---
title: "Create Business Hours"
slug: "create-business-hours"
description: "Create and configure your operating hours to help set expectations with Customers on when they can expect a response when they contact you."
updated: 2025-10-02T21:39:34Z
published: 2025-10-02T21:39:34Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gladly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create Business Hours

| **REQUIRED USER ROLE** Administrator | **PERMISSION OVERVIEW** [View permissions by role](https://help.gladly.com/docs/managing-users-and-roles#roles-and-responsibilities) |
| --- | --- |

Create and configure your operating hours to help you set expectations with Customers on when they can expect a response when they contact you.

## Before you start

Before you add your hours, we recommend that you first review the following:

- Read what [Business Hours](https://help.gladly.com/docs/what-is-business-hours) is used for.
- Get familiar with how to create a [Rule](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-a-rule).
- Learn about [Email](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-and-edit-answers#create-an-email-answer) or [Messaging](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-and-edit-answers#create-a-messaging-answer) Answers (especially if using Business Hours to automate replies via Rules).
- Keep in mind that Business Hours works for SMS & Email only.

> [!WARNING]
> Business Hours can’t be used with IVR or Chat
> 
> IVR messaging is controlled through the [Schedule](https://help.gladly.com/docs/what-are-nodes#schedule) node, and Chat is controlled via [Display Rules](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-and-configure-glad-app#display-rules).

## Set up your Business Hours

1. Click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/hamburger-menu-icon(2).svg) on the top left corner of the screen.
2. Click **Settings**.
3. Under the **Orchestration**category, click **Business Hours**. The Business Hours page will show you a list of Business Hours you currently have configured.
4. Click **Create Business Hours**.
5. Enter a name in the name field for the Business Hours. Use a name that helps you quickly identify how the hours are to be used.
6. Pick the Timezone you want to follow (e.g., PST, EST, etc.) for your operating hours.
7. The Create Business Hours page has two sections: Business Hours and Exceptions.
  - The Business Hours section lists the days of the week where you can enter your operating hours or mark the day as **Closed**. The pre-configured times are 09:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with Saturday and Sunday marked as *Closed*.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/business-hours(1).png)

- **Business Hours –**For each day of the week (Monday - Sunday), enter your operating hours (e.g., 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM).
  - **Add Time Range –** To add a different time range for the same day, click + Add Time Range.
    - Do this to include breaks in your operating hours (e.g., if you're closed between 12 PM and 1 PM for lunch)
    - To delete a time range, hover over the time range box, then click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/trash-icon.svg).
    - **Closed** - If you're closed on a particular day, click the **Closed** box.

![Schedule for Monday showing time slots and a delete option for time ranges.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/business_hours_trash_icon_gladly.png)

- The **Exceptions** section is used to deviate from the operating hours configured. For example, you can set operating hours for Monday, July 5th, and indicate if you are open or closed during these hours.

![Closed hours for July 4th weekend, indicating specific dates and times.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/Exceptions-business-hours-Gladly.png)

- Enter a **name** for the exception.
- Enter the **Date** (MM/DD/YYYY). If this is a recurring exception, you must edit the year as needed.
- Select the **Time**(HH:MM) range for the exception.
  - Click **We are open during this time** button if you are open during the configured time.
  - Click **We are closed during this time** button if you are closed during the configured time.
- Click **+ Add Exception to insert another exception**.
  - To delete an exception, hover over the exception box, then click ![](https://connect.gladly.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/trash-icon.svg)

8. Click **Save.** This will take you back to the settings page. Once saved, the Business Hours schedule is ready to be used in Rules as a *Condition.*

## Rules for Business Hours

Set up Rules once you've configured your Business Hours. Use [Rules](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-a-rule) to create time-based actions in Gladly.

1. Back in the**Settings** page, under the **Routing**category, click **Rules**.
2. Click **Create Rule**.
3. From the Add Rule page, configure the Rule *Trigger*, Conditions, and *Actions*. Don't forget to click **Add Rule**when you're done.

![Trigger settings for communication received in a user interface.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/Trigger-for-business-hours-Gladly-1024x185.png)

For *Trigge*r, you will always use:

- **Communication is received**

**Conditions**

![Conditions for SMS channel outside US regular business hours are displayed.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/Conditions-for-business-hours-Gladly-1024x370.png)

For *Conditions*, you can use the following options:

- **Channel******–****Refers to the Channel of the most recent Customer communication. For example, if you select *Channel > Email*, this Rule will only consider incoming emails from Customers.
  - Channel is not required as a *Condition* unless you want to Rule to apply to a specific Channel (messaging or email).
- **Business Hours are –** This allows you to pick which Business Hour setting to follow for the Rule. You can click the *View Business Hours*link to open the setting.
  - **Is Inside Business Hours –** If selected, the Rule will trigger when a Customer reaches out during your operating hours.
  - **Is Outside Business Hours –** If selected, the Rule will trigger when a Customer reaches out during non-operating hours.

**Actions**

![Settings for sending auto-replies via SMS in English for messaging actions.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/actions-business-hours-Gladly-1024x301.png)

*Actions* is where you can automate actions based on your Business Hours setting. Review the [Actions](https://help.gladly.com/docs/what-are-rules-and-its-components#3-actions) list to get a sense of what you can automate based on your Business Hours setting. Below are some examples:

- **Send Auto-Reply –** This allows you to search and pick what auto-reply (via Answers) to send to a Customer. Because an Answer could be in different languages, pick the Answer in the language you'd want to use, then select which Answer type (Email or Messaging) to use.
- **Assign to Inbox –** Assign a Customer to a particular Inbox based on when their email or SMS is received.
- **Close Conversation –** Automatically close Customer requests received outside your normal operating hours. Use this alongside **Send-Auto Reply** to let the Customers know the best time to reach back out.