Slack
Type /whennot in a channel and the poll appears right there. People answer with buttons.
WhenNOT for Slack- WhenNOT
- Group scheduling poll
The group scheduling poll where people cross out when they can't.
Pick the dates you'd consider and send one link. Everyone taps the few days that don't work — “maybe” counts half — and WhenNOT ranks the dates with the fewest conflicts. Free, and nobody you invite needs an account.
- No account needed to start
- No sign-up for guests
- Whole days or time slots
The inversion
Most polls ask when you're free. We ask when you can't.
Nobody knows their free evenings by heart. Everyone knows Tuesday is football and the 12th is a wedding. So instead of ticking every day that might work, people cross out the handful that don't — and an untouched day simply means “fine”.
If you're not sure, mark it maybe. A maybe counts as half a conflict, so it nudges the ranking without vetoing a date.
A usual polltick every day that works
11taps for these two weeks
WhenNOTcross out what you can't
3taps — the same answer
- Can'tcounts as 1 conflict
- Maybecounts as ½
- Untouchedmeans it works
Two kinds of poll
A weekend away, or a one-hour call. Same poll.
Choose whole days for trips, retreats and dinners, or time slots for meetings and rehearsals. Either way people only mark what they can't do.
Calendar prefill
Your calendar already knows. Let it answer.
Connect Google or Microsoft — several accounts if you have them — and your busy days arrive already crossed out. You check them, change anything that's wrong, and send.
- Google Calendar and Microsoft 365 / Outlook
- Events your calendar marks as free are left alone
- Anything you mark by hand always wins over the calendar
- Your phone's calendar, read on the device, in the iPhone and Android apps — coming soon
Results
The best dates, ranked. And who's out on the rest.
WhenNOT adds up the conflicts for every option and puts the ones with the fewest on top. The heatmap shows how many people are out on each day — tap one to see exactly who.
- Ranked by fewest conflicts, maybes counted as half
- Runs of several days, or slots as long as your meeting
- Answers from people in other time zones line up correctly
Finalize
Pick the winner. Everyone gets the invite.
You choose the date — the ranking only advises. WhenNOT emails everyone who answered with the final date, an .ics file for any calendar app and a one-click Google Calendar link. No copying dates into a group chat.
Create a group poll — freeFor organisers
The chasing is done for you.
The hard part of a group poll is never the poll. It's getting the last two people to answer.
- 1·3Reminders on their own
Anyone who hasn't answered gets a reminder after one day and again after three. You can nudge by hand any time.
- Co-organisers
Share the organising with someone else, so the poll doesn't stall while you're away.
- QRA QR code
Put the poll on a slide, a poster or a noticeboard. People scan and answer on their phone.
- AaFirst names only
By default a poll shows first names, not full names or email addresses. You decide who sees the results.
Time zones
Everyone sees their own clock.
Each person answers in their own time zone. A slot that's an evening in Tallinn shows as a morning in New York, and the results line everyone's answers up on the same instant.
Start it where you already are
Run the poll from Slack, or ask ChatGPT or Claude.
ChatGPT & Claude
Connect WhenNOT and ask in plain words. It can create the poll, check who has answered and read back the best dates.
Connect an assistantA Doodle alternative
How it compares with Doodle and When2meet.
What each tool does, not what it costs. Every row has a source.
| Capability | WhenNOT | Doodle | When2meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| How people answer | Cross out what you can’t | Vote on options | Paint free times |
| Ranks the best dates for you | Fewest conflicts first | Shows votes | Shows overlap |
| Guests answer without an account | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Organiser starts without an account | Yes | Account needed | Yes |
| Booking pages in the same tool | Yes | Yes | No |
Checked October 2026. Plans change — follow the sources.Sources: When2meet event planner · Doodle participant accounts · Doodle organizer accounts · Doodle Free and Professional
What groups plan with it
Retreats, trips and Thursday rehearsals.
Is the group poll really free?
Yes. Polls, calendar prefill, reminders, results and the final invite are free, with no plans, no paywall and no ads. You don't need an account to start one, and the people you invite never need one.
Why cross out instead of voting?
Because people know their conflicts better than their free time. Marking the few days you can’t make is quicker than ticking every day you could, and an untouched day counts as “works”. If you’re unsure, “maybe” counts as half a conflict.
Can I poll for times, not just days?
Yes. A time-slot poll offers 15, 30 or 60-minute slots inside a daily window, on the weekdays you choose. Tell it how long the meeting is and it ranks runs of slots that long.
Does it work with Google Calendar and Outlook?
Yes. Connect Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 / Outlook — several accounts if you like — and your busy days are crossed out for you to check. Events marked as free are ignored, and anything you change by hand wins.
Is WhenNOT a good Doodle alternative?
If you want the group to answer quickly, yes: people cross out conflicts instead of voting on every option, guests and organisers can start without an account, and the best dates are ranked for you. Our WhenNOT vs Doodle comparison lists the differences with sources.
Who can see my answers?
Polls show first names only by default, and the organiser decides who sees the results. You can delete your answer, or your whole account, at any time.
Send one link. Get one date.
Start a group poll in under a minute. Nobody you invite has to sign up.
No account needed to start a poll · No sign-up for guests