Use ‘Find time’ in Outlook instead of Doodle for scheduling meetings

FindTime is an Outlook add-in for arranging meetings. As a meeting organiser you can send multiple time options through FindTime. Use this instead of free Doodle Polls as it allows syncing with your Outlook calendar – something free Doodle does not.

What it does

• Makes it easy to see the most available slots in everyone’s calendar
• Invites your attendees to vote on their preferred slot
• Sends everyone a final meeting invite once a consensus has been reached

How to install FindTime for Outlook on your PC

You need to have Outlook 2016 or Outlook 365 to use it.

1. Open Outlook
2. Go to Home > Get Add-ins
3. Search for the FindTime add-in
4. Select Add
5. The FindTime Reply with Meeting Poll should have appeared in the Home tab. It’s now ready to use.

Start using FindTime

Next time you want to schedule a meeting:

• Open your calendar and click a timeslot to set up a new meeting, and add the attendees you want to invite
• Click New Meeting Poll from the top menu (to the right)
• A panel will open up on the right to show you your availability and theirs on the day you’re considering for the meeting
• You can move the calendar dates along and choose multiple options when you all appear to be free

When your attendees see the invite, they’ll see a list with the times and dates you’ve proposed. They can choose the following for each slot:

• Prefer
• Yes
• No

They can also see the availability of other invitees, alongside their own response.

More advice

Microsoft guide to using FindTime