> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ahaslides.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Using the Open Ended Slide for Free-Text Responses > Collect free-text responses on a live wall — ideal for feedback, icebreakers, and brainstorming where fixed answer options would limit what people say. An Open Ended slide lets your audience answer in their own words — no fixed choices, just real responses that reflect what people actually think. Responses appear on your presenter screen as they arrive, giving you real, unfiltered input without constraining people to preset options. ## How It Works Open-ended questions let respondents answer in free text, so they can express their complete thoughts, feelings, and knowledge. The response isn't limited to a set of options — your audience types whatever they want, and each submission appears on your screen in real time. ## Setting Up an Open Ended Slide In the editor, click **New slide** (top-left) and select **Open Ended** from the slide type picker. Type your question in the **Your question** field on the right panel. A good Open Ended question is specific enough to spark a real response. *"What's one thing you'd improve about our onboarding?"* tends to get more useful answers than *"What do you think?"* Expand **Collect audience info** in the right panel to add fields like name or team. This lets you see who said what alongside each response. See [collecting audience information](/features-and-functions/collecting-audience-information) for details. Under **Results → Layout**, pick one of two display styles: * **Grid** — shows all responses at once as they come in. Great for spotting patterns across a large audience. * **One by one** — reveals responses individually. Useful when you want to read each answer aloud or discuss it with the room. Submissions do not rotate automatically in the **One by one** layout — you move through responses manually. This keeps you in control of the pace so you can read each answer aloud or discuss it before advancing to the next one. Configure the toggles below (see Settings) before presenting. Click **Present** — your audience joins on their devices, types their answers, and responses appear on your screen in real time. You can manually delete any response by clicking the **×** icon next to it. To reuse the slide in a future session, [clear its results](/after-the-presentation/resetting-the-results) first. ## Settings Puts a countdown on the slide, from 5 seconds to 20 minutes. Available on Edu Medium, Edu Large, Essential, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Blocks new responses — useful once everyone has answered and you're ready to discuss. Available on Edu Medium, Edu Large, Essential, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Keeps submitted responses hidden from your screen until you choose to reveal them. Available on Edu Large, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Lets each participant submit multiple responses (unlimited). Participants can share a photo instead of typing text. See [sharing images with the Open Ended slide](https://help.ahaslides.com/portal/en/kb/articles/sharing-images-with-open-ended-slide) for how this works on the audience side. Automatically censors English swear words in submitted responses. Enabling this applies the profanity filter to your entire presentation. ## Smart Grouping AhaSlides can automatically cluster similar responses so you can spot patterns and themes at a glance. While presenting, scroll to the bottom of the presenter screen once everyone has submitted. Click the **Group** icon to cluster similar responses. Click the icon again to ungroup. Smart Grouping is only available once the Open Ended slide has received **more than 10 submissions**, and it works once per session per slide — only group after everyone has submitted. The Open Ended slide itself supports unlimited submissions. ## Common Use Cases *"What's one thing you'd change about today's session?"* Captures specific, actionable input that a rating scale alone can't provide. *"What ideas do you have for the new product name?"* Surfaces diverse ideas from the whole group simultaneously, not just the loudest voices in the room. *"Describe your weekend in one word."* A low-stakes, fun opener that gets everyone participating immediately and sets an interactive tone. *"What's the most important thing you learned today?"* Encourages active recall and gives you insight into which messages landed with your audience. ## Video Tutorial