; you decide whether the outcome changes the programme. If a result affects a longer loop, plan how to make the change without interrupting playback, just as you would when making a 24/7 Assamese naam kirtan stream.
If you want people to participate while your own computer is switched off, StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of leaving a Desktop session running to keep a pre-uploaded video broadcasting; it does not create or operate this Streamlabs poll for you. Keep the poll setup and launch in the Streamlabs workflow, and check any poll controls in the dashboard when you are ready to ask viewers.
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FAQ
Does saving a Cloudbot profile start the poll?
No. Saving stores the profile for reuse. Click Start Poll from the profile list when you want Cloudbot to announce the question and open voting.
What exactly should viewers type?
They type .vote followed by the command assigned to their choice, such as .vote aarti. They do not type the angle-bracket placeholder shown in .vote <option>.
Do I need the Poll source to run a poll?
No. The poll can be run through chat without an on-screen visual. Add the source when you want progress or results displayed in the video itself, and remember that adding the source does not launch the poll.
Can I use the Poll source with OBS?
Streamlabs documents OBS options, including its OBS plugin or a browser source, in addition to Streamlabs Desktop. Its Poll Widget page names Twitch and YouTube chat; do not assume the same poll behaviour for platforms not named there.