How to Embed a Poll in Your Email Newsletter(Step-by-Step)
Survey links get 2-5% response rates. In-email polls get 15-42%. Here is everything you need to know to embed a one-click poll directly in your next newsletter — no coding required.
The Problem With Survey Links in Email
You know the drill. You spend time crafting a thoughtful survey, drop the link into your newsletter, and hit send. Then you wait. A few days later, you check the results: out of 10,000 subscribers, maybe 200-500 people clicked through. Of those, half abandoned the form before finishing. You are left with a thin slice of data from your most engaged subscribers — the people who already love you — while the silent majority stays invisible.
This is the fundamental problem with survey links in email. Every additional step you ask a subscriber to take — click a link, wait for a page to load, read instructions, fill out fields, hit submit — is a chance for them to think "I'll do this later" and never come back. The data you collect ends up skewed toward power users, and you miss the preferences and opinions of the vast majority of your list.
There is a better way. Instead of sending people away from the email, you can capture their response right where they already are: inside their inbox.
What Is an In-Email Poll?
An in-email poll is a single question with clickable answer options embedded directly in the body of your email. When a subscriber clicks their chosen option, their response is recorded automatically — no external page loads, no form to fill out, no extra steps. One click and done.
This is fundamentally different from an email survey. A survey asks multiple questions across one or more pages on an external website. It typically takes 3-5 minutes to complete and requires the subscriber to leave their inbox entirely. A poll, by contrast, is a single question that takes less than two seconds to answer.
Poll vs Survey: The Key Difference
Poll: Single question, one click, answered inside the email. Instant.
Survey: Multiple questions, external page, 3-5 minute commitment. High abandonment.
For an in-depth comparison, see our guide on email surveys vs email polls.
Why Email Polls Outperform Survey Links
The numbers tell the story. Industry data consistently shows that survey links embedded in emails produce response rates between 2% and 5%. In-email polls, where the subscriber clicks once and the answer is captured automatically, produce response rates between 15% and 42%. That is a 3-10x improvement, and the reason comes down to a single word: friction.
Every additional click or page load you add to the response process cuts your completion rate roughly in half. A survey link requires at least three steps: click the link, load the external page, complete and submit the form. An in-email poll requires one step: click your answer. One click beats a multi-step form every single time.
But higher response rates are only part of the advantage. With survey links, the only people who bother to click through, load the form, and fill it out are your most engaged subscribers — the superfans who would do almost anything you ask. That gives you a biased sample. With in-email polls, the friction is so low that casual subscribers respond too. You get data from the people who read but rarely click, the ones who skim your subject lines, the quiet majority. The result is a more representative picture of what your entire audience actually thinks and wants.
3 Ways to Embed Polls in Emails
ESP-Native Poll Tools
Mailchimp, Beehiiv, ConvertKit
Some email service providers have built-in poll features. Mailchimp offers merge-tag-based polls, Beehiiv has native survey blocks, and ConvertKit provides basic polling through its editor. If your ESP supports polls natively, this is the simplest starting point.
Pros
- No extra tool or integration needed
- Built directly into your email editor
- Free if you already pay for the ESP
Cons
- Limited customization and branding
- Basic or no analytics dashboard
- Platform-locked (data stays in that ESP)
- No cross-platform subscriber tagging
ESP-native tools work for simple use cases, but they lock your data inside one platform. If you switch ESPs, your poll data and subscriber tags do not come with you.
Workarounds (Google Forms, Image Polls)
Commonly suggested but problematic
Search for "how to add a poll to an email" and you will find plenty of advice suggesting Google Forms embeds or image-based polls. In practice, both approaches have serious limitations.
Why These Workarounds Fall Short
- ✗Google Forms iframes do not render in email clients. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all strip iframes for security reasons. Your form simply will not appear.
- ✗Image-based polls look like polls but are not. They are clickable images that link to a landing page or form. The subscriber still leaves the inbox, which adds friction and kills response rates.
- ✗No automatic subscriber tagging. Even if you get responses, they are not tied to individual subscriber records in your ESP, making segmentation manual and error-prone.
These methods might seem like easy shortcuts, but they reintroduce the same friction problem that makes survey links underperform. You are better off with a purpose-built solution.
Dedicated Poll Tools Like TapLoop
Purpose-built for email newsletters
TapLoop is built specifically for embedding polls inside emails. Instead of iframes, JavaScript, or image hacks, it generates pure HTML that works across every email client and every ESP. When a subscriber clicks an answer option, their response is captured instantly and tagged to their subscriber record.
- ✓Pure HTML output — renders correctly in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, and every other client
- ✓Auto-tags subscriber records — responses are tied to individual contacts in your ESP for instant segmentation
- ✓Real-time tracking dashboard — watch responses come in live and export data anytime
- ✓Works with any ESP — HubSpot, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Beehiiv, and more
The key advantage is that TapLoop is ESP-agnostic. Your poll data lives in TapLoop, not locked inside a single platform. Switch ESPs and your historical data stays intact. See all TapLoop features for a full overview of what is included.
Step-by-Step: Embed a TapLoop Poll in Any Email
Getting a poll into your next newsletter takes about 2 minutes. Here is exactly how to do it.
Step 1: Create Your Question and Answer Options
Log into TapLoop and type your question. Add 2-4 answer options. Keep the question opinion-based and the options clearly distinct from each other.
Step 2: Select Your ESP
Choose your email service provider from the dropdown. TapLoop uses this to generate the correct merge tags (like {{email}} for Mailchimp or {{contact.email}} for HubSpot) so every response is automatically tied to the correct subscriber.
Step 3: Copy the Generated HTML Snippet
TapLoop generates a clean HTML snippet. Click the copy button. The snippet contains standard HTML links styled as poll buttons — no JavaScript, no iframes, no external dependencies.
Step 4: Paste Into Your Email Editor
Open your ESP's email editor and add an HTML block (sometimes called a "code block" or "custom HTML" block). Paste the snippet. The poll renders as styled, clickable buttons inside your email.
Step 5: Send and Track Responses
Send your email as usual. Responses appear in your TapLoop dashboard in real time. Each response is automatically tagged to the subscriber's record in your ESP, ready for segmentation and personalized follow-ups.
Best Practices for Email Polls
Embedding the poll is the easy part. Getting the most value from it requires a bit of strategy. Here are the practices that consistently produce the highest response rates and the most actionable data.
One Question Per Email
Do not try to cram multiple polls into a single send. Each email should contain one clearly framed question. Multiple polls compete for attention and reduce the response rate on all of them. If you have three questions to ask, send three emails over three weeks.
Ask Opinion-Based Questions
The best poll questions are ones where every answer is equally valid — opinions, preferences, and priorities. Avoid factual questions with a "right" answer. People hesitate when they think they might be wrong. They respond quickly when they are sharing what they think or feel.
Use 2-4 Answer Options
More than four options causes decision paralysis. Subscribers stare at five or six choices, cannot decide, and skip the poll entirely. Two options work for binary questions. Three to four is the sweet spot for most topics. Keep each option clearly distinct and mutually exclusive.
Place the Poll Above the Fold
The higher the poll appears in your email, the more responses you will get. If subscribers have to scroll past three paragraphs to find it, many will never see it. Put the question and answer options where they are visible immediately when the email is opened.
Use Responses to Segment and Personalize
The real power of email polls is not the aggregate data — it is the per-subscriber data. Every response is an opportunity to tag a subscriber, add them to a segment, and tailor your follow-up content to match what they told you. Someone who says they care most about "saving time" should get different emails than someone who picked "reducing costs." Use the response data to segment your subscribers and personalize every touchpoint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do in-email polls work in all email clients?
Yes. TapLoop generates pure HTML polls that render correctly in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, and all major email clients. The poll is built with standard HTML links, not JavaScript or iframes, so there are no rendering issues. Every major email client supports the HTML link elements that TapLoop uses, which means your poll will display and function correctly regardless of where your subscribers read their email.
Can I embed a poll in Mailchimp, HubSpot, or Klaviyo?
Yes. TapLoop works with all major ESPs including Mailchimp, HubSpot, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Beehiiv, and more. When you create a poll, you select your ESP and TapLoop automatically generates the correct merge tags so every response is tied to the individual subscriber who clicked. There is no manual mapping or custom integration work required.
How many answer options should I include?
We recommend 2-4 options for best results. Two options work well for simple binary questions ("Yes or No", "Option A or Option B"). Three to four options give subscribers enough choice without overwhelming them. More than four options causes decision paralysis and consistently reduces response rates in our data. Keep your options mutually exclusive and clearly distinct from each other.
What happens after someone clicks a poll option?
The click records their response automatically and redirects them to a confirmation page, which you can customize with your own branding and messaging. Their response is tagged to their subscriber record in your ESP and appears in your TapLoop dashboard in real time. You can view individual responses, see aggregate results, and export data at any time.
Is this different from a survey?
Yes, and the difference matters. A poll is a single question answered with one click inside the email — zero friction, instant response. A survey is multiple questions hosted on an external page that requires the subscriber to leave their inbox, load a new page, and spend 3-5 minutes filling out a form. Polls consistently get 3-10x higher response rates because there is nothing standing between the subscriber and their answer. For a detailed breakdown of when to use each, read our guide on email surveys vs email polls.
Ready to Embed Your First Poll?
TapLoop is free to start with 100 responses per month. Create your first poll in under 2 minutes and paste it into your next newsletter. No credit card required.