Last November we posted information about changes that Google has planned for the Places Library. We would like to remind Google Maps Platform users and developers that on November 20, 2019, the PlaceResult.opening_hours.open_now and PlaceResult.utc_offset properties in the Places Library, Maps JavaScript API have been deprecated and replaced by new properties and methods.
In our previous post, we informed that on November 20, 2020, the Places Library, Maps JavaScript API would stop accepting opening_hours.open_now and utc_offset. However, Google decided to give developers more time to update code and the changes we are describing below need to be performed until February 20, 2021.
What do you need to know?
Google removes opening_hours.open_now and utc_offset to bring consistency across Places API on different platforms: Maps JavaScript API, Places SDK for Android, and Places SDK for iOS. We present the changes in a table below:
*Find Place, Nearby Search and Text Search requests have different methods for determining whether a place is open.
On February 20, 2021, Place Library, Maps JavaScript API will stop accepting utc_offset and the nested field opening_hours.open_now in the fields parameter. It will also stop returning these properties in the PlaceResult objects in the response. Using them in the fields parameter will result with the “Unsupported field name” error and reading these properties from the PlaceResult object in the response will return “undefined” property.
We also want to remind you that if you don’t need all the fields for returned places, you will save money using the fields parameter in Place Details requests. In case you don’t specify at least one field with a request, or you omit the fields parameter from a request, all possible fields will be returned, and you will be billed for all data SKUs.
What do you need to do?
Before February 20, 2021 follow Google’s Place Field Migration guide. The guide will show you how to prevent user experience degradation by using the alternative options for obtaining opening_hours data.
Additionally, Google shares videos that explain how to get opening hours in Place Details and how to filter Place Search for currently open results.
If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact us. Our experts will be more than glad to assist you with smooth transition.