How to find a date that works for everyone
"What days is everyone free?" Four words. Ninety messages. No date.
If you're the one who always ends up organising, you know how it goes. Here's a better way, and it works whether it's a birthday dinner, a hen do or the reunion you've been promising for three years.
Why the group chat never settles it
- Replies come in drips. Someone answers Tuesday, someone else Saturday, and by then Tuesday's changed.
- "I'm easy" isn't an answer. It's lovely, but it doesn't help.
- You end up doing maths. Scrolling back, cross-referencing, making a note on your phone. It's a lot of admin for a curry.
- WhatsApp polls make people pick one. A poll with three dates gets three scattered votes, not the overlap.
The better way: ask for availability, not opinions
The trick is to stop asking "which date do you prefer?" and start asking "which dates can you do?". When everyone marks every day they're free, the overlap shows up quickly. That's how a date poll works, and it's what Whenabouts is for.
How it works
- Create a plan. Give it a name, set a date range, and choose evening, daytime or any time. Use "Which days work?" for any day, weekdays, weekends or individual days.
- Share one link. Drop it in WhatsApp (there's a button) or anywhere else. Everyone taps the days they're free, or "maybe". No account, no app. Invite as many friends as you like.
- Lock in the best date. Whenabouts adds up the answers and highlights the date that works for the most people. Once you confirm, anyone who opens the link can add it to their calendar: "Add to Google Calendar" or a .ics file.
Five tips for getting a date that sticks
1. Give a range, not a shortlist
"Any evening in March" gets better answers than "the 4th, 11th or 18th?". You'll find dates you'd never have guessed.
2. Narrow it to days that make sense
Weekend away? Show weekends only. Midweek dinner? Weekdays. Fewer boxes means faster answers.
3. Let people say "maybe"
"Maybe" is honest. It also tells you who to chase.
4. Set your own deadline
Tell the group "I'm booking on Friday". Whenabouts doesn't send reminders, so you'll have to be the nag. Sorry.
5. Most people is enough
Waiting for everyone means waiting forever. If 8 out of 10 can make it, that's your date.
Can't agree what to do, either?
Use Spin the Plan. Add at least two ideas, spin the wheel to pick one, then lock in a date. It ends the "I don't mind, you choose" stand-off.
Find a date for…
- Christmas parties with friends. Get in before December fills up.
- The work Christmas do. No logins for colleagues.
- Friendsmas and Christmas dinner with friends. Get the date, then book the table.
- Hen dos and stag dos. Sort the weekend before the flights go up.
- Group holidays. Find when everyone's free, then pick the trip.
- Birthday dinners. Without the 40-message thread.
- Uni reunions. For mates scattered across the country.
- Book clubs and regular catch-ups. For the next one, and the one after.
- New Year's Eve. The date's fixed, so spin for the plan and see who's around.
Comparing tools? See our honest Doodle alternative page, our When2Meet alternative for friend groups or free group scheduling with no login.
Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest way to find a date that works for everyone?
Share a date poll where everyone marks all the days they can do, then pick the date with the most people free. Whenabouts does this with one link and no sign-up.
Is there a free tool to find a date that works for everyone?
Yes. Whenabouts is free to create a plan, share it, collect answers and lock in the date.
Do people need to download an app?
No. It works in the browser, with no login for you or your friends.
Why not just use a WhatsApp poll?
A WhatsApp poll is fine for choosing between two or three fixed options. For finding the overlap across lots of dates, a date poll is much clearer.
How does everyone get the final date?
Once you confirm it, anyone who opens the plan link can add it to their calendar. Nothing is emailed, so post a quick "it's confirmed!" in the chat.