Holiday and seasonal opening hours on your website

Key takeaways

Show holiday and seasonal hours on your website at least two weeks before they apply, in the same place as your normal hours, and set matching special hours on your Google Business Profile. England and Wales have 8 bank holidays a year, Scotland 9 and Northern Ireland 10, so a short yearly routine prevents wasted journeys and missed calls.

• Publish changed hours at least 2 weeks before they apply.
• England and Wales have 8 bank holidays; Scotland 9; Northern Ireland 10.
• Set matching special hours on your Google Business Profile.
• Say how urgent enquiries are handled while you are closed.

How should a website show holiday opening hours?

Show holiday hours next to your normal hours, as dated exceptions: 'Closed 25 and 26 December; open 10am to 2pm on 27 December.' Add a short banner on the homepage only for the closure period. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) recommends publishing at least two weeks ahead, so people planning visits or orders see it in time.

• What information should every business website have?
• Where to put contact details on your website

Which dates need planning each year?

Plan for bank holidays, Christmas and New Year, your own shutdowns and any seasonal hours. GOV.UK lists bank holidays for each nation: 8 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. Businesses serving more than one nation should note the differences, such as Scotland's 2 January.

• Keep one master sheet of your business facts

Why must Google match your website?

Many people see your hours on Google before they reach your site. Google Business Profile lets you set special hours for specific dates, and buyers trust whichever source they see first. If Google says open and your door is locked, the website warning will not help them.

• Google Business Profile vs website: what goes where
• Business details Google shows, and where it gets them

What should you say about urgent enquiries?

Say what happens to enquiries while you are closed: when you will reply, whether there is an emergency line, and where to go for urgent help. 'Messages received over Christmas will be answered from 2 January' is enough for most firms. Trades and care services may need an emergency number.

• Out-of-hours and emergency contact details online
• Say what happens after someone enquires

What about delivery and order cut-offs?

Online sellers should publish last order dates for pre-holiday delivery and when dispatch resumes. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be delivered within 30 days unless you agree otherwise, so if holidays stretch delivery, say so before the order.

• Delivery information page: what to include

When can a banner make things worse?

A banner makes things worse when it stays up after the dates pass, contradicts the hours shown lower down or covers the page on a phone. Set a reminder to remove it, and keep the dated exceptions in the hours section, not only in the banner.

• Out of date website content: what to check and fix

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see every January: customers arrive at a closed shop or phone an unanswered line because Google showed normal hours over Christmas. A simple calendar routine, updating the website and Google special hours together in early December, prevents it.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Holiday hours checklist

• List this year's bank holidays and closures.
• Add dated exceptions beside normal hours.
• Set Google special hours for the same dates.
• Say how urgent enquiries are handled.
• Publish order cut-offs if you sell online.
• Remove banners after the dates pass.

• Explain your materials and methods on your website
• Which payment methods should your website list?

Next step

Put a reminder in your calendar for the first working day of each month with a bank holiday: update the website and Google hours together.