Updated: August 25, 2020
Check and edit your business information
If your business is affected by COVID-19, update your Google My Business profile to provide the most accurate information to your customers. You can provide updates about your business to customers such as:
- Your adjusted hours of operation, for instance if you close early.
- Add “More hours” that describe other business operations such as delivery, takeout, and drive-through.
- Select an attribute to show you offer online services such as classes, appointments, or estimates.
- Delays on specific business services.
- Extra services you are providing for the community.
- If your business is "Temporarily closed".
The updates will show on your Business Profile on Google Search and Maps.
Marking your business “Temporarily closed” won't affect local search ranking and it will be treated similar to open businesses. Businesses offering pickup or delivery services should not mark the business “Temporarily closed,” otherwise those services won't show on Google.
Important: We may review your changes for quality before we publish them.
Grow with Google provides resources, tips, and online training to help you manage your business, connect with customers, and work from anywhere during COVID-19. In this short video tutorial, learn how to keep customers informed by updating your profile, using posts to communicate, and adding remote managers to your accounts. Additionally, learn how to manage your business remotely during the COVID-19 crisis in this more comprehensive pre-recorded livestream. These videos are available in English only.
To make sure your customers have the latest information:
1. Update your business hoursFor businesses with changed hours: If your business hours have changed, update the times when you’ll be open or closed. Your operating hours show when a customer visits your Business Profile, and they’ll know exactly when they can visit your location. If your business is open and offers onsite services, use primary hours to refer to the hours you offer onsite services. Learn how to change your hours.
For temporarily closed businesses: If your business is not permanently closed, but has temporarily stopped providing all services, mark your business ”Temporarily closed.” When your business fully or partially resumes operations, you can reopen your business.
For businesses with special hours: If your business is open but has adjusted operating hours for specific days, set special hours (rather than mark your business “Temporarily closed”). Learn how to set special hours.
Food and retail businesses have attributes at the top of their Business Profiles to inform customers about service availability. These include Dine-in, Takeout, and Delivery. This new info will prominently appear on your Business Profile when customers search for your business on Google Maps and Google Search. Supported attributes have a “✓” and non-supported attributes display an “X."
Learn more about specific recommendations for food businesses.
Learn more about specific recommendations for retail businesses.
- Online tutoring, virtual classes, and live video or phone consultations qualify if they take place in real time.
- Services that involve contactless delivery or require you to visit a client’s location do not qualify, even if the service is booked online.
- The option for customers to book online for in-person appointments does not qualify.
When you indicate that an online service is provided, your Business Profile will prominently show online classes, appointments, or estimates as supported with a ”✓.”
Tip: Online attributes don’t show when a business is marked "Temporarily closed."
To set the online service attribute and add a link to schedule online classes, appointments or estimates:
- On your computer, sign in to Google My Business.
- Click Home.
- Go to the “Stay connected during COVID-19” dashboard card and click Update service availability.
- Answer the questions about how your business operates.
- Optional: Enter a URL where consumers can schedule online services with your business.
To update the URL that consumers use to schedule online services, go back to the “Stay connected during COVID-19” dashboard card or edit the Appointment URL on the info page. You can also edit the attribute from the Info page on your Business Profile.
Tip: Site managers may set the online service attributes, but do not have permissions to set an online services URL. Only profile owners and managers can set an online services URL.
Use attributes to let customers know about the safety measures in place at your business. Health and safety attributes include:
Customers
- Mask required
- Temperature check required
- Appointment required
- Reservations required
- Safety dividers at checkout
- Surfaces disinfected between visits
Staff
- Staff wear masks
- Staff get temperature checks
Use the new COVID-19 post type to share more detailed and timely updates about what’s going on at your business. You can add information about:
- Closures or reduced hours
- Safety and hygiene practices
- Availability of gift cards to support your business
- Online classes and visits
COVID-19 update posts appear prominently on your profile and are more noticeable to your customers. Learn how to add your COVID-19 update post.
Download the Google My Business app and turn on messaging as a way to help your customers reach you. If you aren’t reachable by phone or it’s after your business hours, messaging can help customers get the support they need. Learn how to turn on messaging in the Google My Business app.
Tip: Draft an automatic welcome message to let customers know your business status.
Important: Posts that include a phone number may be rejected.
Use your business description to share information about your business such as:
- If your business is only available for takeout or delivery
- Extra services you provide to the community
- If your business services are delayed
At this time, businesses may find a disclaimer on their profile to let customers know that their business info may not be up-to-date.
- Find emerging topics and top questions people are asking by location with Google Trends.
- Learn how other thought leaders are handling similar business challenges on Think With Google.
- Collaborate with your staff using shared documents, video meetings, email lists, or chat rooms.
About temporary closures
We rely on authoritative data sources, where available, to mark certain types of places as "Temporarily closed" on Google Search and Google Maps.
Tip: If a business is marked “Temporarily closed,” attributes for both dining and retail establishments won’t surface on Google Search and Maps. If your business still operates through takeout or delivery, you should not mark it as "Temporarily closed."
We rely on authorities to tell us when there are closures in their region. We use data from many types of authoritative data sources, which include national, state/provincial and local governments, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and businesses.
Any categories of places that authoritative sources say are temporarily closed. For example, schools are a common example of a type of place that may be listed as "Temporarily closed." Other possible types of places an authoritative data source can mark as "Temporarily closed" may include museums, gyms, and stores.
A business owner with a Google My Business account can directly update their "Temporarily closed" status to reopen and that change will be effective immediately.
Temporary closures can be removed in a variety of ways. GMB account holders can reopen their business listings via GMB, with the change effective immediately. Additionally, anyone can report a place as reopened via the "Suggest an edit" flow, with reports being monitored and reviewed before a reopen is applied. Additionally, Google is using authoritative information from governments to remove listing temporary closures en masse where state authorities have mandated reopenings. Learn more about how you can reopen your business.
Related articles
- Food businesses affected by COVID-19
- Retail businesses affected by COVID-19
- Hotel owners affected by COVID-19
- Get started with Google My Business for healthcare providers
- What happens to your edits
- Manage your business directly from Google Search & Maps
- Get the most out of your posts
- Create your business marketing kit
- About support links
