Should a seasonal closure be marked as temporarily or permanently closed?
A seasonal restaurant closes for winter.
A ski rental shop closes for summer.
A tour operator stops receiving customers for several months.
Should the Google Business Profile say Temporarily closed or Permanently closed?
If the business intends to reopen, Google’s current guidance points to Temporarily closed.
The key is to separate three things:
- a short closure;
- an off-season or extended closure;
- a true permanent closure.
Short answer
Use:
- Special hours for a closure of seven days or less;
- Temporarily closed when the business is closed for more than seven days, for the off-season, or indefinitely but still expected to operate again;
- Permanently closed only when the business has actually stopped operating at that location.
Google explicitly lists an off-season closure as a case for Temporarily closed.
Do not mark a seasonal business permanently closed merely because it will be inactive for several months.
Why does the status matter?
Customers use Search and Maps to decide whether they can visit now.
The status should answer that question accurately.
A temporary closure tells customers:
The business exists, but it is not currently open.
A permanent closure tells them:
This business has stopped operating here.
Those are materially different messages.
When should a seasonal business use Temporarily closed?
Google says to use Temporarily closed when a business is:
- closed for more than seven days;
- closed for the off-season;
- closed indefinitely.
For a seasonal business, the second case is the clearest.
If the business normally closes every winter and reopens in spring, Temporarily closed communicates the current state without saying the business has ceased to exist.
What if the closure is only a few days?
Google says that if the business is closed for seven days or less, use Special hours instead.
Examples can include:
- a short holiday break;
- maintenance for three days;
- a one-week staff closure.
That is an hours problem, not a temporary-closure-status problem.
What does Permanently closed mean?
Use it when the business has actually stopped operating at the location.
Examples include:
- the company ceased trading there;
- the branch shut and will not reopen;
- the location was closed permanently.
Do not use Permanent closure as a stronger version of “closed for several months.”
What if the reopening date is not known?
Google’s current guidance still includes businesses closed indefinitely within the Temporarily closed use case.
If the business intends to reopen but cannot yet publish a reliable date, do not invent one.
Keep the status accurate and update the profile when the reopening becomes known.
Should you change normal hours to zero instead?
No.
A long seasonal shutdown is better represented by the closure status Google provides for that situation.
Hours should describe the business’s operating schedule when it is open.
Do not create a confusing schedule just to avoid using Temporarily closed.
What if the business operates only part of the year every year?
Google’s eligibility guidance recognises seasonal businesses as eligible and says they should display permanent signage at their location year-round.
That means seasonality by itself does not make the business permanently closed.
The profile can represent a legitimate seasonal operation.
Will Temporarily closed hurt rankings?
Do not make a guarantee either way.
The primary goal is accuracy for customers.
Google's closure guidance says temporarily closed businesses may appear below open businesses for broad searches. The effect varies with the business category, the query and the number of matching businesses that are temporarily closed. This does not guarantee a position after reopening.
Do not keep a business marked open simply because you fear losing visibility if customers cannot actually receive service.
What should the website say?
Keep the website consistent with the operational reality.
A seasonal closure notice can state:
- that the business is closed for the season;
- expected reopening date if confirmed;
- whether bookings are accepted for the next season;
- how customers can contact the business during closure, if applicable.
Do not promise a date that is not confirmed.
What if only one location closes?
Update only that location.
A multi-location company may have:
- one branch closed for the season;
- another branch operating normally;
- central customer support still open.
Do not apply a company-wide closure status when only one profile is affected.
What if the business continues online sales during the seasonal closure?
Then distinguish the physical Business Profile from the online operation.
The location may be temporarily closed to in-person customers while the wider company continues other activity.
Do not describe the physical location as open if customers cannot use it.
How should reopening be handled?
When the seasonal business resumes operations:
- remove the temporary-closure status;
- confirm normal hours;
- confirm special hours if reopening occurs around a holiday;
- check website and booking information;
- verify that customers can actually receive service.
This is a practical reopening checklist, not a Google-mandated sequence.
What should a business owner check?
- Is the business definitely reopening?
- Is the closure seven days or less?
- Is it a normal off-season?
- Is a reopening date confirmed?
- Are website and booking information consistent?
- Is only one branch affected?
- Are customers able to receive any service at the location now?
The answer determines whether this is a special-hours issue, temporary closure or genuine permanent closure.
FAQ
Should an off-season business be marked Temporarily closed?
Yes. Google’s current help explicitly lists off-season closure as a use case for Temporarily closed.
What if the closure is only five days?
Google says closures of seven days or less should use Special hours.
Should a seasonal business ever be marked Permanently closed?
Only if it has actually ceased operating at the location and is not expected to reopen.
What if we do not know the reopening date?
Do not invent one. Google’s guidance allows Temporarily closed for indefinite closure when the business has not permanently ceased operating.
Can a seasonal business still be eligible for a Business Profile?
Yes. Google’s eligibility guidance recognises seasonal businesses and says they must maintain permanent signage at the location year-round.
Does Temporarily closed guarantee the same ranking when we reopen?
No. Google does not provide that guarantee.