Every poll ends the same way: someone asks "can you put the results in a sheet?" You open the dashboard, read the tallies, and retype them into a spreadsheet that's out of date the moment the next vote arrives. This guide replaces that ritual with a Zap — a small automation that watches your polls and writes each vote into Google Sheets by itself, around the clock.
What you'll build
A live vote log. One row per vote, appended within minutes of each click: the poll question, who voted (when your poll collects names), what they picked, and exactly when. From there it's ordinary spreadsheet work — pivot it, chart it, share it, or let the rest of your team watch votes land in real time. At the end we'll add the two most popular variations: posting each vote to Slack, and a weekly poll that creates itself.
The setup, step by step
1Copy your API key
Open your Polls for Gmail dashboard and click Settings. In the Connections & billing group you'll find a Zapier row — click Show API key and copy the key. It starts with pfg_ and it's the only credential Zapier needs. (If you ever want to cut Zapier off, regenerate the key from the same spot — the old one stops working instantly.)
2Connect Polls for Gmail on Zapier
While the integration is in early access, you connect through our invite: accept the Polls for Gmail invite on Zapier (one click), then create a new Zap. Choose Polls for Gmail as the trigger app — when Zapier asks you to sign in, paste the API key from step 1. Zapier verifies it and labels the connection with your account email.
3Set the trigger: New Vote
Pick the New Vote event. There's one optional field — Poll. Leave it empty and the Zap logs votes from all your polls into one sheet (the poll question rides along in its own column, so nothing gets mixed up). Or pick a single poll from the dropdown to track just that one. Click Test trigger and Zapier pulls in a recent vote so you can see real fields.
4Add the action: Create Spreadsheet Row
Add a Google Sheets step with the Create Spreadsheet Row event, connect your Google account, and pick (or create) your spreadsheet. Give the sheet a header row first — something like Question · Voter · Email · Choice · When — then map the fields:
| Zapier field | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Poll Question | The question text — useful when one sheet collects votes from every poll. |
| Voter Name / Voter Email | Who voted, when your poll collects identity. Empty on anonymous polls. |
| Choice | The picked option, as readable text — "Lisbon", "Yes", "4", or a ranked order like "Lisbon > Porto". |
| Voted At | The exact timestamp, ready for sorting and charts. |
| Poll URL | The voting link, handy as a clickable reference column. |
5Turn it on and vote once
Publish the Zap, then cast a test vote on your poll. Zapier checks for new votes every 1–15 minutes depending on your Zapier plan, so give it a moment — then watch the row appear. That's the whole build. From now on, the sheet maintains itself.
Two upgrades worth adding
Votes → Slack. Duplicate the Zap and swap the Sheets step for Slack's Send Channel Message: "🗳️ Voter Name picked Choice on 'Poll Question'". Your team watches votes land in a channel without anyone opening a dashboard.
The poll that sends itself. Polls for Gmail also has Create Poll and Close Poll actions. Chain Schedule by Zapier (every Monday 9am) → Create Poll → Slack message with the voting link, and your weekly standup poll runs without you. Add a Friday Close Poll Zap and the Poll Closed trigger will hand you the final tallies — winner included — ready to post anywhere. More recipes on the Zapier integration page.
If something doesn't fire
- No row yet? Remember the 1–15 minute polling window, and confirm the Zap is switched on. Zapier's Zap History shows every run and exactly what data came through.
- Old votes missing? That's expected — the trigger only fires for votes cast after the Zap goes live. Export history anytime from your dashboard.
- Connection error? If you regenerated your API key, reconnect with the new one — regenerating disconnects the old key immediately.