doodle.com

Doodle is a Swiss online scheduling service designed to simplify the process of finding mutually convenient times for meetings and appointments. Its central mechanism is a collaborative poll: an organizer proposes dates and times, participants indicate their availability, and the organizer selects a suitable option before adding the resulting event to a calendar. Basic polling can be used without requiring every participant to create an account, which has helped the service function as a lightweight coordination layer across organizations and social groups. The service was founded in Zürich in 2007 by ETH Zürich students Michael Näf and Paul Sevinç. The original idea emerged from Näf's difficulty arranging a dinner with friends, and the product developed around the practical problem of coordinating several people's schedules without long exchanges of messages. Doodle subsequently expanded from simple date polling into a broader appointment and meeting-management platform. Users can create booking pages through which other people select available times, while paid plans add capabilities such as additional booking pages and one-to-one scheduling, single sign-on, customizable branding, activity reporting, onboarding support, and an advertising-free experience. Doodle operates across desktop and mobile environments. Its applications for iOS and Android were introduced in 2014 and allow users to create, answer, and manage polls from mobile devices. The platform also connects with major calendar systems, including Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal, and Yahoo Calendar. Location sharing can be supported through Google Maps, while integrations with Zoom and Microsoft Teams became especially relevant as remote and hybrid work increased. Zapier connectivity extends the service into workflow automation and business-process environments. The company became part of the TX Group ownership structure during the 2010s. TX Group acquired an initial stake in 2011 and increased its holding to full ownership in 2014. In 2016, Doodle acquired Meekan, an Israel-based scheduling chatbot using artificial intelligence and natural-language processing. Although Meekan was later shut down in 2019, the acquisition supplied technology and experience that Doodle began incorporating into its scheduling products. Doodle has served individual users, companies, corporations, and educational institutions. Its reach grew substantially through word-of-mouth adoption and international use, with reported user figures passing 20 million monthly users in 2014, exceeding 180 million unique users globally in 2016, and reaching more than 30 million monthly users in 2022. These figures are historical usage claims rather than current operating metrics. The brand underwent a rebranding and website redesign in 2022. In May 2025, Christian Fielitz became chief executive officer, succeeding Renato Profico. Doodle remains positioned as a productivity and communication service focused on reducing the friction involved in collective scheduling.

Doodle originated in Zürich in 2007, when ETH Zürich students Michael Näf and Paul Sevinç developed a way to coordinate schedules more efficiently. The initial concept was prompted by the everyday difficulty of finding a dinner time that suited a group of friends. Rather than requiring participants to exchange repeated messages or use a shared calendar in advance, Doodle let an organizer publish a set of options and collect responses in a single poll. The product's low-friction model supported organic adoption. Participants could generally respond to a basic poll without registering, while organizers could use accounts to receive notifications about votes and comments and to manage scheduling activity. Over time, Doodle moved beyond informal group coordination and added tools for professional appointment scheduling, including booking pages that expose selected availability to customers or colleagues. TX Group, the Swiss media and technology company, purchased a stake in Doodle in 2011. It increased that ownership to 100 percent in 2014, bringing Doodle fully into the group. Doodle also broadened its technical footprint. Its iOS and Android applications were released in 2014, enabling users to create, coordinate, and answer polls on mobile devices. Calendar connections with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal, and Yahoo Calendar helped users compare availability and transfer confirmed events into existing calendar workflows. In 2016, Doodle acquired Meekan, an Israeli chatbot based on artificial intelligence and natural-language processing. The transaction reflected interest in making scheduling more conversational and automated. Meekan was discontinued in 2019, but Doodle subsequently used elements of the technology direction in its own products. In November 2018, Doodle launched Doodle 1:1, extending its offering from multi-person polls to direct scheduling between two people. The service later added connections to Zoom and Microsoft Teams, particularly useful as remote and hybrid work made virtual meetings more common. Zapier integration also allowed Doodle events and scheduling activity to connect with external workflow automations. Doodle uses a freemium model: unpaid functionality supports core scheduling, while paid tiers provide expanded booking capacity, one-to-one scheduling, single sign-on, branding controls, activity reports, onboarding, and an ad-free experience. Doodle released a redesigned website and refreshed brand identity in 2022. Historical usage statements describe adoption in more than 200 countries, with more than 20 million monthly users reported in 2014, over 180 million unique users worldwide in 2016, and more than 30 million monthly users in 2022. Doodle is headquartered in Zürich and has been described as maintaining offices in Berlin, Belgrade, Atlanta, and New York City. In May 2025, Christian Fielitz succeeded Renato Profico as CEO. The brand continues to operate as an international scheduling and productivity platform for individuals, businesses, corporations, and schools.

• 2025

  Christian Fielitz becomes CEO

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Christian Fielitz is appointed CEO in May, succeeding Renato Profico.

• 2022

  Brand and website redesign

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Doodle rebrands and launches a redesigned website.

• 2019

  Meekan shuts down

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  The acquired Meekan chatbot is subsequently discontinued.

• 2018

  Doodle 1:1 launches

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  The company introduces a dedicated feature for arranging one-to-one meetings.

• 2016

  Meekan acquisition

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Doodle acquires Meekan, an AI- and natural-language-based scheduling chatbot from Israel.

• 2014

  TX Group takes full ownership

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  TX Group increases its holding in Doodle to 100 percent. Doodle also releases Android and iOS applications during this period.

• 2011

  TX Group acquires a stake

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Swiss media group TX Group purchases an ownership stake in Doodle.

• 2007

  Doodle is founded in Zürich

  [1]Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org

  ETH Zürich students Michael Näf and Paul Sevinç establish Doodle around a collaborative method for finding suitable meeting times.

Productivity and communication tool that makes group scheduling and appointment booking easier through collaborative polls, calendar connectivity, and booking workflows.

• Collaborative scheduling · 2007

  Doodle Poll

  Doodle Poll is the service's core group-coordination product. An organizer proposes multiple dates or time windows, participants mark their availability, and the organizer uses the responses to select a final meeting time. Basic participation is designed to be accessible without requiring every respondent to register. Organizers can receive email notifications about responses and comments when using account-based features.

• Appointment scheduling

  Doodle Booking Page

  Booking Pages allow users to publish availability so customers, colleagues, or other invitees can select an appointment time. Paid plans expand the number of available booking pages and add administrative capabilities. The feature extends Doodle from one-time group polls into an ongoing appointment-booking workflow.

• One-to-one scheduling · 2018

  Doodle 1:1

  Introduced in November 2018, Doodle 1:1 is intended for arranging meetings between two people. It complements the multi-participant polling model by allowing users to present availability and find a mutually suitable time for a direct meeting.

• Mobile productivity software · 2014

  Doodle mobile applications

  Doodle's Android and iOS applications let users create, coordinate, and respond to scheduling polls from mobile devices. Some functions remain available without registration, while account-based features support organizer notifications and broader management capabilities.

• Scheduling chatbot

  Meekan

  Meekan was an Israeli chatbot that used artificial intelligence and natural-language processing to assist with meeting scheduling. Doodle acquired the technology in 2016 and later incorporated aspects of its direction into Doodle products. The Meekan service itself was shut down in 2019.

• 2022

  Rebrand and redesign the websiteStrategy

  Background

  Doodle refreshed its digital presence as it continued to develop from a simple polling tool into a broader scheduling platform.

  Action taken

  The company introduced a rebrand and launched a redesigned website.

  Aftermath

  The new presentation supported Doodle's positioning across individual, business, and appointment-scheduling use cases.

  Source

• 2018

  Launch Doodle 1:1Product launch

  Background

  The original poll format was primarily designed for groups, leaving room for a more direct appointment experience.

  Action taken

  Doodle launched a one-to-one meeting scheduling feature in November.

  Aftermath

  The offering broadened Doodle's scheduling portfolio beyond multi-person polls.

  Source

• 2016

  Acquire Meekan scheduling technologyM&A

  Background

  Doodle sought technology related to automated and conversational meeting scheduling.

  Action taken

  Doodle acquired Meekan, an AI and natural-language-processing scheduling chatbot.

  Aftermath

  Meekan was shut down in 2019, while Doodle continued integrating the technology direction into its products.

  Source

• 2014

  Move to TX Group full ownershipM&A

  Background

  TX Group expanded its existing investment in Doodle.

  Action taken

  The group increased its ownership to 100 percent.

  Aftermath

  Doodle continued expanding its consumer and business scheduling services within the TX Group portfolio.

  Source

• 2011

  Accept TX Group minority investmentM&A

  Background

  Doodle was an independent Swiss scheduling company when TX Group acquired an initial stake.

  Action taken

  TX Group purchased a stake in Doodle.

  Aftermath

  TX Group later increased its holding to full ownership in 2014.

  Source

1. 1Doodle (website)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Doodle official websitedoodle.com