Sharing Booking Links: Single-Use Links and Meeting Polls

Your standard booking page is great for a public "book with me" link, but sometimes you need something more targeted. StretchSchedule gives you two extra sharing tools: single-use links and meeting polls.

Standard vs. single-use links

Your normal booking page (/public/schedule/<slug>) can be used by anyone, any number of times. A single-use link is different: it's tied to one event type, and once someone books through it, it stops working. Use it when you want a private, non-reusable invitation for a specific person.

Creating a single-use link

1. Open the event type you want to invite someone to.
2. Choose Create single-use link.
3. Optionally set an expiry so the link stops working after a date even if it's never used.
4. Copy the generated link and send it directly to your invitee.

The invitee opens the link, picks a slot, and books exactly once. Afterward the link is spent — forwarding it to someone else won't create a second booking.

When to use single-use links

• A VIP invitation you don't want circulating.
• A time-boxed offer ("book your onboarding by Friday").
• Any situation where reuse or forwarding would cause problems.

Meeting polls (find the best time for a group)

A meeting poll is the Doodle-style tool for coordinating a group. Instead of forcing everyone to fit a single open slot, you propose several time options, collect votes, and confirm the winner — which becomes a real booking.

Creating a poll

1. Choose New meeting poll and select the event type it's based on.
2. Give the poll a title (e.g. Q3 Planning — pick a time) and an optional description.
3. Add up to 20 time options, each with a start (and optional end).
4. Save — you get a public poll link to share.

Collecting votes

Share the poll link with your group. Each person opens it, enters their name and email, and selects the option(s) that work for them (they can add a note). Votes are recorded per person by email, so someone updating their vote replaces their earlier one rather than double-counting.

Confirming the winning time

1. Review the tally on the poll.
2. Choose Confirm and select the winning option.
3. Optionally set the confirmed invitee's name and email.

Confirming converts the chosen option into a booking on your calendar, and the meeting appears in your Bookings list like any other.

A realistic example

A project lead needs to schedule a kickoff with five stakeholders:

1. Creates a poll from the Project Kickoff event type with four options across Tue–Thu.
2. Sends the poll link to all five.
3. Four choose Thursday 10:00; one picks Wednesday.
4. The lead confirms Thursday 10:00 — a booking is created automatically and everyone is set.

Separately, the lead sends a single-use link to an external advisor for a private 1:1, so that invitation can't be forwarded around.

Tips

• Use polls for groups, single-use links for individuals. Polls solve "when can we all meet?"; single-use links solve "book this private slot."
• Offer 3–5 poll options, not twenty — fewer choices get faster responses.
• Add expiries to single-use links for time-sensitive invites so stale links self-retire.
• Confirm polls promptly once you have a clear winner, before the option fills up from other bookings.

FAQ

Can a single-use link be booked twice? No — that's the point. After one booking it's spent.

Do poll voters need an account? No. They just enter a name and email on the public poll page.

What happens when I confirm a poll? The selected option becomes a normal booking in your Bookings list.

Can voters change their vote? Yes — a new vote from the same email replaces their previous one.

Troubleshooting

• My single-use link says it's already used. It was booked once (or hit its expiry). Generate a new one.
• A poll option can't be confirmed. Make sure the option index is valid and that the underlying time still satisfies availability; if it filled up, pick another option or reschedule after confirming.