Get your first schedule working.

Create your hours, choose the schedule your store should follow, then decide what happens while you are closed.

These steps match Free version 5.0.6. Start on a staging or test store before changing a live checkout. Try the free demo to explore without connecting your store or entering payment details.

1. Install and check your timezone

Activate WooCommerce and Open Close Store for WooCommerce. In WordPress, open Settings → General → Timezone. Select your city's timezone and save. Check that the local date and time match your business.

2. Create your opening hours

Open Schedules → Add Schedule in the WordPress sidebar. In the editor's Settings tab, enter a schedule title and the message customers should see when the store is closed.

Select each weekday tab. Use Add Schedule to add an opening and closing time for that day. Add a second time slot for a split shift; for example, lunch and dinner. Leave closed days without a time slot. Check AM/PM carefully, then publish or update the schedule.

3. Select the active schedule

Open Schedules → Settings → Options → General Settings. Select your schedule under Active Schedule and click Save. Creating a schedule and choosing the schedule the store follows are separate steps.

4. Choose your closed-hours controls

In General Settings, turn on Disable Checkout Button if you want checkout restricted while the store is closed, then save. Review the other display and countdown settings to choose what customers see. A schedule alone is not a substitute for checking your checkout settings.

5. Show your hours, if useful

Copy the shortcode shown beside your schedule, such as [schedule id="10"], into a WordPress Shortcode block. Use your own schedule ID, not the example number. You can also use [wooopenclose-today] for today's hours or [woc_countdown_timer] for the reopening countdown.

6. Test both open and closed states

On your test store, use a temporary schedule to check an open period and a closed period, then restore your intended hours. Check as a logged-out shopper, on desktop and mobile:

• The store status and customer message match the schedule.
• A product can be added and checkout can proceed while open.
• Closed-hours behavior matches the controls you enabled, including direct visits to cart and checkout.
• A page loaded before closing behaves as expected after the boundary. Test your actual payment buttons and other checkout extensions in their test modes.

If something does not look right

• Wrong open/closed status: check the WordPress timezone, active schedule, current weekday, AM/PM and saved time slots.
• Old message or hours: clear the relevant page cache and test logged out. Work with your host if a cached page continues to show an old status.
• Missing countdown: the plugin warns that its timer may not appear in Cart/Checkout Blocks. Treat missing display and checkout enforcement as separate tests. Check your checkout type before changing it; do not assume every theme or payment extension behaves identically.
• Need help: use the support forum or email hello@openclosestore.com. Include plugin, WordPress and WooCommerce versions, the expected behavior and what happened. Keep passwords, license keys and customer details out of public posts.

When do you need Pro?

Free handles scheduled hours and closed-hours controls. Pro adds after-hours preorders, instant open/close overrides, per-product rules and other flexibility. Compare Free and Pro once your basic schedule works.

Verified against the Free 5.0.6 admin interface on September 29, 2026. Screenshots use a disposable demo store, not customer data.