# Response settings: time limit, hide result, stop submission and more

> Control how and when people answer polls, word clouds, open-ended questions and other interactive slides.

Source: https://engageslide.com/knowledge-base/slide-settings/response-settings · EngageSlide Help Center · Slide Settings

Video tutorial: [Response settings — video tutorial](https://youtu.be/7W8sJHlySvE)

## What they do

Interactive slides share a set of switches in the **Settings** block of the **Content** tab: give people a time limit, keep results hidden until you are ready, close the slide for new answers, allow several answers per person, or ask for a name with each answer. Which switches you see depends on the slide type (see **Every setting** below); options that only one slide type has are explained in that slide type’s article.

## Step by step

1. Select an interactive slide (for example a Poll) and stay on the **Content** tab.
2. Scroll to **Settings** and turn on the switches you need. Changes save immediately — also while you are presenting.
3. Present the slide. The big screen and the phones follow the settings live.

![A Poll with Hide result and a 30-second Time limit.](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-poll.webp)

## Every setting

- **Time limit · Seconds to answer** — A countdown starts when you show the slide while presenting. Phones show a shrinking bar, the last 3 seconds count down big on screen, and at zero submissions stop automatically. _Poll, Word Cloud, Open Ended, Pin on Image, Scale, Ranking, Whiteboard, Draw._
- **Hide result** — Responses are collected but not shown on the big screen. Press **Show result** under the slide to reveal them. Phones are not affected. _Poll, Word Cloud, Open Ended, Pin on Image, Scale, Ranking, 2×2 Grid, 100 Points._
- **Stop Submission** — Closes the slide: phones show a disabled **Submission stopped** button. Press **Enable Submission** under the slide (or turn the switch off) to open it again. _The slides above plus Whiteboard and Draw._
- **Multiple Submissions** — On (the default): people can send more answers. Off: one submission per person — the button then says **Submitted**. _Word Cloud, Open Ended._
- **Number of responses** — How many words each person can type in one go (1–7 boxes on the phone). _Word Cloud._
- **This slide has correct answer** — Marks the correct options with ✓ and the others with ✗ on the results. **Allow picking more than one option** lets people tick several. _Poll._
- **Allow the audience to enter their name / email / avatar** — Adds optional **Enter your name**, **Enter your email** and **Your avatar** (emoji) fields under the answer box, so responses are not anonymous. _Open Ended, 2×2 Grid, Whiteboard, Draw._

![Word Cloud: Multiple Submissions, 3 responses per person and a 60-second time limit.](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-word-cloud.webp)

## Time limit while presenting

The timer starts — and the slide opens for answers — every time the slide comes on screen. A small timer under the slide shows the seconds left; click it to switch to 30s, 60s, 1′30, 2′, 3′, 4′ or 5′ on the spot. When it reaches zero you see **Time’s up!**, a sound plays and no more answers are accepted. Press **Enable Submission** to let late answers in.

![Hide result and Time limit while presenting: the timer and Show result sit under the slide.](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-timer.webp)

![Phones show the time left as a bar](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-phone-timer.webp)
![After Time’s up or Stop Submission: Submission stopped](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-phone-stopped.webp)

![Time’s up! — submissions stop and Enable Submission appears.](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-times-up.webp)

## Ask for a name with each answer

Open Ended, 2×2 Grid, Whiteboard and Draw are anonymous by default. Turn on the **name**, **email** and **avatar** switches and the phone shows those fields below the answer. They are optional for the participant; what they enter is shown with their response (for example the name and emoji on an Open Ended card). To make details required for the whole presentation, use [Collect Audience Information](https://engageslide.com/knowledge-base/presentation-settings/collect-audience-information) instead.

![Open Ended with name, email and avatar switched on.](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-open-ended.webp)

![The phone asks for a name, email and avatar with the answer](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-phone-details.webp)

## Clear the results of one slide

Under **Actions**, **Clear result this slide** deletes every response to the selected slide right away (there is no confirmation), so you can run it again with a new group. A quiz goes back to its lobby. While presenting, the same action is **Reset slide result** in the ☰ menu. To clear the whole presentation, use [Clear all results](https://engageslide.com/knowledge-base/presenting/reuse-and-reset-a-presentation) in the top bar. The button is on every slide that collects answers, except the live game slides (such as Tug of War, Bingo or Hot Potato), which start a fresh round each time.

![Actions → Clear result this slide.](https://engageslide.com/images/kb/response-settings-clear.webp)

> **Also in the present menu** — While presenting, open the ☰ menu in the bottom-left controls for **Stop Submission**, **Hide Result** and **Reset slide result** without going back to the editor.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why don’t I see Time limit on my slide?

Only the slide types listed above have it. Quiz slides have their own **Seconds to answer**, and the 2×2 Grid and 100 Points slides have no timer.

### Do hidden results still count?

Yes. Everything is saved; Hide result only changes what the big screen shows. Your report has all responses.

### Does the timer restart if I go back to the slide?

Yes. Each time the slide comes on screen while presenting, the countdown starts again and the slide opens for answers.