Wrong opening hours on Google isn't a big technical problem. It's a routine problem. Nobody has logged in and updated the profile in over a year.

I've done redesigns of more than twenty Danish restaurant websites, and contradicting opening hours is one of the errors I see most often. At one Mexican restaurant, three different Friday closing times appeared across the restaurant's own pages. At a French bistro the hours didn't exist on the site at all, and the external sources disagreed. At a restaurant in northern Denmark, the hours page said Friday until midnight while the booking page said 11pm.

Why Google shows the wrong hours

There's rarely just one reason:

  • Old data from third-party sources. Google sometimes pulls from old directories or review sites instead of your own profile.
  • Nobody updated the profile after a change. The hours change, but nobody goes in and corrects it.
  • Public holidays aren't entered. Google often guesses wrong around Christmas and Easter if you don't specify special hours yourself.
  • Multiple Google profiles for the same business. This happens more often than people expect, and then Google shows the wrong one.
  • Cached data. Even after you've corrected it, it can take a few days for the change to come through.

How to fix opening hours on Google

1. Go to Google Business Profile and sign in with the account that manages the business.
2. Find your profile and click "Edit profile".
3. Choose the "Opening hours" tab and enter the correct times for each weekday.
4. Add special hours for public holidays and closures.
5. Save, then wait 24 to 72 hours before expecting everyone to see it.

If you have several locations, each profile has to be updated separately.

If you don't have access to the profile

This happens a lot. A former employee or a web agency created it. You can request ownership through Google Business Profile, but you have to prove you represent the business. It typically takes a couple of days.

Why Google doesn't seem to update when you change something

Almost always one of three things: the change has to be approved and rolled out, a verification request is sitting in a queue, or your browser cache is playing tricks. Try searching in a private window or on another device before concluding it isn't working. Give it 48 to 72 hours.

How to close a business on Google

If the business has closed permanently, mark it. A forgotten profile still showing opening hours confuses customers and damages your name. Go into the profile, choose "Manage location" and mark it permanently closed. If the business is only pausing, during a renovation for instance, use "temporarily closed" instead.

How to avoid the problem in future

  • Set a calendar reminder every three months to check the profile
  • Always update before Christmas, New Year and Easter
  • Make sure only one person is responsible for updates
  • Check the profile from another device once a week, so you see what customers see
  • Turn on notifications so you're told if someone suggests changes to your profile

Most opening hours problems come down to a missing routine, not missing knowledge.

What I don't promise

I don't promise Google always shows the right thing immediately. The system has its delays. But I can make sure your own website and your profile agree, so Google has one version to draw from.

Frequently asked questions

How do you fix opening hours on Google?

Sign in to Google Business Profile, go to "Opening hours", update the times for each day, save and give it a couple of days.

Why doesn't Google update after I've corrected the hours?

Usually cache, a wait for approval, or a verification request blocking it. Give it 48 to 72 hours before panicking.

How do I close my business on Google?

Go into the profile, choose "Manage location" and mark it permanently closed. If it's only a pause, use "temporarily closed".

Can wrong opening hours hurt my ranking?

Indirectly, yes. Google doesn't penalise it directly, but guests who meet a locked door write bad reviews, and those stay up long after you've fixed the problem.

One last thing

I don't do brand awareness. I do revenue, rankings and websites that sell. Set the calendar reminder now, go in and double-check your profile, and fix whatever looks wrong.