When a holiday weekend rolls around, your customers are already making plans – and they’re checking Google to see if you’re open. If your hours aren’t accurate, you’re not just missing out on sales; you’re risking bad reviews, broken trust, and traffic that goes somewhere else.
That’s where Google Business Profile’s Special Hours come in. Whether you’re closing for the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, or just changing hours for a one-time event – keeping your hours updated tells Google (and your customers) that your business is active, reliable, and ready.
In this guide, we’ll break down what Special Hours are, why they matter more than most businesses realize, and how to update them quickly – especially if you’re managing multiple locations.
Spoiler: there’s faster way than doing it one-by-one.
TL;DR: Special Hours override your regular business hours for specific dates on GBP – holidays, events, one-off closures. Confirm them even when your hours aren’t changing. Google recommends it, and confirmed hours are a trust signal to both Google and your customers.
What we cover:
- What Special Hours are and when to use them
- Why confirming them protects your visibility and reputation
- How to set them on Google Business Profile
- How to bulk update across multiple locations
What are Special Hours?
Special Hours on Google Business Profile let you set temporary or exceptional operating hours for your business on specific dates, such as holidays or special events. These hours override your main hours for those particular dates and help customers avoid confusion when they expect your business to be open or closed.
You can use Special Hours to indicate when your business will be open or closed for a short period, like a few hours or up to six consecutive days. They are perfect for marking holidays, special events, or any other occasion where your business operates outside of its normal schedule. Special Hours will be displayed on your Google Business Profile instead of your main hours for the specific dates you’ve set.
💡 If you’ll be closed for seven or more days in a row, or for a length of time you can’t predict, you should mark your business as Temporarily Closed instead.
Why Special Hours Matter
Here are four reasons Special Hours matter more than most businesses realize:
- Rank Higher on Google
If there is a holiday coming up in your region, you should update your ‘Special Hours’ even if your hours are not changing for the holiday. Google recommends confirming your hours for specific holidays even when they match your regular schedule, as it makes it clear for customers that your hours are accurate. It also signals to Google that your business is active and has confirmed when you will be open or closed, allowing it to show your profile with confidence. In our experience, businesses that don’t update their Special Hours will often appear lower in search results than those that do.
- Brand Image
Imagine making a reservation and arriving with your whole family, only to find the business is closed. This is not a good look for your brand and will frustrate customers, especially if they have gone out of their way to visit your business. Keeping your Special Hours up to date ensures customers have the most accurate information, building trust and preventing wasted trips or negative reviews.
- Your GBP is More Visible Than Your Website
Most customers today make decisions directly on Google Maps, without ever clicking through to your website. This means your Google Business Profile is the first (and often only) touchpoint before someone visits your business. If your hours are out of date on your profile, it doesn’t matter that you updated them on your website – customers will likely not even make it there. So keeping them up to date where people are actually looking is what gets customers through your door.
🎥 Watch ‘Google Business Profile is Your New Landing Page‘ to see why.
💡 Along with updating your Special Hours, use Google Posts/Updates to share your holiday offers, promotions, or closures. These posts show up directly in your profile and are a great way to communicate your unique offerings to potential customers during the holiday season (and throughout the year). Check out these videos on how to use Google Posts!
How to Set Your Hours and Special Hours
Natively on Google Business Profile
On the main Google Business Profile page, you can set special hours through your GBP dashboard, typically by navigating to “Edit Profile,” then “Hours,” and then “Special Hours” or “Holiday Hours.”
Step 1: Click the “Edit Profile” tab on the home page of your GBP.
Step 2: Click on the “Hours” tab at the top of the page.
This is where you’ll choose how your business hours appear on your Google Business Profile. Pick the option that best describes your current operating status.
💡 Keep in mind that Special Hours only show up in your GBP if your business hours are set as “Open with main hours.”
Step 3: Set your day-to-day operating hours for each day of the week.
Add “More hours” if applicable
Step 1: In the “Hours” section under “Edit Profile”, find “Add More Hours.”
Step 2: Choose the type of “More Hours” that fit your business offerings.
Step 3: Select the days and hours that apply, then click save.
💡 If you have more than one type of “More Hours,” you must set them separately for each type.
Set Holiday and Special Hours
Step 1: Under the “Hours” section, scroll to find “Special hours” and select the edit (pencil) icon.
Step 2: Choose the date.
Google suggests upcoming official holidays, so you can click “Review” to confirm one. To enter a date yourself, click “Add a date.”
💡 The holidays Google suggests are based on your business location, so your list will look different depending on your region.
Step 3: Set your hours for that date and click save.
Uncheck “Closed” and enter your open and close times, or leave “Closed” checked if you’re shut for the day.
Updating ‘Special Hours’ on Map Labs
Managing a single location? Our software allows you to update Special Hours with just a few clicks.
Visit the “Location Info” tab inside your Map Labs dashboard to manage your Regular Hours, More Hours, and Special Hours, all from one central page.
Bulk Updates on Map Labs
Managing dozens or even hundreds of locations? You can bulk update them all with our proprietary, industry-leading software. The bulk-hours feature is one of our most popular tools, saving time and reducing the chance of errors.
Step 1: Select locations you would like to update.
Step 2: Choose what you would like to update in Bulk (in this example, Special Hours).
Step 3: Add your Special Hours and hit submit!
Whether you’re prepping for a holiday weekend or adjusting for a special event, Map Labs ensures your listings are up-to-date everywhere, all at once.
Get Started with Map Labs
Keeping your Google Business Profile “Special Hours” updated might seem like a small task, but it plays a big role in shaping how customers perceive your business – especially around holidays. In the fast-moving world of Maps Marketing, details matter. When someone checks your hours and sees that you’re open, available, and reliable, that quick glance can be the difference between gaining a customer or losing them to a competitor.
In 2026, Google Maps isn’t just a navigation tool – it’s one of the most influential decision-making platforms for local commerce. Map Labs is powered by industry-leading proprietary software, built and continuously refined by a full-time, in-house development team dedicated to keeping us at the forefront of Google Maps Marketing. With over a decade of experience, we’re not just the #1 Maps Marketing software and service – we’re experts in a field we helped define.
But we offer more than just a tool. What sets Map Labs apart is our ability to pair powerful software with custom-built strategies – and hands-on help when you want more than software. With Coaching and Full Service, we can train your team or run your profiles for you, backed by 10+ years mastering the nuances of local search.
💡 Did you know…
- 62% of customers would avoid using a business if they found incorrect information online.
- 88% of mobile local searches lead to business visits within 24 hours.
- Customers are willing to spend 31% more if the business has a good online reputation.
Your Google Business Profile is your most visible landing page – make sure you’re getting the most out of it. Get a free GBP Analysis and our team of experts will show you exactly where your opportunities are.
🎓 Want to keep learning how to optimize your profile yourself? Our free GBP Masterclass walks through every section of your Google Business Profile step by step.
Want to know more?
🎥 Watch the videos below!
