google-business-profile
How do I add or change the opening date on my Google Business Profile?
To add or change a Google Business Profile opening date, open the profile, choose Edit profile, choose Edit next to Opening date, enter the required fields, and select Save. Google requires only the year and month, allows a date up to one year in the future, and says a verified profile with a future date shows on Google 90 days before opening. An already-open business can enter when it opened.
How do I add or change the opening date?
Google's Add a business opening date guide gives this path for adding or changing the field:
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Edit profile.
- Next to Opening date, select Edit.
- Enter the required fields.
- Select Save.
Use the exact Opening date field for this change. To edit business information, Google's editing guide says you need to sign in to the Google Account linked to your Business Profile. The Google Business Profile hub has the wider profile and access context.
What opening date can I enter?
Only the year and month are required. Google allows a date up to one year in the future, so you do not need to choose a day of the month. A business that is already open can use the field to add the date it opened, rather than a planned future date. Google's opening-date guide states these rules together, including the already-open exception.
When does Google show a profile with a future opening date?
After you enter the opening date and verify the business, Google says the profile shows up on Google 90 days before the opening date. Google also says you can engage with your community during that pre-opening period. Once the business opens, Google says the profile will show a Recently opened tag for 90 days.
Before the business is officially open, users cannot suggest edits to the business information or post content such as reviews or photos on the Business Profile. After the date is entered and the business is verified, the profile can appear before opening, but Google does not allow users to suggest edits or post content such as reviews or photos until the business is officially open.
Is an opening date the same as business hours?
No. The opening date tells customers when the business first opened; business hours tell customers when the business is open. Google's Edit your Business Profile guidance separates these fields:
| If you need to tell customers... | Use this field | What it describes |
|---|---|---|
| When the business first opened | Opening date | The business's first opening date; only the year and month are required |
| When the business is open | Main hours | When the business is open |
| When hours change for holidays or other temporary periods | Special hours | Hours for holidays or other temporary periods |
| When different features have different hours | More hours | Different hours for different features the business offers. |
For the separate hours question, see what you can edit on an unverified Google Business Profile and the Google Business Profile hours guide. Use the hours fields to tell customers when the business is open.
See where your profile stands
The audit shows how this applies to your own profile: it reads a verified Google Business Profile and scores it the same way every month.
Visibility Score
0 to 100
20 scored factors across profile completeness, performance, competitive position. Free, no signup, on any verified Google Business Profile.
No signup, no card. You get the score and the factors behind it.
Sources
More on this subject in the answers library, and on the Maps Agent blog.