What Doodle Does and Why You'd Use It
Doodle is a free scheduling tool that lets you propose multiple dates or times, then sends a link to other people so they can vote on which option works best for them. Instead of trading emails back and forth trying to find a time everyone can meet, you create a poll with your available slots, share the link, and Doodle shows you which time has the most votes.
You do not need to create an account to make a basic poll, though creating one lets you edit polls later and see results in real time. The person who creates the poll does not have to be the one deciding the final time — you can let the group vote and then pick the winner, or you can decide based on what you see.
Doodle works for scheduling meetings, coordinating group dinners, planning events, or finding a time for classes or appointments. It handles time zones automatically if your group is spread across different regions, and it works on phones and computers.
Key Takeaways
- You can create a Doodle poll without signing up, but an account lets you edit the poll later and see live results as people vote.
- The poll asks people to vote on specific dates and times you propose, and Doodle shows which option has the most votes.
- You share a single link with everyone, and they vote by clicking their available times without needing to create an account.
- Doodle automatically handles time zones, so if you propose 3 p.m. Eastern, someone in Pacific time sees it as noon their time.
- Once people vote, you can read the results or take a screenshot, but Doodle does not send automatic reminders to people who have not voted yet.
Creating Your First Poll: Step by Step
Go to doodle.com and click the button that says "Create a poll" or "Schedule an event." You will land on a page asking what you want to schedule. Type a title for your poll — something like "Team lunch on Friday" or "Project kickoff meeting" — and add a short description if you want to explain what the meeting is about.
Next, you choose whether this is a poll about dates, times, or both. If you are scheduling a one-time meeting, pick "Find a time." If you are scheduling something that happens on the same time every week or month, pick "Schedule a recurring event." For a straightforward one-off meeting, "Find a time" is the easiest route.
Now you propose your available slots. Click on the calendar and select the dates you could meet. For each date, add the times you are available — for example, 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, or 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday. You can add as many time slots as you want, but more options make the poll harder to read. Three to five time slots usually works well.
If your group is in different time zones, Doodle asks you to pick your own time zone first. Once you do, anyone who votes will see the times converted to their own zone automatically — you do not have to do anything extra.
Sharing Your Poll and Collecting Votes
After you finish adding your time slots, Doodle gives you a link to share. Copy that link and send it to everyone who needs to vote — you can paste it into an email, text message, Slack, or any other way you normally communicate. People do not need a Doodle account to vote; they just click the link, type their name, and click the times that work for them.
Each person sees a grid with your proposed times down the left side and their name across the top. They click each time slot that works for them, and Doodle marks it with a checkmark. When they are done, they click "Submit" and their votes are recorded.
If you created an account before making the poll, you can log in and watch the votes come in live. You will see the grid fill up as people vote, and Doodle highlights the time slot with the most votes. If you did not create an account, you can still see the results by clicking the link again, but you will not get notifications when new people vote.
Editing Your Poll Before People Vote
If you made a mistake or want to add more time slots before sharing the link, you can edit the poll — but only if you created a Doodle account. When you log in, you see a list of your polls. Click the one you want to change, and you can add or remove dates and times, change the title, or adjust the description.
Once you share the link and people start voting, you can still edit the poll, but Doodle will warn you that changing the options might confuse people who already voted. If you add a new time slot after someone has voted, their votes stay the same — they do not automatically vote on the new option.
If you did not create an account, you cannot edit the poll after you create it. You would have to create a new poll with the corrected information and share that link instead.
Understanding the Results and Picking a Time
Once people have voted, Doodle shows you a grid with each person's name and the times they selected. The time slot with the most checkmarks is the winner. Doodle does not automatically pick a time for you — you decide whether to go with the most popular option, pick a different time that works for you, or ask people to vote again if no clear winner emerges.
You can read the results as a PDF or image file by clicking the read button on the poll page. This is useful if you want to keep a record or share the results with people who did not vote.
Once you have decided on a time, you need to tell everyone what you chose. Doodle does not send an automatic notification saying "The meeting is at 3 p.m. on Tuesday." You send a separate email or message to the group with the final time and any other details like the meeting link or location.
Privacy and What Doodle Knows About Your Poll
Doodle stores the poll on its servers, which means anyone with the link can see who voted and what times they selected. The poll does not have a password, so if someone forwards the link to another person, that person can see all the votes and add their own name.
If you want to keep the poll private, do not share the link publicly — only send it to the specific people you want to vote. Doodle does not ask for email addresses, so it cannot send reminders to people who have not voted yet. You have to follow up with them yourself.
Doodle's privacy policy says it collects information about how you use the site, including what polls you create and when people vote. If you create an account, Doodle stores your email address. You can delete a poll from your account at any time, and Doodle will remove it from its servers.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The most common mistake is proposing too many time slots. If you offer 10 different times, the grid becomes hard to read and people get confused about which times are actually available. Stick to three to five options that genuinely work for you.
Another mistake is forgetting to tell people the final decision. You create the poll, collect votes, see that Tuesday at 3 p.m. won, and then never send a message saying "We are meeting Tuesday at 3 p.m." People assume they need to check the poll again, or they miss the announcement entirely. Send a separate message with the final time and any other details.
If you are scheduling across time zones, double-check that you selected your own time zone correctly before you add your available times. If you say you are in Eastern time but Doodle thinks you are in Pacific, all your times will be off by three hours for people on the other coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do people need a Doodle account to vote on my poll?
No. People can click your poll link, type their name, select their available times, and submit their votes without creating an account or logging in. Only the person who creates the poll needs an account if they want to edit it later or see live results.
Can I set a important date for when people have to vote?
Doodle does not have a built-in important date feature. You can type a important date in the poll description — for example, "Please vote by Friday at 5 p.m." — but Doodle will not close the poll or send reminders. You have to follow up with people yourself if they have not voted by your important date.
What if everyone votes for different times and there is no clear winner?
If the votes are split evenly, you can pick the time that works best for you, ask the group to vote again with fewer options, or send a message asking people to compromise. Doodle does not force a decision — you decide what to do based on the results.
Can I change the time after I tell people the final decision?
Yes, but you have to send a new message telling everyone the time changed. If you edit the poll in Doodle, the link stays the same, but people who already voted will not see a notification that something changed. It is better to send a separate message saying "The meeting time has changed to 4 p.m. instead of 3 p.m."
What happens to my poll after I schedule the meeting?
The poll stays on Doodle's servers as long as your account exists. You can delete it from your account at any time, and Doodle will remove it. If you did not create an account, the poll will eventually be deleted, but Doodle does not say exactly when that happens.