7. Participation Tools — Which to Use | Civio Engage Knowledge Base [ ![Civio Knowledge Base](/civio-light.svg) ](https://nginx.deploy-lagoon-production.civio-engage-docs.dh1.amazee.io) [Articles](/articles) [Releases](/releases) [Home](/) [Knowledge base](/articles) [Getting Started with Civio Engage](/articles?category=15) 7. Participation Tools — Which to Use ===================================== Updated 2 months ago Search Go Civio Engage includes six participation tools — each designed for a different type of community input. This guide helps you choose the right tool for your project. All participation tools are managed from the **Participation** section in the left-hand menu of your project. On the public site, they appear under the **Participate** tab of your project page. For general instructions on adding, unpublishing, deleting, and closing submissions for any participation tool, see [Manage your project participation tools](/articles/9182279163663-Manage-your-project-participation-tools). Surveys ------- ![](/storage/bphjrPYxTb2NjZkxaXSiK9jfcz4ldVWEKrQEhl9Y.png) **Best for:** Structured data collection with multiple question types. Surveys let you build detailed forms with a wide range of question types — from multiple choice and rating scales to file uploads and conditional logic. Use a survey when you need to gather both quantitative and qualitative feedback in a structured way. **Key features****Details**Question types20+ types including text, checkboxes, radios, Likert scales, rankings, media selection, and moreConditional logicShow or hide questions based on previous answersSave progressAllow respondents to save and continue laterAccess controlOpen to anyone or require loginTo create a survey, see [Create and edit a survey](/articles/9182830898191-Create-and-edit-a-survey). For help choosing question types, see [Survey question types](/articles/9183021959439-Survey-question-types) and [When to use which survey question type](/articles/9183117053839-When-to-use-which-survey-question-type). Polls ----- ![](/storage/vOxYyoKzo9gvYd0pBNfdr2bgRC6L5RVEB8HUxEye.png) **Best for:** Quick, single-question feedback with real-time results. A poll asks one question with a set of predefined options. Responses are instant and results can be displayed to the community immediately after voting — making polls great for gauging sentiment quickly. **Key features****Details**Single questionOne question with multiple answer optionsReal-time resultsOptionally show results as a bar chart immediately after votingAccess controlOpen to anyone or require loginTo create a poll, see [Create and edit poll](/articles/9184031782799-Create-and-edit-poll). Idea boards ----------- ![](/storage/voLwhmt9f31VNZTaypIwBVx4olJHzpaBhxVVOU4g.png) **Best for:** Open-ended community ideas with voting and discussion. Idea boards let community members share ideas on a topic. Each idea can include a title, description, and optional image. Other community members can browse, vote on, and engage with submitted ideas. **Key features****Details**Community ideasMembers submit their own ideas with a title, description, and optional imageVotingUp-voting only, up and down voting, or disabledSortingDisplay ideas by Trending, Popularity, Latest, or OldestMap viewOptionally attach a map so ideas are pinned to locationsModerationPublish ideas immediately or require approval firstTo create an idea board, see [Create and edit an idea board](/articles/9184062005007-Create-and-edit-an-idea-board). Map feedback ------------ ![](/storage/YYadMBAn2omlir03ujGeaTo12SaHXQaWhq5qJDKu.png) **Best for:** Location-specific input pinned to an interactive map. The map feedback tool lets community members drop pins on a map and attach feedback to specific locations. This is ideal for infrastructure projects, planning consultations, or any project where *where* matters as much as *what*. **Key features****Details**Pin-based feedbackCommunity members place markers on specific map locationsCustom fieldsAdd extra input fields beyond the default location pinAddress searchIf enabled on the map, users can search for locationsModerationPublish feedback immediately or require approval firstTo create a map feedback tool, see [Create and edit a map feedback](/articles/10028992146575-Create-and-edit-a-map-feedback). For setting up the underlying map layers, see [Create and edit map layers](/articles/9181816450191-Create-and-edit-map-layers). Q&A boards -------------- ![](/storage/6McDOxmkS9gJQlMUiQL0Cd8TaqCEz2Kvo9akfa8L.png) **Best for:** Community questions with official responses from your team. Q&A boards let community members ask questions and receive authoritative answers from your team. Unlike forums, these are focused on clear, official responses — not open discussion. The submitter is notified when their question receives a response. **Key features****Details**Question submissionCommunity members submit a short question and optional elaborationOfficial responsesYour team publishes an answer visible to all visitorsVotingCommunity members can vote on questions to surface the most popular onesNotificationsSubmitters are notified when their question is answeredModerationPublish questions immediately or require approval firstTo create a Q&A board, see [Create and edit a Q&A board](/articles/12347854585743-Create-and-edit-a-Q-A-board). Budgets (Participatory Budgeting) --------------------------------- ![](/storage/ci0ko8yRz6Df3atWQLSDHFNjZXSjVNdelwbMziNR.png) **Best for:** Letting the community allocate funds, points, or custom units across proposals. The Budgets tool runs participatory budgeting exercises where community members distribute a set budget across a list of proposals. Each proposal has a fixed cost, and participants choose which combination to fund within their allocation. **Key features****Details**Budget typesPoints, Money ($), or a custom unit (e.g. "tokens", "votes")ProposalsEach proposal has a title, description, image, and fixed costMinimum spendOptionally require participants to allocate a minimum amount before submittingKnapsack allocationParticipants choose any combination of proposals within their total budgetTo create a Budgets tool, see [Budgets Tool (Participatory Budgeting)](/articles/14158973375759-Getting-started-with-Budgets). For strategy and design tips, see [Participatory Budgeting Best Practice Guide](/articles/Participatory-Budgeting-Best-Practice-Guide). Which tool should I use? ------------------------ Use this quick reference to match your engagement goal to the right tool: **You want to…****Use**Collect structured feedback with multiple questions[Survey](/articles/9182830898191-Create-and-edit-a-survey)Ask a quick question and show live results[Poll](/articles/9184031782799-Create-and-edit-poll)Invite the community to share and vote on ideas[Idea board](/articles/9184062005007-Create-and-edit-an-idea-board)Collect feedback tied to specific locations on a map[Map feedback](/articles/10028992146575-Create-and-edit-a-map-feedback)Let the community ask questions and get official answers[Q&A board](/articles/12347854585743-Create-and-edit-a-Q-A-board)Let the community allocate a budget across proposals[Budgets](/articles/14158973375759-Getting-started-with-Budgets)You can add multiple participation tools to a single project — for example, a survey for structured feedback alongside an idea board for open suggestions. Common features across all tools -------------------------------- Every participation tool in Civio Engage shares these capabilities: - **Submissions & moderation** — View, approve, reject, and export submissions. See [View, moderate, and export participation tool submissions](/articles/9184083413647-View-moderate-and-export-participation-tool-submissions). - **Reporting** — Each tool has a built-in report tab with submission charts and data. See [Participation tool reporting](/articles/9184444959247-Participation-tool-reporting). - **Embedding** — Embed any tool on an external website. See [Embed participation tools into other websites](/articles/9184118090511-Embed-participation-tools-into-other-websites). - **Cloning** — Duplicate a tool to reuse its configuration. See [Cloning tools](/articles/10176895358735-Cloning-tools). - **End date** — Set a closing date to stop accepting new submissions. - **Access control** — Choose whether submissions require login or are open to anyone. What's next? ------------ Now that you know which tool to use, the next article covers how to manage the submissions you receive — including moderation, approvals, and responding to the community. **Next:** [8. Moderating Participation Submissions](/articles/moderating-participation-submissions) [ Back to articles ](/articles) Table of contents ----------------- © 2026 [Civio](https://civ.io) [Privacy Policy](/articles/privacy-policy) [Terms of Use](/articles/terms-of-use)