How do I set holiday hours on Google Business Profile?

Open your Business Profile, choose Edit profile, then Hours. Next to Special hours, select Edit. Pick the date (or Add a date), enter open and close times or tick Closed, then Save. Google Help also covers bulk spreadsheet updates if you manage multiple locations.

When is Thanksgiving 2026, and when should I set hours?

Thanksgiving Day 2026 is Thursday 26 November (US Office of Personnel Management federal holiday schedule). Set Special hours now, about three weeks out, so they are live before shoppers start searching for open stores.

Do I need special hours if I keep my normal schedule?

Yes, Google recommends confirming hours for official holidays even when they match your regular hours. That makes it clear to customers that the listing is accurate, and it helps when Google shows a warning that hours might differ.

Which dates should I set between Thanksgiving and New Year?

At minimum: Thanksgiving (26 November), Black Friday (27 November), Small Business Saturday (28 November), Christmas Eve (24 December), Christmas Day (25 December), New Year's Eve (31 December) and New Year's Day 2027 (1 January). Add any other days you close early or stay open late.

What if my business is closed for a week or longer?

Google says Special hours are for temporary changes of up to 6 days in a row. If you will be closed for 7 or more days, or for an unknown period, mark the business as Temporarily closed instead of relying only on special hours.

Can GBot update my Google Business Profile hours?

No. GBot does not edit Google Business Profile for you. Mia can draft the hours notice and posts, Leo can make a printable hours sign, and Kai can research competitor hours. You approve the copy and update Google yourself.

Google Business Profile Holiday Hours 2026 Checklist

The short answer: set Google Business Profile Special hours now for Thanksgiving through New Year, before shoppers start searching. Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday 26 November. That is about three weeks from today. Add Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day 2027 in one sitting, then copy the same hours to your website, Instagram, window and voicemail so every place customers look matches.

This is for gift shops, boutiques, salons, gyms, makers, florists, bakeries, bookshops and trades with a storefront. If you take walk-ins or appointments, wrong hours on Maps cost you visits.

Why set hours now

Google Maps and Search are often the first place people check whether you are open. Google's holidays help page notes that on listed holidays a warning may appear saying your hours might differ. The fix is to set Special hours in advance.

Verified dates for this season:

Thanksgiving Day: Thursday 26 November 2026 (OPM federal holidays)
Black Friday: Friday 27 November 2026 (day after Thanksgiving; also listed on Google's US holidays list)
Small Business Saturday: Saturday 28 November 2026 (SBA)
Christmas Eve: Thursday 24 December 2026
Christmas Day: Friday 25 December 2026 (OPM)
New Year's Eve: Thursday 31 December 2026
New Year's Day 2027: Friday 1 January 2027 (OPM)

Google Help also says to confirm hours for official holidays even when they match your regular hours, so customers know the listing was checked.

For broader holiday planning across 2027, see our 2027 small business marketing calendar. For the full profile basics (category, NAP, photos), use the Google Business Profile checklist for shops and salons.

The dates to set (one pass)

Date	Day	Typical owner choice
26 Nov 2026	Thanksgiving	Closed, or short hours
27 Nov 2026	Black Friday	Extended retail hours, or closed if you skip sales
28 Nov 2026	Small Business Saturday	Open, often with a special offer
24 Dec 2026	Christmas Eve	Early close is common
25 Dec 2026	Christmas Day	Closed for most shops
31 Dec 2026	New Year's Eve	Early close, or party-night hours for salons and gyms
1 Jan 2027	New Year's Day	Closed, or late open

Add any other days you change (staff days off, inventory days, early closes before a holiday). Google Special hours cover temporary changes of up to 6 days in a row. If you will be closed for 7 or more days, use Temporarily closed instead.

Promo ideas for Black Friday belong in our Black Friday ideas for small businesses. For 28 November specifically, use the Small Business Saturday 2026 plan.

How to set Special hours

Follow Google's own steps (summarised from How to set Special hours and Edit your business hours):

Open your Business Profile.
Select Edit profile, then Hours.
Next to Special hours, select Edit.
Select the date (Review a suggested date, or Add a date).
Uncheck Closed and enter open and close times, or leave Closed checked.
Save.

Tips from Google Help: keep the profile on Open with main hours so Special hours can show; you can add more than one open block on the same date; a single block cannot exceed 24 hours (split across midnight if needed); multi-location owners can use the bulk spreadsheet column on the same help page.

Do this once for all seven dates, then spot-check each date on Maps the next day.

Match Google everywhere

Write the hours once, then paste the same lines into:

Your website contact or hours page
An Instagram Story highlight or pinned post
A window or door sign
Your voicemail greeting
Any booking tool that shows hours to customers

Window / door sign (fill in the brackets)

Holiday hours: Thanksgiving [closed / open x-x]. Fri 27 Nov [x-x]. Sat 28 Nov [x-x]. Christmas Eve [x-x]. Christmas Day [closed]. New Year's Eve [x-x]. New Year's Day [closed / open x-x]. Regular hours resume [date].

Website banner

Our holiday hours are live on Google Maps. Thanksgiving [closed / times]. Christmas Eve we close at [time]. Full list: [link].

Keep the wording identical to what you saved on Google. Our holiday shoppers AI checklist covers why consistent hours, prices and offer dates matter when people ask an assistant before they visit.

Copy-paste customer messages

Replace the brackets. Send from your usual email, SMS or Instagram tool. GBot drafts only; it does not send for you.

Email or Instagram post (all customers)

Subject / first line: Our holiday hours for Thanksgiving through New Year

Hi [Name], here are our hours so you can plan ahead. Thanksgiving (26 Nov): [closed / times]. Fri 27 Nov: [times]. Small Business Saturday (28 Nov): [times]. Christmas Eve: [times]. Christmas Day: closed. New Year's Eve: [times]. New Year's Day: [closed / times]. We are at [address], and the same hours are on Google Maps. See you soon, [Your name]

SMS or short DM

Holiday hours: 26 Nov [closed/times], 27-28 Nov [times], 24 Dec close [time], 25 Dec closed, 31 Dec [times], 1 Jan [closed/times]. Full list on Google Maps. - [Business]

Reply when someone asks "are you open Thanksgiving?"

We are [closed / open from x to x] on Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November). Black Friday we are [times], and Small Business Saturday [times]. Happy to help you plan a visit or pickup.

If you also need last-order dates for gifts you ship, pair this with holiday shipping deadlines 2026. After the rush, turn holiday shoppers into repeat customers with a short thank-you and a January reason to return.

Ideas by business type

Gift shops and boutiques: extend Black Friday and Small Business Saturday; early close Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day.
Salons, spas, gyms: book the days before holidays hard; set early Eve closes; put class times in the notice if the door stays open.
Florists and bakeries: Christmas Eve pickup hours matter more than Christmas Day.
Makers and trades with a storefront: mark closed days so pickup and emergency callers know when you return.

Mistakes to avoid

Waiting until the Monday before Thanksgiving.
Updating Google but leaving last year's hours on the website.
Setting Temporary closed for a two-day holiday (use Special hours instead).
Leaving Special hours blank on a day you are open as usual when Google shows a holiday warning.
Writing different times in your Instagram caption and on Maps.

Where GBot fits

GBot is an AI assistant for small businesses at $19.99/mo. Mia can draft the hours notice, email, SMS and Instagram post in your voice. Leo can turn the hours into a printable door sign. Kai can look up nearby competitor hours so you decide whether to match or differentiate. Nothing posts or sends until you approve it.

GBot does not edit your Google Business Profile, book appointments, send SMS automatically, run a POS or auto-post. You paste the hours into Google yourself.