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Date & time polls

Date & time polls, right inside Gmail

A date & time poll lets you offer a few candidate time slots in an email and have everyone tap every slot that works for them. To send one in Gmail, open Polls for Gmail from the compose window, choose Date & time, add your slots or build them with Grid mode, and send. Recipients vote with one click, and the most available time wins.

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A
Alex Park
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Quick one, tap your answer below:

Poll
Which times work for the Q3 planning kickoff?
Click an option to vote — you can pick more than one.
Mon Jun 2, 10:00 AM
Tue Jun 3, 2:00 PM
Wed Jun 4, 10:00 AM
Thu Jun 5, 4:00 PM
Made with Polls for Gmail
4.9 hours

In a Doodle study of 2,500 administrative and management staff, professionals reported spending 4.9 hours of an average workweek arranging about seven meetings.

One email with every option replaces the reply-all thread, so finding a time takes one round instead of several.

Source: Doodle study by research group LMRMC, reported by MediaPost, 2009
Who uses it

Who sends date & time polls

Real questions people send every week.

Team managersWhich slots work for our Q3 planning kickoff next week?Gets a whole team onto one time without a long reply-all thread.
Teachers and schoolsWhich evening works for your parent-teacher conference in March?Parents vote from any email app with no account or sign-in.
Event organizersWhich Saturday in October works for the volunteer orientation?Collects availability from large groups with unlimited voters on every plan.
Coaches and clubsWhich evenings can you make for extra practice before the tournament?Players and parents tap every evening that works in seconds.
Use cases

When a date & time poll works best

Six common situations, each with a question you can borrow.

Team meetingsOffer three days at two times for the project kickoff and book the slot that clears the most calendars.
Parent-teacher conferencesSend families a few evening slots and see which nights draw the most availability.
Client callsGive a prospect or client four options for a demo so they can reply with one click.
Club and team practicesAsk the squad which weeknights work for an extra session before the season opener.
Volunteer shifts and eventsLet volunteers mark every Saturday they can help with the community cleanup.
Family and friends plansFind the weekend that works for the reunion dinner without a 40-message group thread.
How to

How to send a date & time poll in Gmail

About two minutes, start to finish.

1
Open it from composeStart a Gmail email, then open the Polls for Gmail add-on from the compose window, or click the robot next to Send in the Chrome extension.
2
Choose Date & timePick the Date & time poll type and write your question, such as which times work for the kickoff.
3
Add your slotsAdd each slot with the date and time picker, or use Grid mode: choose a few dates and times and every combination becomes a slot.
4
Send and scheduleInsert the poll and send. Watch availability build in your dashboard, then use Schedule to put the winning time on Google Calendar.

Using the Chrome extension? Click the robot next to Send in any draft. It’s the same poll, just faster.

Best practices

Tips for better answers

Offer 3 to 5 real slotsOnly list times you can actually hold. Fewer, genuine options get answered faster and avoid disappointing people who picked a slot you drop.
Use Grid mode for patternsThree days times three times gives nine slots in one step. Use classic mode when your candidate times are irregular.
Set a deadlineClose voting a day before you need to confirm, so you get a clean final count and can send the invite on time.

Use a different type when…

Single choiceyou are choosing one option per person, not collecting everyone's availability
Yes / Nothe time is already set and you only need to confirm who can attend
All poll typesCompare all seven
Free template

10 ready-to-send date & time questions

Copy one, paste it into a poll, and send. No sign-up needed.

Question bank
  1. Which times work for our Q3 planning kickoff? (Mon 10am, Tue 2pm, Wed 10am, Thu 4pm)
  2. Which evening works for your parent-teacher conference? (Tue Mar 4 6pm, Wed Mar 5 6pm, Thu Mar 6 6pm)
  3. When can you join a 30-minute product demo next week? (Tue 11am, Wed 3pm, Fri 10am)
  4. Which Saturday works for the volunteer orientation? (Oct 4, Oct 11, Oct 18, Oct 25)
  5. Which nights can you make for extra practice before the tournament? (Mon 6pm, Wed 6pm, Thu 7pm)
  6. When should we hold the quarterly board dinner? (Jun 18 7pm, Jun 25 7pm, Jul 2 7pm)
  7. Which weekend works for the family reunion? (Jul 12-13, Jul 19-20, Aug 2-3)
  8. When works for your one-on-one this week? (Wed 11am, Thu 2pm, Fri 3pm)
  9. Which time works for the open house walkthrough? (Sat 10am, Sat 1pm, Sun 11am)
  10. When can the book club meet this month? (Tue 7pm, Thu 7pm, Sun 4pm)
Send one in Gmail, free
FAQ

Date & time poll questions, answered

How do I create a date & time poll in Gmail?

Open a new Gmail email, launch Polls for Gmail from the compose window (or click the robot next to Send in the Chrome extension), choose Date & time, add your slots or build them with Grid mode, then insert the poll and send. Recipients vote right from the email.

Do recipients need an account to vote on a scheduling poll?

No. Recipients vote with one click from any email client, with no sign-in and nothing to install. Only the person sending the poll needs Polls for Gmail.

Can voters pick more than one time slot?

Yes. A date & time poll works like a multiple-choice poll of time slots, so each voter taps every slot that works for them. The slot with the most availability rises to the top in your dashboard.

How many time slots can a date & time poll have?

Up to 10 slots on the Free and Standard plans, and up to 20 on Pro. Grid mode helps you fill them quickly by combining a few dates with a few times.

Can I add the winning time to Google Calendar?

Yes. Once you have a winner, use Schedule to send that time to Google Calendar in one click, so you can create the event without retyping the details.

Is there a free Doodle alternative that works inside Gmail?

Polls for Gmail puts the scheduling poll inside the email itself instead of sending people to a separate link. Date & time polls are included on the Free plan, along with deadlines, hidden results and optional voter identification.

Every poll type, free to try

Date & timeYes / NoSingle choiceMultiple choiceStar ratingRanked choiceOpen-ended

Send your first date & time poll today.

Recipients vote in one click, right from their inbox.

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