Small Business Saturday 2026: a Google profile checklist

1. The short version

• Add the Saturday yourself. Use special hours and "Add a date". Google will not suggest Small Business Saturday.
• Say what is happening. Post an update, offer or event, and add a current photo of the premises.
• Read the profile as a customer. Hours, phone, website, services and the open or closed label should agree with what you will actually do that day.

We describe each step from Google's own help pages, checked on 27 October 2026. Google renames menus now and then, so follow what you see on screen. For the wider set of holiday dates, read how to add holiday hours to your Google Business Profile. The Holiday Rush Check lists the same season on one page.

2. The two Saturdays, and what Google lists

This checklist uses two dates. In the United States, Small Business Saturday is Saturday 28 November 2026. In the United Kingdom, it is Saturday 5 December 2026. If you trade in Ireland, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, use the same checks for any Saturday when your hours differ from a normal week, and read Google's list for your own country.

Google's page About holidays on Google says that on the holidays listed there, a warning may appear on your Business Profile telling users your business hours might differ, and that you can set special hours in advance for those dates. Checked on 27 October 2026:

• United States. The list includes Thanksgiving on Thursday 26 November 2026 and Black Friday on Friday 27 November 2026. It does not include Saturday 28 November 2026.
• United Kingdom (GB). The list includes St Andrew's Day in Scotland on Monday 30 November 2026, then Christmas Eve on Thursday 24 December 2026. It does not include Saturday 5 December 2026.

So that page does not say the hours warning appears on Small Business Saturday. Without special hours for the date, your regular Saturday hours are what the profile shows. Black Friday is on the US list, so the warning may appear on Friday 27 November 2026. Set that day too if your hours differ. If the hours already showing are wrong, see why Google Maps shows the wrong holiday hours.

3. Set special hours for the Saturday

Google's page on how to set special hours says you can set them when your hours change, or you stay closed, for up to 6 days in a row. It lists holidays, special events and other exceptional circumstances. For a date Google does not suggest, the steps are:

1. Go to your Business Profile, for example at business.google.com.
2. Select Edit profile, then Hours.
3. Next to "Special hours", select Edit.
4. Select Add a date and enter the Saturday. If Google has suggested a different date, such as Black Friday, select Review for that one.
5. If you are open, clear the Closed box and enter the hours. If you are closed, leave Closed checked. For a second set of hours the same day, select More, then Add hours +.
6. Select Save.

• Main hours must be on. Google says special hours show only if your main hours are set to "Open with main hours".
• Six days, not seven. For a closure of 7 or more days, or an unknown period, Google says to mark the business as temporarily closed instead. A single Saturday is a special-hours day. If the profile already says "Temporarily closed", see how to remove that label.
• Confirm a listed holiday even if nothing changes. Google says it is a good idea to confirm your hours for official holidays, even when they match your regular hours.
• Edits take time. Google's edit status page says edits show as Accepted, Pending or Not approved, and that they usually take up to 10 minutes to review, but sometimes up to 30 days.

4. Post what is happening that day

Google's page on posts says you can share announcements, offers, updates and event details on Search and Maps. When customers find your latest updates, Google says it helps them decide to visit. The three types:

• Update. A description, and optionally a photo, a video and a button that links to a page where the customer can finish the action, such as booking, ordering or learning more.
• Offer. Needs a title, dates and a time. Google adds a "View Offer" button. You can also add a description, photo, video, coupon code, link, and terms.
• Event. Needs a title and start and end dates and times. If you leave the times out, Google says the event shows as lasting 24 hours on those dates.

To publish: open your Business Profile, select Posts, then Add post, choose the type, fill it in and select Post. To publish later, turn on "Schedule this post" and pick the date and time. After you publish, Google reviews the post against its posts content policy. The status is Live (public on Search and Maps), Pending (not shown: still processing, or the profile is unverified) or Not approved (not shown, and the question mark says which policy it broke).

A few limits from the same page. A phone number in the post description might be rejected if Google cannot verify that it belongs to the business. Posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set. Posts about regulated goods, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pharmaceuticals or financial services, must not describe the products. Featured posts that replace reviews on mobile are, Google says, currently available in English for single-location food and drink businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Do not assume every business gets that placement.

5. Photo, description, services, phone and website

Google Search Central's page on adding business details says that once you verify yourself as the owner of a listing, you can provide or edit your address, contact info, business type and photos, and that this enables your local business information to show on Google Maps and in the knowledge panel.

Photos

Google's page on photos and videos says an exterior photo helps customers recognize the business when they visit, and that photos and videos show on Google only after the profile is verified. Photos should be JPG or PNG, in focus, well lit, and without significant alterations or heavy filters, so the image represents reality. Google says it can take up to 24 to 48 hours before they show, and that your newest media appears first. The cover photo you pick is not guaranteed to be the first image. If it is low quality, or other sources suggest a different photo, Google says a user-submitted photo may be used instead.

Description and category

Google's page on editing your Business Profile says the description shows in "From the business", can cover what you offer, what makes you special and how long you have been in business, must not include a URL or HTML, and must not exceed 750 characters. It says to focus on the business rather than promotions, prices or sales. The guidelines for representing your business say the same, and that the description must not display links. For the category, those guidelines say to use as few categories as possible to describe your core business, and to choose a category that completes "this business is a", not a list of services or products.

Services, phone and website

Google's page on services says some categories can show services on the profile. You choose from suggested services or add a custom one under Edit services, then Save. Google says a custom service that violates policy is rejected, and that a custom service name must not include a phone number, personal information or prices. When someone searches for an offering you provide, Google says that service may be highlighted. It does not say it always will.

On the edit page, Google says you can add up to 2 phone numbers besides the primary one. They can be mobile or landline, not fax. The guidelines say to use a local number rather than a central call center number when you can, and that the number must be under the business's control. For the website, enter the full URL, including http:// or https://. The guidelines say not to use a URL that sends people to a different business, including a page on a social media site. The same name, phone and hours should be on your website: Google's page on Google updates says it may publish a suggested edit when public information, such as your website, supports it.

6. Reviews

Google's page Tips to get more reviews says reviews show next to your Business Profile on Maps and Search, and that they must reflect a genuine experience. Offering anything in exchange for a review, a changed review or a removed review is prohibited. You can ask customers to open your Google review link or scan a QR code. Google says customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review.

Replies are public. Google's tips say to keep them short, polite and specific, and not to use a reply to offer a deal. Reply in good time, and do not share a reviewer's private information. If a review breaks Google's content policies, the same page says you can flag it. If reviews you expect are missing, see why Google reviews are not showing up.

7. A checklist before the Saturday

1. Open, not closed. The profile should say you are open, with main hours, unless you really are shut for 7 or more days.
2. Special hours. Add Saturday 28 November 2026 if you are in the US, and Saturday 5 December 2026 if you are in the UK. Add Black Friday, Friday 27 November 2026, if you are in the US and your hours that day differ. Save, then check the edit status.
3. One post. An update, an offer or an event, scheduled for the day if you do not want it live yet. No phone number in the text unless it is already the number on the profile.
4. One current photo of the outside, or of the work, that matches the place a customer will walk into.
5. Description, category, services, phone and website all describe the same business, with no URL in the description.
6. Reviews. Read the newest ones and reply where a reply helps. Ask in person with your review link. Offer nothing in return.
7. Look it up as a customer. Search your business name in a private window, on a phone that is not signed in to the profile, and read the Saturday hours.

The rest of the profile is in the Google Business Profile checklist.

Sources

• Google Business Profile Help: About holidays on Google
• Google Business Profile Help: How to set special hours
• Google Business Profile Help: Check your edit status
• Google Business Profile Help: Create and manage posts
• Google Business Profile Help: Manage photos and videos
• Google Business Profile Help: Edit your Business Profile
• Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
• Google Business Profile Help: Manage your services
• Google Business Profile Help: Google updates on your Business Profile
• Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews
• Google Search Central: Add business details to Google

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Common questions

Is Small Business Saturday on Google's holiday list?

No. Checked on 27 October 2026, Google's US list includes Thanksgiving on Thursday 26 November 2026 and Black Friday on Friday 27 November 2026, and it does not include Saturday 28 November 2026. The GB list does not include Saturday 5 December 2026.

How do I set hours for a date Google does not suggest?

Google says to open Edit profile, then Hours, then Edit next to Special hours, choose Add a date, enter the date, set the hours or leave Closed checked, and Save. Special hours show only if main hours are set to Open with main hours.

What can I post on my Business Profile for that Saturday?

Google lets you post an update, an offer or an event. An offer needs a title, dates and a time. An event needs a title plus start and end dates. You can schedule a post. Google reviews it, and a post older than 6 months is archived unless a date range is set.

Will a photo or an edit show straight away?

Not always. Google says profile edits usually take up to 10 minutes to review, and sometimes up to 30 days. Photos and videos can take up to 24 to 48 hours. A post is visible to customers only when its status is Live.

Should I mark the business temporarily closed for one Saturday?

No. Google says to use special hours when you change hours or stay closed for up to 6 days in a row. Mark the business temporarily closed if you are closed for 7 or more days in a row, or for an unknown period.