Plan a potluck without five bags of chips
Potlucks have a supply problem: everyone brings the easy thing, so you end up with four pasta salads and no main dish. Before sign-ups, put the dish ideas in a Rankd and have guests rank what they most want to eat. Hand out the top of the list first, and you get a table the group actually wanted instead of whatever was quickest to grab.
- Pulled pork sliders
- Baked ziti
- Big green salad
- Deviled eggs
- Chili with toppings
- Cornbread
- Brownies
- Fruit platter
Free. Edit the options, then send one link to your group.
Why ranking beats a regular poll here
- The top of the list becomes the sign-up sheet, so the must-have dishes get claimed first.
- Guests rank what they want to eat, which is different from what they’d choose to bring.
- Dishes near the bottom are easy to drop, so nobody cooks something that goes home untouched.
How it works
- Add the question and 3 to 30 options
- Send one private link to the group
- Everyone ranks privately, in about a minute
- You reveal the winner
Tips
- Cover mains, sides and desserts so the ranking shows the balance.
- Mark dishes as vegetarian or nut-free in the name so guests with restrictions can rank honestly.
- After the reveal, post the ranked list in the chat and let people claim dishes from the top.
Questions
Does Rankd track who is bringing what?
No. Rankd tells you which dishes the group wants most. Use the group chat or a shared note for sign-ups once you have the ranked list.
Can people see how I ranked?
No. Each person’s order stays private. Everyone sees the group’s final order and where they personally landed, never anyone else’s individual ranking.
Is it free? Does everyone need the app?
Rankd is free and runs in the browser, so there is nothing to download. Friends open the link from any group chat (iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, email) and rank in about a minute.