2.0 Attendance with Rotating Codes (For Presenters)

In this article:

Poll Everywhere 2.0 supports attendance check-in using rotating codes as an alternative (or complement) to location-based check-in. Rotating codes provide a flexible, accessible way for participants to confirm attendance without requiring geolocation sharing.

Rotating codes are ideal for classrooms where:

• Geolocation may not be reliable

• Instructors want an additional verification method

Instructors and Presenters can choose how students check in:

• Location only

• Code only

• Location or code

This allows instructors to tailor attendance verification to their classroom environment.

You can learn more about Presenter Best Practices for Location-Based Attendance here: Presenter Best Practices for Location-Based Attendance

How rotating code check-in works

When an attendance session is active, a 4-digit rotating code appears on the presentation screen.

Participants can:

• Share their location (if location check-in is enabled),

• Enter the rotating code displayed on screen or 

• Share their location and the rotating code (If both are enabled)

The code updates automatically at regular intervals.

Note: Codes remain valid for 20 seconds, including display time. Once a code expires and rotates out, it cannot be reused.

What participants see

When joining an attendance session, participants will see:

• The option to "Share location" (if location check-in is enabled)

• The option to "Enter code"

• The Option to "Share their location and the rotating code" (If both are enabled)

The check-in panel displays the closing time so participants clearly understand how long they have to complete check-in.

What happens if a code is entered incorrectly?

If a participant enters an incorrect code:

• The system does not accept it

• They can immediately try again

Incorrect codes cannot be submitted or saved.

Accessibility and alternative check-in

If a participant is unable to see the rotating code or cannot use location services, they can select:

"Explain why" 

This allows them to submit a check-in request for instructor review (for example, due to visual accessibility needs or you have been asked to join the class from home due to medical reasons. Rotating codes and the attendance interface are designed to meet accessibility standards and have been tested for common accessibility concerns.

As long as the attendance session is still open, participants can check in using the current rotating code, even if they arrive late. Once the session closes, check-in is no longer accepted unless manually adjusted by the instructor.

Click the link to learn more about Checking in with Rotating Codes (For Students)