Google Changed My Hours? Why It Happens and What to Do
If Google changed your hours, it's usually one of two things: Google updated your profile from its own sources, or someone suggested an edit and it went through. Google says it gathers information from places like user reports and licensed content, and can update a profile when those sources say it's out of date. You can see those changes, reject the wrong ones, and make it less likely they come back.
It tends to come to light in the worst way. Someone tells you they drove over and Google said you were shut, or a customer turns up at eight because your listing says you open at eight. The fixes below work the same for a café, a salon or someone who works from home and only lists hours for phone calls.
Why does Google keep changing my business hours?
Because your profile isn't fed by you alone. Google takes information about your business from other places too. Its help page, Understand Google updates on your Business Profile, names two routes for changes you didn't make:
- Google's own updates. Google says it collects information from sources such as user reports and licensed content, and may update your profile if those sources say something is incorrect or outdated.
- Suggested edits from the public. Google says it receives suggestions from users to update profiles. For certain suggestions, Google says it will tell you first and give you four days to accept or reject it.
That four-day window is the one most owners miss. If you don't respond in time, Google says it may publish the change anyway if other public information supports it, and the example it gives is your business website. The same page also says you can't manage every Google update through your profile, and that some user edits may go live without your review. So "Google changed it on its own" is partly true and partly not: Google acted, but usually on something it was told or read somewhere.
How can you tell what changed and who changed it?
Open the profile editor and look at the colour of the text. Google says information it changed shows in blue, while black or white text means no update from Google. If there are Google updates, you'll also see a notice at the top of the page. Suggested edits that need your review arrive as an email or a notice inside the profile.
Match what you can see to the likeliest explanation:
| What you see | What it probably means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Hours in blue text in the profile editor | Google says blue marks information it changed itself. | Check it against your real hours and correct it if it is wrong. |
| An email or notice asking you to review a suggested edit | A member of the public has suggested a change to your profile. | Accept or reject it within four days. |
| A note at the top of your profile about Google updates | Google has updated something from its own sources. | Open it, read what changed, and fix anything that is wrong. |
| "Temporarily closed" on a business that is open | A closure status has been set, possibly from a report Google received. | Set the profile back to open with your normal hours. |
| Your own fix is still showing the old hours | Your edit may still be under review, or was not approved. | Wait, then check the edit status before changing it again. |
Google doesn't tell you which person or source prompted a change, so this narrows it down rather than naming a culprit.
Why does Google say my business is closed when it isn't?
Usually because a closure status has been set on the profile, and Google says it can receive closure notices from sources other than you. Its page on marking your business as closed says it may email the owner when that happens, which is one more reason to keep an eye on the inbox the profile is registered to.
The same page explains when the status is meant to be used. "Temporarily closed" is for a business closed for more than seven days, closed for the off-season or closed indefinitely. A shorter break, a week off or a bank holiday, goes in special hours instead. Google also says a temporarily closed business may rank lower than open ones for broad searches, so setting it for a long weekend can cost more than it saves.
If the label is wrong, change the status back to open in the hours section of your profile and check every day's hours while you're there.
What happens after you correct it?
Your fix goes through a check of its own. Google's page on what happens to your Business Profile edits says edits usually take up to ten minutes to review, but can take up to 30 days. An edit ends up accepted, still pending, or not approved, and Google says it may not approve a change if it can't confirm it's accurate. A rejected edit can sometimes be appealed.
So if you fixed your hours this morning and the old ones are still showing, check the edit's status before you change it again. It may simply still be in the queue.
How do you stop it happening again?
You can't switch Google's updates off, but you can make the right answer the easy one for Google to find. That comes down to three habits.
- Answer suggested edits quickly. Four days is not long if the emails go to an address nobody reads. Make sure the profile's login email is one you actually check.
- Keep your website's hours exactly right. Google names your business website as the sort of public information it may use to back up an edit. If your site still says you open Sundays, you've given a wrong suggestion something to lean on.
- Look at the profile once a month. Google says some edits can go live without your review, so the emails won't catch everything. Blue text is the thing to look for.
Wherever else your hours are listed, a Facebook Page, a directory, a booking tool, it's worth making them agree. Google doesn't publish a list of every source it reads, but the fewer places telling it something different, the less there is to go wrong.
If you'd like a quick weekly check to hand to whoever covers the front desk, this works:
Once a week: open our Google Business Profile, look for blue text or a notice at the top, check the hours for every day, and reply to any suggested edits. Then check the hours on our website and Facebook Page match. If anything is wrong, fix it in all three places the same day.
What should you do next?
Open the profile today, look for blue text and any pending suggestions, and put your real hours back if they've moved. If you haven't set the profile up properly yet, our guide to Google Business Profile covers claiming and verifying it. If the problem is bigger than hours and someone else seems to control the listing, see what to do when someone else has claimed your business. There's more on showing up properly in our guides to fixing your website and getting found.
Your website is the one place where the hours are entirely yours to set, and Google may read it. If you'd like one that keeps them right, ByRender builds sites from a short form, with setup from £495, care from £69 a month and a private preview before you pay anything. Start the form whenever you're ready.
Frequently asked questions
Can a customer change my opening hours on Google?
They can suggest a change. Google says it receives suggested edits from users, and for certain ones it notifies you first so you can accept or reject them within four days. It also says some user edits can be applied without your prior review, so it's worth checking the profile regularly rather than relying on the emails.
Should I mark my business temporarily closed for a week off?
Probably not. Google's own help says the temporarily closed status is for closures of more than seven days, the off-season or an indefinite closure, and that shorter breaks belong in special hours instead. It also says a temporarily closed business may rank lower than open ones for broad searches.