Christmas And New Year Opening Hours On Google: What Trades Should Update Now

On bank holidays, Google can show a warning on your profile that your hours might differ. Customers see that and ring someone else, even if you are working.

Setting your holiday hours removes the doubt. If you are open, people know they can call. If you are closed, they know when you are back, and they are less likely to leave a review complaining that nobody picked up.

These are the UK holidays Google lists for this Christmas and New Year:

• Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve

• Friday 25 December: Christmas Day

• Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day

• Monday 28 December: Boxing Day bank holiday

• Friday 1 January 2027: New Year's Day

• Saturday 2 January and Monday 4 January: extra bank holidays in Scotland

Set every day you are changing, and also confirm the ones where your hours stay the same. Google itself recommends confirming holiday hours even when they do not change, so customers can see they are accurate.

1. Go to your Business Profile. Searching your business name on Google while logged in is the quickest way in.

2. Select Edit profile, then Hours.

3. Next to Special hours, select the edit pencil.

4. Google suggests upcoming holiday dates. Select Review to confirm one, or Add a date to set your own.

5. For each date, either tick Closed, or untick it and enter the hours you are working.

6. Select Save.

A few things to know:

• Special hours only show if your profile is set to Open with main hours.

• They are for short changes of up to six days in a row. If you are shutting for a week or more, Google says to mark the business as temporarily closed instead.

• Your normal hours do not change. Once the date has passed, your regular hours come back on their own.

Emergency work over Christmas is some of the best-paid work of the year. If you are taking call-outs, make it obvious:

• Set your special hours to show you are open

• Add a Google post saying you are available for emergencies over Christmas

• Put a line on your website's home page with the dates you are working

• Make sure your phone goes to someone who will answer, or to a message that says when you will call back

Closed is fine. Most trades need the break. Just tell people:

• Set the closed dates in special hours

• Add a Google post with the date you are back

• Change your voicemail to say when you will return calls

• If you have an enquiry form, add a line saying when you will reply

A customer who knows you are back on the 2nd will often wait. A customer who hears nothing will ring someone else.

Your website and your Google profile should say the same thing. A quick line on your home page, such as "Closed 24 December to 1 January, back on 2 January. Emergency call-outs available on 07xxx", stops confused calls and emails.

• Special hours set for every date from 24 December to 1 January

• Unchanged dates confirmed too

• A Google post saying when you are working or when you are back

• The same dates on your website

• Voicemail and enquiry form updated

If you want us to check your profile over Christmas, get in touch. We look after Google Business Profiles for trades all year round.