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Doodle is a Swiss online scheduling and group polling tool used to find meeting times across participants. It collects scheduling responses, names, email addresses, and usage data through cookies, and integrates third party analytics and advertising services. Functional cookies are required to run a poll, while analytics and marketing cookies require prior consent under the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.
Doodle is an online scheduling and group polling service operated by Doodle AG in Switzerland. It lets an organiser propose several time slots and invite participants to mark their availability, which speeds up booking meetings. Website owners often embed the Doodle booking page or widget so visitors can schedule directly, which loads Doodle scripts and cookies in the visitor browser.
To run a poll, Doodle stores functional cookies that keep your session and remember your responses and language. It also collects the names and email addresses participants enter, their answers, IP addresses, and device and browser information. When analytics and advertising integrations are active, additional cookies such as _ga and _gcl_au are set to measure usage and support marketing attribution.
Under the ePrivacy Directive, storing or reading non essential cookies requires prior consent, and the GDPR requires a lawful basis for the personal data Doodle processes. Functional cookies that are strictly necessary to operate the poll can rely on contract or legitimate interest, but analytics and advertising cookies need consent. Because Doodle can act as a processor for the data you collect, a data processing agreement should be in place.
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If you embed Doodle in a way that loads analytics or advertising cookies, you must obtain valid, prior, opt in consent before those scripts run. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and as easy to withdraw as to give. A practical approach is to block the Doodle embed behind your consent banner and load it only after the visitor accepts the relevant category.
Doodle AG is based in Switzerland, which the European Commission recognises as providing an adequate level of data protection, so transfers there do not require additional safeguards. However, Doodle integrates third party services that may process data in the United States, where transfers rely on Standard Contractual Clauses under Article 46 GDPR. A transfer impact assessment helps document and mitigate the associated risk.
To use Doodle compliantly, list it in your cookie policy, gate any analytics or advertising scripts behind consent, and sign a data processing agreement with Doodle AG. Minimise the personal data you request in polls, set clear retention periods, and avoid asking questions that could reveal sensitive information. Finally, keep records of consent and review your subprocessor list and transfer safeguards periodically.
Websites using Doodle must obtain user consent under GDPR regulations.
DPIA considerations
Doodle processes participant names, email addresses (when provided), poll responses, IP addresses, and device data. Key DPIA points: (1) Doodle is operated from Switzerland (adequacy decision) but loads third party analytics and advertising scripts that may transfer data to the United States; (2) poll data can reveal availability patterns and, depending on the question, special category information, so data minimisation should be enforced; (3) persistent analytics identifiers enable usage profiling; (4) embedding the booking widget on your own pages places cookies before interaction, so loading must be gated behind consent; (5) a data processing agreement with Doodle AG and a transfer impact assessment for US subprocessors are recommended.
Sample consent text
We use Doodle to organise meeting times. When you open the scheduling tool, Doodle sets functional cookies needed to record your responses, and, with your consent, analytics and advertising cookies. Some data may be processed by Doodle AG in Switzerland and by its providers in the United States. You can withdraw your consent at any time via our cookie settings.
Third-party domains contacted
doodle.comwww.doodle.comcdn.doodle.comgoogle-analytics.comCookies placed
| Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| doodle | Functional | Session | Maintains the user session and stores poll state while a participant fills in their availability. |
| lang | Functional | 1 year | Stores the selected language and display preferences for the scheduling interface. |
| _ga | Analytics | 2 years | Google Analytics client identifier used by Doodle to measure usage and distinguish visitors. |
| _gid | Analytics | 24 hours | Google Analytics cookie used to distinguish users within a single day. |
| _gcl_au | Advertising | 3 months | Google Ads conversion linker cookie used to attribute conversions to advertising campaigns. |
Doodle uses cookies for user preferences — inform visitors with a consent banner.
Doodle sets functional cookies that keep your session and remember your poll responses and language, which are required for the tool to work. When analytics and advertising integrations are enabled it also sets cookies such as _ga, _gid, and _gcl_au to measure usage and support marketing attribution. Only the strictly functional cookies are exempt from consent.
Yes for the analytics and advertising cookies. You may load the strictly functional cookies that run the poll under contract or legitimate interest, but any analytics or marketing scripts must be blocked until the visitor gives prior, opt in consent.
Strictly necessary functional cookies and the processing needed to deliver the scheduling you requested rely on contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) or legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)). Analytics and advertising cookies rely on consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) and the ePrivacy Directive.
Doodle AG operates from Switzerland, which has an EU adequacy decision, so core processing stays within adequate jurisdictions. However, its third party analytics and advertising providers may transfer data to the United States under Standard Contractual Clauses, so you should document this in a transfer impact assessment.
A full DPIA is not always mandatory, but it is recommended when you embed Doodle at scale or collect availability data that could be sensitive. Assess the persistent analytics identifiers, the US subprocessor transfers, and the nature of the questions you ask before deciding.
Block the Doodle embed behind your consent banner so analytics and advertising scripts load only after acceptance, list Doodle in your cookie policy, and sign a data processing agreement with Doodle AG. Keep poll questions minimal and set clear retention periods.
Yes. Privacy focused or self hosted scheduling tools such as Cal.com, Rallly, or your own booking page give you more control over data location and cookies. They can reduce third country transfers, though you remain responsible for consent and security.
Add a Doodle entry that lists the functional, analytics, and advertising cookies, their purposes and durations, and the fact that data may be processed in Switzerland and the United States. Link to Doodle''s privacy notice and review the entry whenever Doodle changes its cookies or subprocessors.