How to Create a Meeting Poll in Outlook (FindTime / Scheduling Poll, 2026)
Outlook has a built-in meeting poll feature that lets recipients vote on times that work for them — no third-party tool, no back-and-forth email chains. Microsoft used to call it FindTime. It’s now called Scheduling Poll and is built directly into new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac. The standalone FindTime add-in was retired on December 11, 2023.
This guide covers every current method: new Outlook, Outlook on the web, classic Outlook for Windows, and Outlook mobile.
1. New Outlook & Outlook on the Web (Scheduling Poll)
Scheduling Poll is built into the new Outlook desktop and Outlook on the web. There’s nothing to install.
Create a meeting poll
- Open new Outlook or go to outlook.office.com.
- Click New mail to start a new email.
- Add the people you want to invite to the To field. Their availability will be checked automatically when you build the poll.
- Click the three-dot menu (More actions) in the compose toolbar.
- Select Scheduling Poll.
- Set the meeting duration (15 min, 30 min, 1 hour, or custom).
- Choose the time zone for the poll.
- Pick a date range to look for slots.
- Outlook shows you suggested times based on everyone’s free/busy. Click each slot you want to include in the poll.
- (Optional) Turn on Auto schedule so Outlook books the meeting automatically once everyone agrees on a time.
- (Optional) Turn on Notify me about poll updates to get an email each time someone votes.
- Click Create poll. A voting card is inserted into the email body.
- Add a subject line and any extra context, then click Send.
How recipients vote
Recipients see a card inside the email with a Vote button. They click it to open the poll in their browser, mark which times work for them, and submit. They don’t need an Outlook account — anyone with email can vote.
View results
You’ll get an email each time someone votes (if you enabled notifications). To see the full results, open the original sent message and click the poll card, or go to findtime.microsoft.com and sign in to see all your polls.
2. Classic Outlook for Windows
Scheduling Poll is now built into classic Outlook for Windows on supported update channels (Current, Monthly Enterprise, and Semi-Annual). There’s nothing to install — the old FindTime add-in was retired on December 11, 2023, and replaced by this built-in version.
Create a meeting poll
- Click New Email.
- Add recipients to the To line.
- On the Message ribbon, click New Scheduling Poll (older builds may still label it New Meeting Poll).
- Set Duration, Time zone, and the date range.
- Pick the time slots you want to propose. Outlook shows free/busy info for anyone in your organization.
- Configure options:
- Hold selected times on my calendar — blocks the proposed slots so you don’t double-book.
- Schedule when attendees reach consensus — auto-books the meeting once a winning time emerges.
- Notify me about poll updates — emails you on each vote.
- Click Insert to email. The voting card drops into the message body.
- Add a subject and context, then Send.
Note: Scheduling Poll requires a Microsoft 365 work or school account. Personal Outlook.com and IMAP accounts can’t create polls. If you don’t see the button on the ribbon and you’re on an Exchange/Microsoft 365 account, your Office version may be out of date — update to the latest Current Channel build.
3. Outlook for Mac
Outlook for Mac (the new version) supports Scheduling Poll the same way as new Outlook for Windows.
- Open Outlook for Mac and click New Email.
- Add recipients.
- Click the three-dot menu (More options) in the toolbar.
- Select Scheduling Poll.
- Build the poll, click Create poll, and send.
4. Outlook Mobile
Outlook for iOS and Android can respond to scheduling polls but does not let you create new ones. Build the poll on desktop or web — recipients can still vote from mobile.
Scheduling Poll vs. Voting Buttons vs. Microsoft Forms
Outlook has three different “poll” features and they’re easy to confuse:
| Feature | Use case | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling Poll (formerly FindTime) | Find a meeting time that works for everyone | New Outlook, classic Outlook, web, Mac |
| Voting Buttons / Microsoft Forms Poll | Ask a yes/no or multiple-choice question | All Outlook versions (guide) |
| Standalone Microsoft Forms | Full surveys with multiple questions | forms.office.com |
If you’re trying to schedule a meeting, use Scheduling Poll. If you’re trying to take a vote on a decision, use voting buttons or Microsoft Forms instead.
Troubleshooting
The Scheduling Poll option isn’t in my menu. You’re probably on a personal account — Scheduling Poll requires Microsoft 365 work or school. If you’re on work/school and still don’t see it in classic Outlook, your Office version is likely out of date; update to the latest Current Channel build.
Recipients can’t vote. Make sure the email wasn’t blocked by their spam filter — the voting card relies on inline images that some filters strip. As a fallback, the email also contains a plain link to the poll page.
The poll won’t auto-schedule. Only required attendees count toward consensus; optional attendees act as a tiebreaker. Auto-schedule fires when required attendees reach agreement on a time slot and the earliest qualifying time wins. If required attendees haven’t voted yet, the poll waits.
Skip the Polling Entirely
Polls are great when you need to schedule one specific meeting with people who already know each other. But if you’re constantly sending availability to clients, prospects, or new contacts, Carly can take care of the scheduling for you — it watches your calendar, replies to meeting requests in your inbox, and books the time automatically across 200+ apps including Outlook.
More on Outlook: How to set up recurring meetings · How to share your Outlook calendar · How to set working hours in Outlook · How to schedule an email in Outlook · How to create a poll in Outlook
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