When updating business hours for a Google Business Profile through dbaPlatform or the API, you may encounter the
INVALID_HOURS_VALUE error. This indicates that one or more of the submitted values for business hours is incorrectly formatted, logically invalid, or violates Google’s formatting standards. This article outlines the most common causes and how to resolve the issue.Common Causes & Solutions
1. Malformed Time Format
Google requires time values to be submitted in a strict 24-hour format (HH:MM), such as 09:00 for 9 AM or 17:30 for 5:30 PM.
→ Solution 1:
Ensure all time values follow the proper format:
✅ 08:00–17:00
🚫 8am–5pm
🚫 8:00–5:00
2. End Time Is Earlier Than Start Time
Business hours must have a logical progression. Submitting a closing time earlier than the opening time will trigger this error.
→ Solution 2:
Double-check for inverted hours.
✅ 10:00–19:00
🚫 19:00–10:00 (unless this is an overnight listing, in which case special formatting is required)
3. Overnight Hours Not Supported
Google doesn’t allow hours to span multiple calendar days unless they are formatted correctly for 24-hour or overnight operations (e.g., 24/7 businesses).
→ Solution 3:
Break up overnight hours into two separate day entries, if needed.
✅ Thursday: 22:00–23:59
✅ Friday: 00:00–06:00
🚫 Thursday: 22:00–06:00
4. Missing or Extra Delimiters
Each day should be represented by a properly paired start and end time, separated by a dash. If any day has a missing delimiter or value, the error will trigger.
→ Solution 4:
Make sure each range has a start and end time.
✅ Monday: 09:00–17:00
🚫 Monday: 09:00–
5. Unsupported Special Characters or Text
Only time values in HH:MM format are supported. Avoid inserting special labels like “Closed,” “Open 24 hours,” or symbols not accepted by the system.
→ Solution 5:
If the business is closed, omit hours entirely for that day or use platform-supported flags (not text).
✅ Leave the day blank or mark as "closed" using the interface toggle
🚫 Sunday: Closed (when submitted as plain text)
🛠 Best Practices
To avoid the INVALID_HOURS_VALUE error:
-
Always use 24-hour HH:MM formatting
-
Ensure start times precede end times logically
-
For overnight hours, break them into two valid day entries
-
Do not enter freeform text like “Closed” or “Open 24/7”—use toggles or specific attributes instead
Still Seeing the Error?
If you've corrected the format and still receive the error:
-
Manually test it in Google:
Try entering the same hours directly in the Google Business Profile Manager. If it flags the entry there too, the formatting is likely still off. -
Need Help?
Send the business name, full address, and intended hours to help@dbaplatform.com. Our support team can help identify which value is causing the error.
How Long Will the Fix Take?
Once submitted in a valid format, business hours updates typically go live within 5 to 15 minutes. However, more complex profiles or accounts under review may take longer to reflect changes.
How to Update Your Business's Google Information Through dba
If you're unsure how to update your GBP details through the dba platform—or just need a quick refresher—we’ve got you covered. Our step-by-step guide walks you through how to make edits to your profiles efficiently and accurately.
👉 Click here to view the guide on updating GBPs through dba
Looking for the Error Code?
If you're working with support or need to reference this issue more technically, the error code associated with this message is: INVALID_HOURS_VALUE. Sharing this code can help speed up troubleshooting and ensure we’re all speaking the same language when resolving the issue.