Ever wanted to get quick feedback from your users right inside your app? A live poll is perfect, but the thought of building the backend for it — setting up a database, a real-time API with WebSockets, and handling the logic — can turn a simple idea into a week-long project.
But what if you could do it in minutes, with just a frontend component?
Today, I'll show you how to add a fully real-time, persistent poll to any React app. When one user votes, the results will instantly update for everyone else, everywhere.
Here’s what we’ll build:
Prerequisites
- A basic React application (e.g., created with
create-react-app
orvite
). - About 5 minutes of your time.
Let's dive in.
Step 1: The "Backend" (in 60 seconds)
First, we need a place to store our poll data. We'll use Vaultrice, a real-time component backend for frontend developers.
- Create a free account at www.vaultrice.app/register.
- Create a new Project (e.g., "My React App").
- Go to the API Keys section and create a new key.
- Copy your
projectId
,apiKey
, andapiSecret
.
That’s it. That’s the entire backend setup.
Step 2: Install the React Component
Next, we'll install the pre-built Vaultrice React component for our poll.
Open your terminal and run:
npm install @vaultrice/react-components
Step 3: Add the Poll to Your App
Now for the magic. Import the <Voting />
component and drop it into your React app. Pass in the credentials you just copied.
import { Voting } from '@vaultrice/react-components';
function App() {
const credentials = {
projectId: 'YOUR_PROJECT_ID',
apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
apiSecret: 'YOUR_API_SECRET'
};
return (
<div className="container">
<Voting
id="my-first-poll"
title="Do you like to code?"
choices={[
{ id: 'yes', label: 'Yes' },
{ id: 'sometimes', label: 'Sometimes' },
{ id: 'no', label: 'No' },
]}
credentials={credentials}
/>
</div>
);
}
export default App;
And... you're done.
You now have a fully functional, real-time poll. When a user votes, the component uses Vaultrice's atomic counters to safely increment the vote count, and the results are broadcast to all other connected clients instantly.
How Does It Work?
The <Voting />
component (of @vaultrice/react-components
) is powered by the @vaultrice/sdk
and the @vaultrice/react
, which handles all the complexity of real-time communication and state management for you.
-
Atomic Counters: It uses
incrementItem()
to ensure every vote is accurately counted without race conditions. - Real-Time Sync: It automatically subscribes to data changes, so the UI updates live for everyone.
- Zero Backend Code: You didn't have to write a single line of server code, configure a database, or manage a WebSocket connection.
Conclusion
This is just a small example of what you can build. The same principles apply to creating "who's online" lists, real-time comment sections, collaborative features, and more.
If you're tired of the backend hassle for real-time features, give Vaultrice a try.
Top comments (1)
Wow, this is incredibly simple to use! I’ll definitely give it a try. I’m especially curious about how it works under the hood — how you managed to make it this straightforward. It would be amazing if real-time chat could be this simple too!