Embed Poll Everywhere in Canvas

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Instructions | Troubleshooting | Next Steps |

 

Introduction

Poll Everywhere is available to Chico State faculty with Single Sign-On, so you don’t need to create a separate account. You can embed live polls into Canvas Pages, Discussions, or Announcements to collect responses asynchronously—perfect for online courses where students participate on their own time. This guide shows you how to log in with Chico State SSO, create an activity, and embed it in Canvas content.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Create and add Poll Everywhere to Canvas (asynchronous, ungraded)

Start by logging in to Poll Everywhere with Chico State SSO, then create your activity and embed it in Canvas content for ungraded engagement.

Log in to Poll Everywhere with Chico State SSO

To access your Chico State enterprise Poll Everywhere account, do the following:

  1. Open Poll Everywhere.

  2. Select Log in.

  3. Enter your Chico State email (e.g., jdoe@csuchico.edu) and select Next.

  4. When you see Log in with Chico State, select Log in with Chico State to authenticate with the campus portal.

Create and prepare your activity

To create your question and adjust response settings, do the following:

  1. Select + Activity and build your question.
  2. Ensure the activity is Unlocked (not Activated) so participants can respond when embedded or linked.
  3. Review Response settings on the right side:
  • If you want easy, open participation, turn Restrict to registered participants only Off.
  • If you need to track who answered (without grading), turn Restrict to registered participants only On (students also have accounts via SSO).

Embed in Canvas content (Pages, Discussions, Announcements)

To embed a Poll Everywhere activity in Canvas for asynchronous participation, do the following:

  1. In your Poll Everywhere activity, select Share.
  2. Select Share & embed, then under Response link select Copy embed script.
  3. In Canvas, open the target Page, Discussion, or Announcement and select Edit.
  4. Open the HTML Editor.
  5. Paste the embed code into the HTML where you want the poll to appear.
  6. Select Save (or Save & Publish).

Now your poll is embedded in Canvas content for asynchronous participation without automatic grading.

Troubleshooting

  • You’re prompted to create a new Poll Everywhere account
    • Return to Poll Everywhere and select Log in, enter your Chico State email, then select Log in with Chico State. Do not sign up for a free account.
  • The Log in with Chico State option doesn’t appear
    • Make sure you entered your full Chico State email first. If you still don’t see it, try a private/incognito window and repeat the steps.
  • The embed shows as blank or raw code in Canvas
    • Reopen the item, switch to the HTML Editor, and ensure the full embed script is pasted. Confirm you’re using a Page, Discussion, or Announcement, which typically allow embeds.
  • Students can’t respond or are prompted to register
    • In your activity’s Response settings, turn Restrict to registered participants only Off for open access, or leave it On if you require identity tracking (still ungraded).

Next Steps (Optional)

 

Still need help? Faculty and staff can reach out to the Technology & Learning Program. Students can reach out to the Center for Technology Equity.

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