Written by Today we’re releasing something we’ve been working on for months: WB Polls 4.5.0. This isn’t just an update—it’s a complete reimagining of what a WordPress poll plugin can be.
The biggest news? You no longer need BuddyPress to use this plugin. WB Polls now works on any WordPress site. Whether you’re running a simple blog, a membership site, an online course platform, or a full-fledged BuddyPress community, WB Polls has you covered.
Why does this matter? Because polls are one of the most effective ways to engage your audience. They’re quick to participate in, provide immediate social proof, and give you valuable insights into what your visitors actually think. Until now, getting professional-quality polls on WordPress meant either using basic free plugins with limited features, or expensive SaaS tools that take visitors off your site.
The Big Change: BuddyPress Polls Becomes WB Polls
We’ve renamed the plugin from “BuddyPress Polls” to “WB Polls” for good reason: it’s no longer tied to BuddyPress. This represents a fundamental shift in our approach—we’re opening the doors to the entire WordPress ecosystem.
Here’s what this means for you:
- Any WordPress site can use WB Polls. No community plugin required. Install, activate, and start creating polls immediately.
- If you run BuddyPress or BuddyBoss, you still get all the activity stream integration you know and love. Nothing is removed—only added.
- One plugin, two polling systems: Standalone Polls work on any WordPress site with their own dedicated pages. Activity Polls integrate seamlessly with BuddyPress/BuddyBoss activity feeds.
This opens WB Polls to millions of WordPress sites that don’t run community plugins but still want professional polling capabilities. It’s a significant expansion of what this plugin can do.
Two Polling Systems, One Plugin
WB Polls 4.5.0 gives you the flexibility to choose how you want to engage your audience. Use one system, the other, or both together—it’s entirely up to you and your site’s needs.
Standalone Polls (Works on Any WordPress Site)
Create polls as a custom post type with their own dedicated pages. This is perfect for blogs, business sites, and any WordPress installation that doesn’t use BuddyPress.
- Shortcode embedding: Add
[wbpoll id="36"]to any page or post to display a specific poll - Poll Dashboard: Users can manage all their polls from a central location, making it easy to track performance and make updates
- Guest voting: Allow non-logged-in visitors to vote, expanding your reach and engagement potential
- Approval workflow: Review user-submitted polls before publishing to maintain quality control
- Poll states: Comprehensive lifecycle management with Draft, Pending, Scheduled, Active, Paused, and Expired states
- REST API access: Full programmatic control for developers building custom integrations
Activity Polls (BuddyPress/BuddyBoss Integration)
If you’re running a BuddyPress community, activity polls bring voting directly to the feed where your members already spend their time:
- One-click voting: Members vote without leaving the activity stream, keeping engagement high and friction low
- Group polls: Create private polls for group discussions, perfect for team decisions or exclusive member content
- Voter avatars: Show who voted for each option, adding social proof and encouraging participation
- Re-voting: Let members change their minds if the poll allows it—great for evolving discussions
- Multi-select: Allow multiple choices per poll when you need more nuanced feedback
- Member type restrictions: Control who can create polls based on BuddyPress member types
- Role-based access: Limit poll creation to specific user roles for better content management
Use one system or both—your choice. They work independently but share the same powerful polling engine under the hood.
Five Rich Poll Types
Go beyond simple text polls. WB Polls supports rich media in poll options, making your polls more engaging and visually appealing:
| Type | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Simple, clean text options | Quick questions, feedback |
| Image | Visual choices with photos | Product voting, design choices |
| Video | Embed YouTube, Vimeo, or upload MP4 | Content comparison, tutorials |
| Audio | Spotify, SoundCloud, or direct audio files | Music polls, podcast topics |
| HTML | Fully customizable option content | Complex layouts, branded options |
Mix and match types within a single poll to create exactly what you need. Want an image poll with one text-only option? No problem. Need video options alongside audio? Done. The flexibility lets you create exactly the kind of poll your audience will respond to.
GLightbox Media Viewer (New in 4.5.0)
Media-rich polls now look professional. We’ve integrated GLightbox to provide a sleek, modern viewing experience for all media attachments:
- No more tiny thumbnails: Images expand to full size in an elegant overlay
- Video support: YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion videos play inline without leaving your site
- Audio embeds: Spotify and SoundCloud integration for seamless playback
- Mobile-friendly: Swipe between options with intuitive touch gestures
- Keyboard navigation: Arrow keys move through options, ESC closes the lightbox
- Gallery mode: Navigate image polls with multiple options in a continuous flow
This brings a polished, modern feel to every media poll you create. Your visitors will notice the difference immediately.
New [wbpoll_create] Shortcode
The original [wbpoll] shortcode displays a poll. Now there’s [wbpoll_create] to add poll creation forms anywhere on your site.
Why does this matter? Because flexibility drives engagement:
- Add poll creation to landing pages, not just the default dashboard
- Let users create polls from any page you choose—product pages, community hubs, event pages
- Build user-generated content features with the built-in approval workflow
- Customize where and how polls are created to match your site’s user flow
Combined with the approval workflow, you can safely let users create polls while maintaining editorial control over what gets published.
Complete REST API
For developers who need programmatic access, WB Polls includes a comprehensive REST API that opens up endless integration possibilities:
- Create, read, update, delete polls via standard REST endpoints
- Retrieve poll results programmatically for custom displays or analytics dashboards
- Manage poll states—pause, publish, unpublish, delete with simple API calls
- List polls by user for building custom dashboards or member profile pages
- Authentication required for all management operations (new security feature in 4.5.0)
Base endpoint: /wp-json/wbpoll/v1/
This API makes it possible to integrate WB Polls with mobile apps, external services, or custom WordPress themes that need direct access to polling functionality.
WP-CLI Commands for Developers
Full command-line management of polls for developers and system administrators who prefer the terminal:
# Generate demo polls for testing
wp bppolls generate --count=20
# View poll statistics
wp bppolls stats
# Export poll data as JSON
wp bppolls list --format=json
# Clear polls during development
wp bppolls reset --type=activity
# Delete specific poll
wp bppolls delete --id=123Perfect for CI/CD workflows, automated testing, staging environment setup, and development environments. No more clicking through the admin to set up test data.
Security Hardening
Version 4.5.0 includes significant security improvements. We’ve addressed over 100 potential security issues identified during a comprehensive audit:
- REST API authentication: All poll management endpoints now require proper user verification
- Owner verification: Management endpoints check that the requesting user owns the poll
- SQL injection fix: Patched a vulnerability in poll results queries
- Input validation: Improved sanitization across all forms and inputs
- Vote validation: Polls check expiration status before accepting new votes
- Local assets: Font Awesome is now bundled locally—no external CDN calls that could be blocked or tracked
- Nonce verification: Strengthened CSRF protection across all AJAX handlers
If you’re running an older version, update to 4.5.0 immediately for these security fixes. Security should never be an afterthought.
UI and Accessibility Improvements
The admin interface and frontend have been modernized for better usability and accessibility:
- Toggle switches: Modern admin controls replace old checkboxes
- Character limits: Real-time counters for questions and options prevent validation errors
- Dark mode support: Better compatibility with dark themes and system preferences
- Status badges: Clear visual indicators on the poll dashboard show state at a glance
- ARIA labels: Proper accessibility attributes for screen reader support
- Keyboard navigation: Navigate and interact with polls without a mouse
- CSS variables: Easier theme customization for developers
- Responsive tables: Results and admin tables work properly on mobile devices
Bug Fixes
This release addresses numerous reported issues from our user community:
- Settings not saving properly on WordPress Multisite installations
- Vote counting inconsistencies in activity polls
- Media attachments not working when adding poll options dynamically
- Poll form not clearing after posting a new poll
- Edit button appearing for users without edit permissions
- Polls accepting votes when status is pending or draft
- Poll content disappearing when editing from single poll page
- Calendar widget auto-opening unexpectedly on poll dashboard
- Various PHP warnings and undefined variable errors
- JavaScript console errors in certain edge cases
Complete Documentation
WB Polls 4.5.0 comes with comprehensive documentation covering everything you need to get started and master advanced features:
- Getting Started Guide: Installation and first poll creation
- Activity Polls Guide: Complete BuddyPress integration documentation
- Standalone Polls Guide: Using the WordPress CPT system
- Poll Types Reference: Detailed guide to all five poll types
- Admin Configuration: Every setting explained
- Shortcode Reference: All shortcodes with parameters
- Developer Documentation: REST API, hooks, filters, and WP-CLI
- Troubleshooting Guide: Common issues and solutions
Who Is This For?
WB Polls 4.5.0 is designed for a wide range of WordPress users:
- Any WordPress site owner wanting to add professional polls—no BuddyPress required
- Community managers running BuddyPress or BuddyBoss communities
- Membership site owners gathering member feedback and opinions
- Course creators polling students on topics, preferences, and course direction
- Developers building custom poll integrations via REST API
- Agencies deploying polling solutions for clients
- Content creators engaging their audience with interactive content
You don’t need a community plugin anymore. Just WordPress.
Why Choose WB Polls Over Free Alternatives?
Free poll plugins exist—so why pay for WB Polls? Here’s what you get that free options don’t offer:
- Rich media support: Most free plugins only support text options. WB Polls supports images, videos, audio, and custom HTML.
- BuddyPress integration: No free plugin offers activity stream polls with voter avatars and group privacy settings.
- User-generated polls: Let your members create polls with approval workflow—free plugins are admin-only.
- Developer tools: REST API, WP-CLI, hooks and filters for complete customization.
- Professional support: Real humans who understand WordPress and BuddyPress, not a community forum.
- Active development: Regular updates, security patches, and new features based on customer feedback.
If you just need a quick text poll once a year, a free plugin might work. For anything more, WB Polls pays for itself in time saved and features gained.
What’s Next: The Roadmap
We’re already working on the next major features for WB Polls. Here’s what’s coming in future releases:
Coming in v4.6: Survey Mode
Transform your polls into complete surveys. Link multiple polls together into a sequential questionnaire that guides respondents through a series of questions:
- Create surveys from existing polls—reuse content you’ve already built
- Progress bar showing completion percentage
- Single response tracking per user
- Aggregated results view for all survey questions
- New shortcode:
[wbsurvey id="123"]
Lead Capture Gate
Collect emails from engaged voters to grow your list:
- “Enter email to see how others voted” modal
- Build your email list with every poll
- Export leads to CSV for import to any email marketing tool
- Perfect for lead generation and list building
Analytics Dashboard
Understand how your polls perform with visual analytics:
- Response trends over time with charts
- Top performing polls at a glance
- Completion rates and drop-off analysis
- Geographic breakdown (optional)
Future Features
- Quiz mode with scoring
- Email marketing integrations (Mailchimp, FluentCRM)
- Native Gutenberg blocks
- Conditional logic in surveys
- Scheduling and recurring polls
- Zapier integration
Upgrade or Get Started
WB Polls 4.5.0 is available now.
Existing customers: Update from your WordPress dashboard or download from your account at wbcomdesigns.com.
New to WB Polls? Get it at wbcomdesigns.com/downloads/buddypress-polls/
(And yes, we’ll update that URL to match the new name soon.)
Questions about the update? Contact our support team.
WB Polls 4.5.0 requires WordPress 6.0+ and is fully compatible with BuddyPress 14.3+ and BuddyBoss Platform 2.6+.
