Frequently asked questions

New Design

MyDoodle / Doodle account

Participating in polls and editing or deleting participations

Commenting polls and deleting comments

Poll creation, administration (edition, closing, etc.) and deletion

Printing and exporting polls

Sending and receiving e-mails

Cell phone, mobile phone, smartphone

How do I access Doodle from my mobile phone?

iPhone

The app says I need to authenticate my MyDoodle account. But it doesn't open the browser, it continuously asks me to authenticate, no matter what option I choose. I'm stuck in an endless loop and the app is not usable any more!

Other questions and answers with respect to the "Doodle for iPhone" app can be found here.

Android

Time zones

Calendars, address books, integrations

Premium Doodle

Security, privacy, data protection

Payment, fees, cost

Bugs, defects, errors and similar

Answers

I cannot find "Make choice" anymore

Doodle's main focus is consesus-based scheduling and not opinion polls like "Make choice". To give "Make choice" less spotlight, we relocated it to here. As an alternative you can use "Schedule event" and switch to "Freetext"-Modus on Wizard Step 2 "Time suggestions".

Why is my poll table folded like an accordion?

Earlier with wide poll tables users often didn't see the options behind the in-page scrollbar. That's why we decided to provide a compact view showing the essentials. If one wants to particpate the table would expand automatically using the full screen estate. If you create a poll using Premium Doodle, the table will always be displayed in expanded mode.

Why is the list of participants not displayed, considering it's not a hidden poll?

Most likely you are using Internet Explorer 8 which has performance problems in rendering big tables. In order to avoid slow performance we decided (just in case of Internet Explorer 8) to reduce the table to the minimum required. You still have the freedom to fully display the table.

Why is Internet Explorer 6 no longer supported?

The new Doodle requires Internet Explorer 7 or above. Internet Explorer 6 is a very old and insecure Browser. We highly recommend to upgrade Internet Explorer 6 with a new version. You can download the latest Internet Explorer from here. If you are not allowed to upgarde you can still use (http://m.doodle.com) as a fallback.

Why is Javascript required in order to use Doodle?

Modern websites and modern browsers heavily rely on Javascript. In order to provide the best possible user experience there is no way around using Javascript. If you are not allowed to use Javascript you can still use Mobile Doodle (http://m.doodle.com) as a fallback.

How can Premium Doodle be paid for?

Basically, the payment channels are provided by PayPal. With PayPal, credit cards can also be used without PayPal account.

I no longer have the admin link of my poll; can you send it to me again?

Lost & Found: admin links

How can I edit a poll e.g. add or remove an option?

Open your poll using Administer or the Admin-Link and click on Edit. Walk through the wizard and make your desired changes. If you add a new option, please be aware of the question marks issue.

Why don't I receive any e-mails from Doodle?

There are two likely reasons why you don't receive Doodle mails: 1) You made a typo when you entered your mail address (we try to detect this but it is not always possible), 2) a spamfilter in your mail application or at your internet provider is not properly configured and wrongly flags Doodle mails as spam, 3) your e-mail account does automatically forward your e-mail to another address. In many cases forwarding is blocked by the e-mail server. Please use an e-mail address, which doesn't automatically get forwarded.

If 1 is the case, you can simply retry with the correct mail address. If 2 is the case, you can check your mail filter and see if the Doodle mails are there. Then, you can reconfigure your spamfilter to not catch Doodle mails in the future. If nothing else helps, you can still try a different e-mail address or use Doodle with no mail address at all - Doodle even works without an email address.

In any case, please wait a few hours before you take any action. E-mail can be a very unreliable communication means. It is (seldom but) possible that an e-mail takes many minutes or even hours to be delivered.

Unfortunately, we cannot resend Doodle mails or Doodle links to you manually. This violates our policy which states that this information is to be treated as confidential and private.

I signed up for a MyDoodle account but couldn't activate it or log in

After a successful registration, Doodle sends you an activation e-mail. The e-mail contains an activation URL which you need to click on. As soon as your account is activated, you will be able to login using your e-mail address and password. If you haven't received an activation e-mail, please consult our FAQ "Why don't I receive any e-mails from Doodle?".

Why does the error message "This account does not exist." appear?

Doodle accounts are optional, and you seem to have used Doodle without an account up to now (you may have received Doodle e-mails as a poll creator or participant) and are welcome to keep doing so.

To administer a poll, follow the poll's admin link.

To open an account, follow this link.

An unknown person participated in my poll or did mischief

In order to be as flexible as possible, Doodle allows participants to choose any name during participation. One of your participants may have entered an untruthful name. Or maybe one of your participants inadvertently forwarded the link to another person, or published the URL on a public website.

I want to edit an entry but a small lock appears saying "protected by MyDoodle"

The corresponding participant participated in the poll while being logged in to MyDoodle. Doodle can therefore recognize the participant and protect his information. Only the MyDoodle user and the poll administrator are authorized to edit or delete such an entry. Would you like to get your own MyDoodle account? You can register here.

Why can I neither edit nor delete the entries of all participants as the administrator?

Doodle only allows you to do so when you are recognized as the administrator. Open the admin link of your poll or click on Administer from your MyDoodle Dashboard. Then click on Table-View and move your mouse pointer over any name you want to edit or delete.

Why is my time zone not pre-selected when I create or participate in a poll with time-zone support?

Doodle determines your time zone by looking up your so-called IP address in a time-zones database. On one hand, it is possible that this database is not up to date (but we update it on a regular basis). On the other hand, it is possible that your IP address is assigned to you by your employer or an Internet service provider with several locations, only one of which can be looked up in the database.

I modified my poll and it shows now question marks all over the table

You added new and/or modified existing poll options after some participants already entered their vote. Doodle wouldn't know what your existing participants would have selected. Therefore it indicates the missing information with question marks. You need to contact your participants and ask them to update their entries. If you'd like to update the votes for your participants yourself, go to "Administer", "View history" to see what your participants voted. Then update each vote in the table accordingly. Alternatively, if you manually set the poll options to its original value, the question marks will disappear and the votes reappear.

What's the difference between "Schedule event" and "Make choice"?

"Schedule an event" is first and foremost about finding a date and/or time. Doodle supports this by recognizing times and time spans when creating a poll and by calendar import/export features, time zones, etc. when participating in one.

"Make a choice" does not limit you to dates and times but allows you to have polls on anything and everything. e.g. movies, menus, travel destination, etc.

How do I poll for a date range?

Click on "Make choice" instead of "Schedule event" on Doodle's home page. On the 2nd wizard page enter textual descriptions of the date ranges you want to poll for.

How can I schedule an event with people in different time zones?

In the poll wizard Step 2 you will find a link to enable time zone support. Doodle will automatically select the time zone corresponding to a participant's location (IP-Address) but allows to manually change it afterwards. Time zone support is mostly used when organizing conference calls. Once a poll is running, time zone cannot be enabled/disabled anymore.

How do I create a Yes-No-Ifneedbe poll?

On Wizard Step 3 "Settings" activate the Yes-No-Ifneedbe Setting. This setting can no longer be changed after the poll is created.

How can I invite the participants to my poll?

After having created a poll, Doodle sends or shows you two links. You invite participants by sharing the participation link with them, by e-mail for instance. You can send invitation e-mails out with your regular e-mail program (and the address book you already have) or directly from within Doodle by following the "send invitation" link.

How many participants can max. participate in a poll?

There is no strict limit to the maximum number of participants in a poll. With a growing number of participants the poll page will slow down loading. 100 - 500 participants will work without any problems.

The number of participants per poll setting can be limited with a setting in the poll wizard (Wizard Step 3 "Settings"). This feature is mostly used for Resource-Planning (Exhibition staffing, work distribution, ...).

How can I edit or delete my answer?

On the poll page, move your mouse pointer over your name. A flyout with an Edit and Delete icon appears. Choose any function you wish to use.

Why can I change / delete the poll entries of others?

You can change entries because Doodle doesn't authenticate the user – in order to keep the service as simple as possible. When someone enters "Heather" as the user name, Doodle doesn't know whether it's Heather herself at the next visit. Therefore users can change the entries of other users. Doodle relies generally on cooperative behaviour of all users. Normally that's the case in reality. If you want to prevent changes of participants you can choose a "hidden poll". Another way to protect your vote is to participate while being logged into your MyDoodle-Account. Also read I want to edit an entry but a small lock appears saying "protected by MyDoodle"

Why aren't my entries and comments not hidden in an otherwise hidden poll?

If you are the Admin of a poll, Doodle automatically shows you the results. Participants never see the results unless you decide to open the poll again.

How can I subscribe/unsubscribe to e-mail notifications for a poll?

If you provide an e-mail address when creating your poll (or when editing it), notifications will be sent to that address. If you don't provide an e-mail address (or remove it when modifying the poll), no notifications will be sent. Using a MyDoodle account you can always subscribe to notifications after participating or commenting the poll.

How can I add a comment to my poll?

On the poll page, follow the "Add a comment" link, enter your name and your comment, and then click the "Save comment" button.

How can I view the results of a hidden poll?

Only the administrator can view a hidden poll. Open the poll using the Admin-Link and click on "Table-View". If you are a MyDoodle user and are currently logged in, your hidden polls will automatically be shown unhidden to you.

A hidden poll can be opened up to the participants. Open a poll using the admin link. Click on "Edit" then click on "Settings" in the Wizard navigation. Uncheck the hidden setting.

How can I close a poll and pick a final date?

Open your poll using the admin link and click "Close poll". Choose a final date (optional) and inform your participants about your choice. A closed poll can be reopened at any time.

How do I print a poll?

On the participation page, above the poll table is a print icon. Also you can open the Admin-Link or click on Administer from your MyDoodle dashboard. Then click on "Print View" which opens your poll as a PDF-Document, ready for printing. In order to read PDF files, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader ( http://get.adobe.com/reader ).

How do I export a poll?

Open your poll using the Admin-Link or click on Administer from your MyDoodle dashboard. From there either choose "Export poll to Excel" or "Export poll to PDF". In order to read PDF files, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader ( http://get.adobe.com/reader ).

I was invited to a Doodle poll. What I am supposed to do?

The organizer presents several date time or choice options. Simply enter your name into the name field at the bottom of the table and check all the options for which you are available or agree to. Then click Save.

How do I select all checkboxes?

On the poll page press Ctrl + A.

When is a MyDoodle account required?

A MyDoodle account is not a requirement to use Doodle. MyDoodle offers a number of advantages for regular Doodle users: MyDoodle saves your participation and admin links in your personal dashboard. Wherever possible, MyDoodle pre-fills your name and e-mail address. Using your personal MyDoodle ICS Feed, you can subscribe to your scheduling information in Doodle from your calendar. Last but not least, MyDoodle users can invite or contact participants directly from Doodle.

To create your own free MyDoodle account, follow this link.

I forgot my password

You can have Doodle reset and resend a new password to your e-mail. Follow link to do so. Log-in to your MyDoodle account using this generated password and set a new one under Manage account.

Is it possible to use an existing poll as a template?

No. A Doodle poll is created in no time. That's why we decided to not support this feature.

How can I delete a poll?

When you created the poll, Doodle sent you a so-called admin link. It can be used to modify or delete the poll. You can also just ignore a poll you no longer need, Doodle deletes outdated polls from time to time. Please refer to the Policy for additional information.

How long does Doodle keep a poll? Will my poll be available until x?

Please refer to the Policy.

What is Premium Doodle?

Premium Doodle is a more powerful Doodle. It supports theming/branding, means to request additional information (e.g., e-mail address) from poll participants, and is ads-free. Learn more

How can I ask the participants to provide Postal address, E-mail address or Cell-phone number and view it later on?

This function is only available to Premium Doodle Solo or Premium Doodle Business and Premium Doodle Enterprise users.

When creating a new poll on the Settings Wizard Step select any of the extra fields you wish your participants must provide.

The poll must be exported to Excel to view the collected user data. Visit your poll page and click Excel Export from the orange information box on top of the poll table.

How can I use Doodle together with my calendar (Outlook, Exchange, Google Calendar, iCal, Notes etc.)?

A calendar integration overview can be found here.

How do I access Doodle from my mobile phone?

If you open a Doodle poll from your mobile phone, Doodle will detect your device and offer to switch to Mobile Doodle. You can directly open the Mobile Doodle version by entering http://m.doodle.com.

How can I use Doodle with iGoogle?

Open the following link in your browser: http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.doodle.com/opensocial/gadget.xml

What programming interfaces (API) is Doodle offering and how can I use them?

Doodle offers both a simple interface (The Wizard of Doodle) for the creation of polls and a powerful interface (RESTful Doodle) for the creation of polls, the participation in them, etc. The interfaces are documented here.

Do you have a Doodle for coporations, clubs, and other organisations?

Yes. The product is called Premium Doodle Business and Premium Doodle Enterprise. Learn more.

Is it possible to embed Doodle in my website?

Doodle cannot be embedded. We recommend Premium Doodle Business or Premium Doodle Enterprise and theme it the way your website looks like.

What is Doodle?

Doodle helps finding suitable dates and times for group events, e.g., an appointment, a conference call, a family reunion, etc. Doodle is particularly easy to use.

In addition to scheduling events, Doodle also supports polls in general. That is, groups can conveniently decide on options other than dates.

What can Doodle be used for?

Doodle is extremely flexible. Typically, Doodle is used for scheduling events.

However, you can use Doodle differently as well : as a reservation tool for a shared holiday home, for the exercise planning of your sports club, for instance, or to find out who travels to the company excursion by train and who by car as well as who has space left in the car. With Doodle you can also vote quickly and easily on the movie for the next DVD-night, the logo for the new web presence or the restaurant for the Christmas dinner.

Who develops and operates Doodle?

The Swiss-based company Doodle AG runs Doodle. Numerous volunteers contribute to Doodle.

How much does Doodle cost?

Nothing, Doodle is a free service.

But you can support Doodle by using it as your advertising platform or by renting Premium Doodle.

Why is Doodle called "Doodle"?

For starters, "Doodle" is a short word that is easy to remember. Furthermore, "Doodle" sounds fun - and that's what Doodle is supposed to be! Finally, "Doodle" is an English term and means "casual scribble", "casual design", or "casual sketch". While Doodle is not a drawing service, it indeed makes scheduling events so simple as to make this an almost casual task.

How does Doodle earn money?

We sell ads space and offer a premium product called Premium Doodle to corporations and other organizations.

How can a MyDoodle account be deleted?

Go to mydoodle/manageAccount.html and then follow the "Delete account" link.

How can poll details be hidden from the participants?

When you create or edit a poll, on Wizard step 3 "Settings" enable the hidden poll feature.

What is “Doodle for Android”?

“Doodle for Android” is the official Doodle Android App. The app offers an optimized Android UI for Doodle. You can open Doodle polls directly from your MyDoodle dashboard or from e-mails.

How can I view the description of a poll using the Android App?

In the poll view, press the menu button of your Android phone (situated below the screen). In the menu that appears, select “Poll information”.

How can I edit or delete an entry in a poll using the Android App?

In the poll view, press the menu button of your Android phone (situated below the screen). In the menu that appears, select “Edit”.

How can I view or add comments to a poll using the Android App?

In the poll view, press the menu button of your Android phone (situated below the screen). In the menu that appears, select “... comments”.

How can I delete comments in a poll using the Android App?

Deleting comments is not yet supported, but we plan to add this feature in one of the upcoming releases.

Connecting the Android App with MyDoodle fails with the message “Unknown error during authorization. Please try again.”

Maybe your Android phone is sending an incorrect timestamp. Please check the system time of your Android phone.

Where do the calendar entries come from that are displayed in the Android app?

These entries are from your local calendars. They are only displayed and not sent anywhere.

How can I see from which local Android calendar the shown entries are?

In the app settings, you can choose whether the calendar names should be displayed.

How to use Doodle Exchange Connect?

Doodle Exchange Connect is based on the Exchange Web Services (EWS) Managed API (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd877045(v=exchg.140).aspx) provided by Microsoft Exchange 2007 and 2010 servers. Old versions of Exchange are not supported.

To connect Doodle to your Exchange server, the EWS-API needs to be accessible from the Internet (e.g. via https://owa.yourcompany.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx). This is usually the case if you can access your email via Outlook Web Access (OWA).

Doodle Exchange Connect will try to determine the necessary Exchange login credentials based on your username and password. If no OWA server is found you have the option to enter the server manually. If the connection still cannot be established you can enter your credentials manually. Your system administrator should be able to help you out with the credentials necessary.

If you want to connect to your server using a SSL secured connection please make sure that your SSL certificate is signed by well known and trusted certification authority.

Please note: Your Exchange credentials will be stored at Doodle. To guarantee the safety of your data your password will be AES encrypted.

My Exchange account was not detected?

In this case either the Exchange Web Services (EWS) URL could not be derived from your account credentials or your login credentials are invalid.

In Exchange, multiple e-Mail addresses can be associated with a single account. Sometimes your main e-Mail address it not necessarily your Exchange username. And while you can use any given e-Mail address to log in to Outlook Web Exchange (OWA) only the main username will work with Doodle Exchange Connect. Your IT service contact person should be able to help you out with this.

If your Exchange server still cannot be detected you can enter your details manually. An Exchange account usually consists of a username and a Microsoft Active Directory Domain. This is not to be confused with an Internet domain. Also the username is not always the same as your e-Mail address. You can enter this data in the respective input fields.

In addition an Exchange Web Services (EWS) URL is mandatory. A correct EWS URL always contains the string „/EWS/Exchange.asmx“, e.g. exchange.yourcompany.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx. This URL must be accessible from the Internet and outside of your corporate network. You can check this by entering the URL in your favorite Internet browser. If you are prompted for your username and password the address is correct. Another possiblity to check if your server settings are correct is the Microsoft Test Exchange Connectivity Service (www.testexchangeconnectivity.com).

You can also use this page to debug your credentials outside of Doodle. Try entering a username like „Domain\Username“ where „Domain“ is your Microsoft Active Directory Domain and „Username“ is your username as described above. If your credentials are correct you will be redirected to a blank page or an XML-page depending on your browser.

In any case, your IT service contact person should be able to help you out based on the information above.

The app says I need to authenticate my MyDoodle account. But it doesn't open the browser, it continuously asks me to authenticate, no matter what option I choose. I'm stuck in an endless loop and the app is not usable any more!

Please ensure the following settings on your device:
- Device settings: time is set precisely
- Safari settings: "Accept cookies" is not set to "Never"
- Safari settings: "JavaScript" is set to ON
- Safari settings: "Private Browsing" is set to OFF
Now the log in should work.