Pick the right action type

Onact has eight response formats. The most useful choice depends on what each participant needs to save, rather than on the visual style of the page. A poll records preferences; a plan can start with simple choices and add dated availability and RSVP; a bill calculates item allocations; a checklist records completion; a challenge records scores; a product decision compares preferences; a contribution records non-binding pledges; and a quiz asks one checked question.

Match the response to the task

Use a poll for an ordinary choice between distinct options. Enable multiple selections only if several answers can reasonably apply. Explain whether the outcome informs an organizer or settles a low-stakes group preference. A poll should not silently become a legally binding vote or approval process. Use a plan when dates, duration, location or capacity matter. The basic format is a choice between candidates. The planning controls add real local dates, availability, RSVP, a capacity limit and calendar export. Recurrence requires a plan with the relevant entitlement. A calendar file communicates dates; it does not book external facilities or prove attendance.

Use the financial formats carefully

A bill split divides the entered cost of an item equally among the people claiming that item. Tax and tip are additive percentages of each allocated subtotal. The result changes when claimants change, so reconcile the final saved state against the actual receipt. It does not collect payment or track an external transfer. A contribution goal records voluntary, non-binding interest in contributing an amount. It is not a fundraising payment service, a donation receipt or evidence that a cause is legitimate. A product decision records what people prefer; it does not reserve stock, place an order, apply a merchant discount or approve the real checkout.

Separate progress from assignment

A checklist is useful when collaborators need to mark concrete tasks complete. Write each task with an observable finish condition. A tick is a self-reported state, not evidence that another person accepted responsibility. Use workspace responsibilities when a named assignment is needed. A challenge records a self-reported number in a stated unit. Define what the score measures and the reporting period. Scores are neither independently verified nor a substitute for professional assessment. A mini quiz is one low-stakes factual question; verify the correct answer and do not treat one response as certification or a measure of intelligence.

When to split a request

An event can need a plan for dates and a separate checklist for preparation. A group purchase can need a product decision before a separate bill calculation. Combining unrelated decisions into one title makes responses ambiguous. Link related actions in the description, with clear instructions about the order in which to answer them. If you chose the wrong response format after people responded, create a fresh action rather than reinterpreting their existing answers. Explain why the new request is needed and close the old one when appropriate. Saved responses retain the meaning participants saw at submission time; a new format should not change that meaning without a fresh decision.

Continue with related help

• Accessible participation and keyboard controls
• Contact support and track a useful request
• Use the local help assistant effectively
• Create your first action

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