Business Hours Indicator

What is Business Hours Indicator?

Business Hours Indicator is a WordPress plugin that displays your opening times and tells visitors whether you are currently open or closed. Developed by Maarten B, this plugin has been actively maintained for over a decade, having first appeared in the repository 10 years ago. It currently holds 8K+ active installs and a 4.9/5 rating from 60 reviews, with 93% of those being five-star ratings.

The plugin uses shortcodes and blocks to integrate opening hours into any post, page, or widget area. It supports multiple locations, special holiday hours, and vacation schedules. The free version handles up to three locations, which covers many small business needs. A pro version removes caching limitations and adds support for breaks in opening hours.

Key Features of Business Hours Indicator

• Open/Closed Indicator — Display a real-time message showing whether your business is currently open or closed, including a countdown to the next opening or closing time.
• Business Hours Table or Inline Display — Show your weekly schedule as a traditional table or as inline text, with the option to consolidate days that share the same hours.
• Special Dates and Vacations — Enter different opening times for holidays or close entirely during vacation periods, with automatic display of those exceptions.
• Conditional Content Shortcodes — Use shortcodes to show specific content only when you are open or only when you are closed, useful for call-to-action buttons or notices.
• Multiple Location Support — Manage up to three locations in the free version, each with its own time zone, hours, and open/closed indicator.
• Opening/Closing Soon Warning — Display an alternate message when you are about to open or close, such as “hurry, we’re closing in 35 minutes.”
• Developer API — Use PHP calls like MBHILITE()->is_open('location name') to integrate business hours status into custom themes or plugins.
• Frontend Translation — The interface supports 18 languages including Dutch, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Russian.

Who Should Use Business Hours Indicator?

This plugin suits any site that needs to show opening hours to visitors. Restaurants, retail stores, service providers, clinics, and co-working spaces can all benefit. The setup requires no coding knowledge — you enter hours through a settings screen and then place shortcodes or blocks. With a 4.9 rating from 60 reviews, it works for beginners and developers alike.

The free version covers essential needs for single or small multi-location businesses. If you operate more than three locations or rely heavily on caching for performance, the pro version addresses those gaps. The plugin has been tested up to WordPress 6.8.5, making it compatible with current and recent WordPress releases.

Installation & Setup

Installing Business Hours Indicator is straightforward. You can add it from the WordPress Dashboard plugin page or manually upload the folder to wp-content/plugins/. After activation, navigate to Settings > Business Hours Indicator to enter your location details and daily hours. The interface is clean and labeled clearly, so even first-time users can configure their schedule in under five minutes.

Support & Community

The support data shows zero open threads and zero resolved threads over the past two months, resulting in a 0% resolution rate. This may indicate that users find the plugin stable enough not to require support, or that support is handled through other channels. The 93% five-star rating from 60 total ratings suggests that most users encounter no major issues during normal use. The 2% one-star rating is minimal, which is consistent with a mature plugin that has been refined over 10 years of development.