September 21, 2026
Google Business Profile: Check Your Special and Holiday Hours
Guidance checked on 21 September 2026.
A customer who arrives at a locked door has a concrete reason to be disappointed. Accurate opening hours are one practical part of reputation management. Before a holiday or planned closure, use this workflow to turn an agreed staff schedule into information customers can actually rely on.
Choose the setting that fits the change
Google’s special hours cover date-specific exceptions and closures of up to six consecutive days. For closures of seven days or longer, or an unknown duration, Google directs businesses to the temporarily closed setting. Special hours require the profile to use “Open with main hours.” [1]
First confirm which location and dates are affected. An exception at one branch should not accidentally become the schedule for every branch.
Prepare one clear schedule
Our suggested approach is to name one person to confirm the hours with the team that will actually open the premises. Record any break in service as well as the final closing time.
Use a short internal record like this, replacing the placeholders:
Location: [branch]. Date: [day, month, year]. Open: [time ranges] or closed all day. Confirmed by: [responsible colleague]. Public display checked: [date].
Compare this record with the website, booking instructions and door notice. If those channels disagree, resolve the operating schedule before asking someone to update the profile.
Keep normal hours accurate too
Google’s guidelines call for regular customer-facing hours; current seasonal hours can serve as regular hours. Some businesses, including those operating only by appointment, should not list hours. Check the guidance for your business type before applying a standard shop schedule. [2]
Save the exception, then check its status
In the profile, open Edit profile, then Hours and Special hours. Select a date, enter the opening periods or mark it closed, and save. Google recommends confirming official holiday hours even when unchanged. [1]
Check the edit status. Google distinguishes accepted, pending and not approved changes, so saving alone is not proof that the public information has changed. Follow the relevant guidance if an edit is not approved. [3]
Check what a visitor can see
- Open the correct location’s public profile in Search and Maps and inspect the affected date’s hours wherever shown.
- Check the branch address, date and every opening period against the agreed schedule.
- Ask a colleague to review any overnight or split-shift entry for ambiguity.
- Record when you checked and assign someone to recheck if the schedule changes.
If a customer reports a wasted trip, investigate which information they saw and correct any confirmed mismatch. A considerate response should acknowledge the inconvenience and explain the verified correction without promising a particular rating or review outcome.
Read our guide to responding to a negative Google review