Google Business Profile opening-date checklist

What should I check before publishing an opening date?

Copy this checklist and mark each line only when it is true.

Opening date

• I am editing the correct Google Business Profile.
• I opened Edit profile, selected Opening date, and selected Edit. I did not use Hours for this one-time date.
• I entered the month and year when the business first opened, or the planned month and year when it will open at this address.
• I checked that the date is no more than one year in the future. An exact day is not required.
• If the date is in the future, I confirmed that the business is verified before expecting the profile to show on Google 90 days before opening.
• If the business is already open, I entered the month and year when it opened.

Hours and closure fields

• I put the normal weekly schedule in main hours, not Opening date.
• I put holiday or other temporary periods in Special hours, not Opening date.
• I put different hours for different features you offer in More hours, not Opening date.
• I did not use a closure setting to represent a planned opening date.

Save and review

• I selected Save.
• I reopened Edit profile → Opening date and confirmed the saved month and year.
• I checked the edit result: Accepted means the updated information displays, Not approved means Google might not approve changes if it can't confirm accuracy, and an appeal might be available; Pending means the edit is still under review.
• I allowed for Google's timing: review usually takes up to 10 minutes, but can sometimes take up to 30 days.
• I checked the profile editor for a notification about Google updates and checked the text color. Blue means Google changed the information; black or white means there is no Google update.
• I know that not all Google updates can be managed through the Business Profile. Google may use reports from users or licensed content to update information reported as incorrect or outdated.
• If Google notified me that a suggested edit needs review, I accepted or rejected it within 4 days. I know Google may publish it after 4 days when public information supports it.
• I remembered that Google may apply some suggested user edits without prior review when needed to meet its policy guidelines.

Why does the opening date need a separate check from hours?

Google's profile-editing guidance treats the opening date as the date the business first opened. Main hours describe when the business is open, Special hours cover holidays or other temporary periods, and More hours cover different hours for different features. For the wider hours decision, see what More hours and holiday hours mean on a Google Business Profile.¹

The opening-date guide says only the year and month are required. It also says an already-open business can add the date it opened, a future date can be up to one year away, and a verified profile shows on Google 90 days before a future opening date.²

What should I do after I save the opening date?

Reopen the field and confirm the value. Do not treat Save as proof that the value is already customer-facing. Google's edit-status guidance defines three outcomes: Accepted, Not approved, and Pending. Accepted means the updated information displays. Not approved can occur when Google cannot confirm accuracy and may be appealable. Pending means the edit remains under review. Review usually takes up to 10 minutes, but can sometimes take up to 30 days.³

What if Google changes the opening-date information?

Check the notification at the top of the profile editor and inspect the field's text color. Google says blue text identifies information changed by Google, while black or white text indicates no Google update. Not all Google updates can be managed through the Business Profile. Google may use reports from users or licensed content to update information reported as incorrect or outdated. Google may apply suggested user edits without prior review when needed to meet its policy guidelines.⁴

When Google says a suggested edit requires review, it may notify you by email or in-product notification. The 4-day accept-or-reject window applies after that notification. If you do not respond within 4 days, Google may publish the update when other public information, such as the business website, supports it.⁴