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Temporary business closure information now available through Google’s Places API

By May 22, 2020July 8th, 2020Blog
closed-store

To provide users with real-time data about businesses and other locations, Google has made operational status information available in their Places API. Thanks to this function, Google Maps Platform customers can fulfill various services, such as food delivery, ridesharing, or logistics, even more efficiently.

The new business_status field in Place Search and Place Details

A business’s operational status is now accessible via a new field, business_status. It has three possible values: OPERATIONALCLOSED_TEMPORARILY, and CLOSED_PERMANENTLY. The business_status field is not returned when the operational status of a business is unknown. It can be accessed through requests to Place Search and Place Details. Calls to Nearby Search and Text Search return the majority of place-related data fields, including operational status if available.

For more developer information, watch the video below:

Replacing permanently_closed with business_status

Currently, Place Search and Place Details both support a field called permanently_closed. Since it doesn’t distinguish between the permanent or temporary closure of a location, Google encourages developers to use business_status instead to avoid potential confusion.

Related field – opening_hours

For operational businesses, it’s important to show opening hours and indicate where it is currently open. This information can be accessed via the opening_hours field with Place Details.

We encourage you to keep the operational status and opening hours of your business updated to provide customers with accurate information. Helping customers successfully reach your business and avoid wasted trips will greatly increase customer satisfaction.

Do you have any questions or concerns? Would you like to find out how Google Maps can help you improve your business? Our experts will provide our necessary information!