Skip to main content
Once the Askplane add-in is installed, the task pane gives you full host control inside PowerPoint: start the session, open and close polls, manage the Q&A queue, and end the session without alt-tabbing. Attendees see results live on the current slide while you work from the pane.

​
Before you start

  • You have an Askplane account and at least one event created at askplane.com/admin
  • The add-in is installed in PowerPoint: see Install if you haven’t done this yet
  • Your presentation is open in PowerPoint

​
Connecting to your event

1

Open the Askplane task pane

In PowerPoint, click the Askplane button in the ribbon (or go to Insert → Add-ins → Askplane). The task pane opens on the right side of the window.
2

Enter your credentials

Type your work email and password, then click Log in.
3

Select your event

Your events list appears. Click the event you want to run. You’re connected and ready to start.

​
Running polls during your presentation

1

Start the session

Click Start Session in the task pane. A five-character code appears on the current slide. Share it with the room verbally: attendees go to askplane.com, enter the code, and add their name and work email. Takes about ten seconds. No app needed.
2

Navigate to a poll slide

Advance your presentation to the slide where you want the poll to appear. The task pane shows your event’s poll list.
3

Open the poll

Click the poll name in the task pane. The question and answer options appear on the current slide. Attendees on their phones or laptops see the poll and can vote.
4

Watch live results

Vote counts update in real time on the slide as attendees respond. The task pane also shows a live count.
5

Close the poll

When you’re ready to discuss the result, click Close Poll. Results stay visible on the slide for as long as you stay on that slide. Then advance your deck and open the next poll when ready.

​
Managing Q&A from the task pane

If Q&A is enabled on your event, submitted questions appear in the Q&A tab of the task pane as attendees type them.
  • Approve: the question appears on the slide, visible to the room
  • Pin: the question surfaces to the top of the Q&A display and stays prominent on the slide
  • Hide: the question is removed from the slide view; it remains in your queue and in the CSV export with a “hidden” status label, so you have a complete record of everything submitted

​
Ending the session

When you’re done with all your polls and Q&A, click End Session in the task pane. Attendees see a session-ended screen on their devices. Session data (attendee list, votes, and Q&A) is immediately available for export in askplane.com/admin.
Use PowerPoint’s Presenter View while hosting. The task pane is visible only on your presenter screen, not on the projected display: the audience sees only your slides and the poll results, not your host controls.