Holiday hours announcement for your door, inbox and socials
Every December, Easter or national holiday you need the same thing in five places: the door, your website, an email to customers, a social post and your Google Business Profile. Give your agent the dates and hours once, and it writes a clear holiday hours announcement in each format, plus a printable sign and a reminder to switch things back.
The prompt
- Write a holiday hours announcement for [BUSINESS NAME], a [TYPE OF BUSINESS]. Holiday: [HOLIDAY]. Special hours: [DATES AND HOURS]. Normal hours resume on [RETURN DATE]. Also mention: [EXTRA INFO]. Create: 1) an Instagram/Facebook caption under 80 words with a warm holiday line, 2) a short story text, 3) an email to customers with subject line, 4) a one-line website banner, 5) a printable A4 door sign PDF with the dates in a clear table, in [BRAND COLORS], and 6) the hours list formatted for Google Business Profile special hours. List dates with the weekday so nobody gets confused. Then remind me on [CHANNEL] [REMINDER DAYS] days before the first closed day to post and update Google, and again the morning normal hours resume.
What to change
- [BUSINESS NAME]: E.g. "Hartley Hardware".
- [TYPE OF BUSINESS]: E.g. "hardware store", "dental office", "bakery", "gym".
- [HOLIDAY]: E.g. "Christmas and New Year", "Thanksgiving", "Eid al-Fitr", "Easter weekend".
- [DATES AND HOURS]: Each day that differs, e.g. "24 Dec 9-1, 25-26 Dec closed, 31 Dec 9-3, 1 Jan closed".
- [RETURN DATE]: The first day back to normal, e.g. "Thursday 2 January".
- [EXTRA INFO]: E.g. "online orders still ship", "emergency line 555-0120", "gift cards in store", or "nothing".
- [BRAND COLORS]: E.g. "dark green and cream". Attach your logo for the sign.
- [CHANNEL]: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord or email.
- [REMINDER DAYS]: How many days ahead to remind you, e.g. "7".
Example result
- Instagram / Facebook caption
- Thank you for shopping local with us this year. Here are our holiday hours, so you're never caught without that last screw or string of lights:
- Tue 24 Dec: 9 am to 1 pm
- Wed 25 and Thu 26 Dec: closed
- Tue 31 Dec: 9 am to 3 pm
- Wed 1 Jan: closed
- Back to normal hours on Thursday 2 January. Gift cards are available in store. Happy holidays from all of us at Hartley Hardware.
- Story text
- Holiday hours are up. Closed 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.
- Email
- Subject: Our holiday hours (and a thank you)
- Hi there,
- Thank you for coming to Hartley Hardware this year. We're closing for a few days so our team can spend time with family:
- • Tuesday 24 December: 9 am to 1 pm
- • Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December: closed
- • Tuesday 31 December: 9 am to 3 pm
- • Wednesday 1 January: closed
- We're back to normal hours on Thursday 2 January. Need something urgent for a burst pipe over the break? Call our emergency line on 555-0120.
- Happy holidays,
- The Hartley team
- Website banner
- Holiday hours: closed 25 and 26 Dec and 1 Jan, short days 24 and 31 Dec. See you 2 Jan!
- Door sign (A4)
- HOLIDAY HOURS, a two-column table (day, hours) with closed days in bold, and "Back to normal Thursday 2 January" at the bottom.
- Google Business Profile special hours
- • 24 Dec: 09:00 to 13:00
- • 25 Dec: closed
- • 26 Dec: closed
- • 31 Dec: 09:00 to 15:00
- • 1 Jan: closed
- Reminders
- • 17 Dec, 9 am (WhatsApp): "Post holiday hours, print the door sign, add special hours on Google"
- • 2 Jan, 8 am: "Normal hours today. Take down the sign and swap the website banner"
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your holiday, dates, hours and extra info.
- Attach your logo and send it in todo.is or to your agent on Telegram or WhatsApp.
- You get the post, email, banner, Google hours list and a printable door sign PDF.
- Post and update them yourself. Your agent reminds you before the holiday and when normal hours return.
Tips for a better result
- Always write the weekday next to the date. "Thursday 26 Dec" is harder to misread than "26/12".
- Set special hours in Google Business Profile, not only on social media. Many people check opening times on Google Maps.
- Say what still works while you're closed: online orders, an emergency line or gift cards.
- Ask your agent to remember your holidays so next year you only confirm the dates.
holiday hours announcement: FAQ
- How early should I announce holiday hours? About one to two weeks ahead works for most businesses, with a reminder post a day or two before. Put the sign on your door at the same time.
- How do I set holiday hours on Google? In your Google Business Profile, edit your hours and add special hours for each date. They show on Google Search and Maps for those days only.
- Can my agent update my Google Business Profile? Your agent prepares the exact hours list and can guide you step by step. You make the change in your profile yourself.
- What should a holiday closing email include? The exact dates with weekdays, any shortened hours, when you return, and anything still available like online orders or support.
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