If your profile says you are open when you are away for a bank holiday or annual leave, a customer may call or travel based on information that is no longer true. Google Business Profile lets you set temporary “special hours” for holidays and other unusual dates.
Google says special hours cover temporary changes to normal opening hours, including a business that remains closed for six days in a row or fewer. This is different from your usual weekly hours and from “more hours” used for specific services.
Update the dates before the break
Use the Business Profile controls in Google Search or Maps, or open the profile in the business interface available to you:
- Find the profile you manage.
- Open the hours section under the edit-profile controls.
- Add the dates that will differ from normal hours.
- Enter the actual opening and closing times, or mark the business closed.
- Save and confirm the dates appear correctly.
The labels and steps can change as Google updates its interface. Follow the current instructions in the help centre rather than relying on an old screenshot.
Make the profile match the real service
For a tradesperson who travels to customers, “open” may mean available to take calls, not that customers can walk into a staffed shop. Google's rules say service-area businesses should represent their central office or location accurately and should not list an unstaffed virtual office as a customer-facing address.
Check your public profile after saving, and update your website and social profile if they show separate holiday arrangements. If you are unavailable for quotes but existing customers can still reach you, explain the distinction clearly.
Google's guide to editing Business Profile hours links to the instructions for setting special hours. For service-area address rules, see Google's business representation guidelines.