Doodle polls are a great way to schedule events and meetings with groups on WhatsApp. They allow you to suggest multiple options and have people vote for their availability. This makes coordinating schedules much easier.
Adding a doodle poll to WhatsApp only takes a few minutes. All you need to do is create the poll in the Doodle app or website and then share the link to the poll in your WhatsApp group or chat. It’s a very straightforward process.
In this article, we’ll walk through step-by-step how to create a doodle poll and add it to WhatsApp on both Android and iPhone devices. We’ll also cover some tips for creating effective doodle polls that make scheduling simple.
Benefits of Using Doodle Polls for Scheduling
Before we get into the specifics on how to add a doodle poll to WhatsApp, let’s look at why they’re so useful:
- Saves time – Rather than exchanging countless messages trying to find a meeting time, a doodle poll lets you quickly view people’s availability and confirm the best time.
- Increases participation – Since voting only takes a few seconds, more people are likely to respond to a doodle poll versus long email threads or messages.
- Visual interface – Doodle presents all the date/time options visually in a calendar layout, making it easy to see availability at a glance.
- Consensus building – Everyone can vote publicly, making it easy to find the optimal time with consensus.
- Flexibility – You can allow participants to vote for multiple options if they have flexible availability.
- Free and simple – Doodle is free to use and setting up polls is very straightforward.
As you can see, doodle polls help make the scheduling process much more efficient. Being able to quickly add them to WhatsApp makes them that much more convenient.
How to Create a Doodle Poll
Before adding your doodle poll to WhatsApp, you first need to create it. Here is how to make a doodle poll in just a few steps:
On the Doodle Website
1. Go to doodle.com and click “Start Scheduling”.
2. Enter a title for your poll and the names/emails of anyone you want to include. You can add individual contacts or import from apps like WhatsApp.
3. Enter the scheduling options – time/date combinations that work for you. You can enter multiple options on various days.
4. Customize additional preferences like allowing multiple votes, requiring a name, adding a description, etc.
5. Click “Save and Share” to create the final poll. This will generate a unique poll link that you can send to WhatsApp or anywhere else.
On the Doodle App
1. Download the Doodle app on your iPhone or Android device.
2. Tap the “+” icon to create a new poll.
3. Enter the poll details – title, recipients, scheduling options, preferences.
4. Tap “Save and Share” when finished. This will generate the shareable poll link.
5. You can copy this link or tap the share icon to send it directly via WhatsApp, message, email, etc.
That covers the basics of creating a doodle poll both on the web and in the app. Next we’ll look at how to actually share the poll with your WhatsApp groups or chats.
Adding a Doodle Poll to WhatsApp on Android
Once you’ve created your doodle poll and have the shareable link, adding it to WhatsApp on your Android phone or tablet only takes a moment:
1. Open the WhatsApp app and go to the group or contact where you want to share the poll.
2. Tap the attachment clip icon in the message box.
3. Select “Link” from the menu.
4. Paste the full doodle poll link into the URL field.
5. Tap “Send” to post the link to your WhatsApp chat.
Your recipients can simply tap the link to open the poll in their browser and vote for their preferred times.
The great thing about sharing the link (rather than a screenshot for example) is that anyone who taps it will be taken directly to the poll with all functionality intact. The poll will also update in real-time as people cast votes so you can watch the results come in.
Adding a Doodle Poll to WhatsApp on iPhone
The process works much the same way in WhatsApp for iPhone:
1. Open the WhatsApp app and navigate to the group or contact where you want to share the poll.
2. Tap the “+” icon in the message field.
3. Tap “Link” from the menu.
4. Paste the full doodle poll link that you generated into the URL field.
5. Tap “Send Link” to post it to your WhatsApp chat.
The poll link will now be posted for all your recipients to tap and vote on directly. Just like on Android, the live poll with full functionality will be viewable right within WhatsApp.
Best Practices for Effective Doodle Polls
To help you get the most out of your doodle polls on WhatsApp, here are some top tips to follow:
- Give clear instructions – Let people know in your message to tap the link and select their preferred times in the poll.
- Make poll title descriptive – Give context, like “Sally’s Birthday Dinner Plans”
- Add date range – Rather than specific days, show a date range so there are more options.
- Suggest broad time slots – For example morning/afternoon/evening rather than specific times.
- Follow up with non-responders – Send a reminder if some people haven’t voted after a few days.
- Share poll results – After voting ends, share a screenshot of the results and confirm the winning time.
- Set a deadline – Give a specific date voting will close so stragglers don’t hold things up.
Following these best practices will help ensure you get prompt responses and are able to efficiently determine the best meeting or event time through your doodle polls.
Troubleshooting Issues with Doodle Polls
While doodle polls on WhatsApp generally work great, occasionally you may encounter an issue. Here are solutions for some common problems:
Recipients can’t access poll
This is often caused by an incorrect or truncated link. Double check that you pasted the full doodle URL into WhatsApp. Resend the message with the correct link.
Votes not showing up
Recipients may have voted but not hit “Save” on the poll for their vote to count. Ask them to revisit the link, vote again, and make sure to click “Save”.
Participants added late can’t vote
If you have to add people to the poll after already sending it, they may see results but not have the ability to vote. Have them clear cookies/data for the Doodle site to reset the poll.
Poll closed unexpectedly
The creator may have accidentally closed voting early. You can re-open voting by clicking “Reopen” on the poll admin page. Notify your group that voting has reopened.
Trouble accessing poll results
Only the creator can view results by default. They will need to share a summary or screenshot of the final results with the WhatsApp group once voting has closed.
Following good practices when creating your poll and addressing any issues quickly can help ensure a smooth process using doodle polls on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
Adding doodle polls to WhatsApp is a breeze and provides a convenient way to coordinate schedules with groups right in your chats.
Simply create your poll on the Doodle website or app, share the link generated with your WhatsApp contacts, and watch the votes come in real-time.
With just a few taps you can quickly find consensus on the best time to hold your next meeting, event, dinner, or any group activity. Taking advantage of doodle polls helps remove the scheduling headache!
Following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be able to seamlessly integrate doodle polls into your WhatsApp groups and chats. Give it a try for yourself next time you need to schedule an event – you’ll be amazed how easy it is!