Google's Guidelines for Maintaining Business Hours on Maps and Search

Google has recently updated its guidelines to provide much-needed clarity on how to manage business information. The update also provides explanations as to how you could run into challenges with the verification of your business.

The Primary Hours will be most commonly referenced, but Special Hours can be useful to communicate with customers for seasonal hourly changes, holiday hourly changes, or emergency changes. The third category, More Hours, has been introduced to communicate Happy Hour, Pickup Hours, and Online Service Hours. Interestingly, there are even examples of businesses that should not enter hours, including indoor lodging (such hotels, motels, and apartment buildings/complexes), schools and universities, movie theaters, transportation services and airports, event venues and natural features. While most of these venues do indeed have regular hours, Google Maps and Search will not display them for these specific businesses. Similar filters, like "Now Open" or "Open Late," are automatically generated.