Guide · WhatsApp groups
WhatsApp group poll bot: what AI can do with polls
Ask Cole in the WhatsApp group, for example "Cole, make a poll: dinner on Friday or Saturday?", and Cole can post a basic WhatsApp poll there, with 2 to 12 options and one or several answers allowed. Cole cannot close a poll at a set time, hide voter names or read the votes; for an end time or hidden voters, make the poll yourself in WhatsApp, which announced both in August 2026.
Who can do what
| Task | WhatsApp's own polls | Meta AI | Cole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create a poll in the group | Yes. | Yes: Meta lists creating polls among what Meta AI can do as a group member (source). | Yes, when asked: a basic WhatsApp poll in the chat where you ask, with 2 to 12 options. |
| Close voting at a set time | Yes, with an end time (source). | Not described on Meta's page. | No. A poll Cole sends has no end time; Cole can remind the group of your deadline. |
| Hide who voted | Yes, an option when you make the poll. | Not described on Meta's page. | No. |
| Edit the poll | Yes, the question, within 15 minutes. | Not described on Meta's page. | No. To change it, ask Cole for a new poll. |
| See the results | Yes, in the poll itself. | Not described on Meta's page. | No. Poll votes do not reach Cole, so it cannot count them. |
| List the options people suggested | No. | Meta lists planning activities and brainstorms. | Yes: "Cole, list the restaurants people suggested this week." |
| Remind people to vote | No. | Meta lists setting up alerts for admins of large groups. | Yes, a reminder in the group at the time you set. |
Run a group vote with Cole
01
Collect the options
Ask in the group:
Cole, list the restaurants people suggested this week. Cole answers from the group's messages since it joined.02
Ask Cole for the poll
Cole, make a poll with those restaurants, one answer each. Cole can post the poll in the group. If you want an end time or hidden voter names, or Cole says it can't make one, make the poll yourself in WhatsApp instead.03
Set a reminder to vote
Cole, remind everyone on Thursday at 6pm to vote in the dinner poll before 8. Cole posts it in the group at that time.04
Plan from the result
Read the result in the poll, then tell Cole:
Cole, the poll picked Saturday at Luigi's. Remind everyone on Saturday at 5pm.What Cole cannot do with a poll
Cole sends a poll as a participant with its own number, in the chat where you asked for it. After that the poll belongs to WhatsApp: Cole cannot edit or close it, and votes do not reach Cole, so it cannot count them or tell you who voted for what. Read the result in the poll itself.
Around the vote, Cole is useful for reminders at the right time and recaps of what people said.
How to add Cole to your WhatsApp group
01
Sign up and connect WhatsApp
Create a free Pocodot account and choose WhatsApp. The dashboard opens WhatsApp with a one-time code already typed; send it to Cole and Cole replies in your private chat.
02
Add Cole's number to the group
Add the same Cole number you just messaged as a participant, the way you add anyone. Cole cannot join from an invite link, and it cannot see messages from before it joined.
03
Tag Cole once from your number
Send
@Cole hi in the group from the WhatsApp number on your account. Cole answers from your own credits, then asks you once, in your private chat, whether your account should pay for everyone in the group. Say yes, and everyone in the group can ask Cole. Nobody becomes the payer without saying yes.Full steps and limits: How to add Cole to a WhatsApp group. Privacy rules for groups: how Cole works in group chats.
About Cole
Pocodot makes Cole, an AI assistant you add to WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, LINE and Slack, including group chats. Cole handles reminders, email, calendar, research and calls, in private chats and group chats.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a bot that makes polls in WhatsApp groups?
Yes. Cole can post a basic WhatsApp poll in a group when someone asks, for example "Cole, make a poll: Friday or Saturday?" Meta says Meta AI can also create polls in a group where it has been added as a member and is available. WhatsApp's own polls add an end time and hidden voter names.
Can Cole create a poll in my WhatsApp group?
Yes, when you ask it in the group: a WhatsApp poll with a question and 2 to 12 options, allowing one or several answers. Cole cannot edit or close the poll afterwards, and it cannot read the votes. If Cole says it can't make one, make the poll yourself in WhatsApp.
Can Cole count the votes?
No. Poll votes do not reach Cole, so it cannot count them or tell you who voted for what. Read the result in the poll and tell Cole what the group chose.
How do I set a deadline on a WhatsApp poll?
WhatsApp announced in August 2026 that you can set an end time on a poll to lock voting when time is up. You set it when you create the poll yourself; a poll Cole sends has no end time.
Can I hide who voted in a WhatsApp poll?
WhatsApp's August 2026 update added an option to hide voter names, which you choose when you make the poll yourself.
How do I remind my group to vote?
Add Cole to the group and ask: "Cole, remind everyone on Thursday at 6pm to vote in the dinner poll." Cole posts the reminder in the group at that time.
Sources
- WhatsApp Blog, Your Group Chats Upgraded: Introducing Better Polls, @all and More (4 August 2026), read 18 October 2026.
- WhatsApp Help Center, About groups with Meta AI as a member, read 18 October 2026.
- Cole: how Cole works in group chats, what Cole can do and pricing.
- Features, prices and availability change. Check each company's own page for your country before you decide.
Free to start
Add Cole to your WhatsApp group
Sign up, add Cole to the group, then ask it for a poll.