---
title: "Set Business Hours and Holidays for Each Inbox — ThriveDesk Changelog"
canonical: "https://www.thrivedesk.com/changelog/introducing-business-hours/"
author: "ThriveDesk"
description: "Tell ThriveDesk when your team works for each inbox and channel, add the days you are closed, and send an auto reply outside those hours."
categories: [page]
---

[All updates](https://www.thrivedesk.com/changelog/)

November 4, 2026 New

# Set Business Hours and Holidays for Each Inbox

Tell ThriveDesk when your team works for each inbox and channel, add the days you are closed, and send an auto reply outside those hours.

![Set Business Hours and Holidays for Each Inbox](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/featured.DJCKFASM_P18uG.webp)

Business hours cover email tickets in your [shared inbox](https://www.thrivedesk.com/shared-inbox/) and [live chat](https://www.thrivedesk.com/live-chat/). To set them up, go to **Settings → Business Hours**. The page has two tabs: **Business Hours** and **Holidays**.

Business hours are available on the Standard plan and higher. Account owners and admins can change business hours and holidays.

See it in action

![How to Set Business Hours — Watch the video](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/video-MssDh85Uows.GtQ51oji_2bXrKg.webp)

### Set hours for each inbox and channel

![The Business Hours page with three groups, Support team hours, Weekend live chat, and Dev inbox always on, each with its description. The Timezone card shows the workspace timezone, and the Auto reply card is below it](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/group-list.D0DAsixZ_Z1zxQQT.webp)

A business hours group sets the schedule for one inbox, or for **All Inboxes**. Give the group a name and, if you want, a short description. Then turn on the channels it covers: **Ticket / Email**, **Live chat**, or both.

Each inbox and channel pair can belong to one group only. If an inbox needs different hours for email and live chat, make one group for each channel.

### Choose 24/7 or working hours

![The Add business hours dialog with a name, a short description, an inbox, Ticket / Email and Live chat turned on, and Standard Hours set to Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, 8 h](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/editor-standard.BLNZ-nC3_2kIXLT.webp)

Each group runs on **Calendar Hours (24/7)**, the default, or on a business hours schedule that you set. **Standard Hours** use one time range for every day you select. The default is Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

**Custom Hours** give each day its own row, with a switch and a time range. Use them when one day is different, for example a short Saturday.

Times move in 15-minute steps, and you can search the time list. If the end time is before the start time, the range ends the next morning.

![Custom Hours with a row for each day: a switch, a start time, an end time, and a duration. Saturday is on from 10:00am to 2:00pm, and Sunday is off](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/editor-custom.BKe_NMUt_fw6lb.webp)

Business hours and holidays use your workspace timezone. To change it, go to **Settings → General**.

### Add holidays

![The Add holiday dialog with a holiday name, a start date, and an end date](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/holiday-editor.DsCgk24w_Z2k1lbT.webp)

On the **Holidays** tab, select **Add holiday**. Enter a name, a start date, and an end date. For a one-day holiday, choose the same date for both.

A holiday applies to your whole workspace, so you don’t choose inboxes for it.

![The Holidays tab with one active holiday, two upcoming holidays, and one past holiday, each with its dates and number of days](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/holiday-list.s7WSSLma_ZYpMtD.webp)

Each holiday shows as **Active**, **Upcoming**, or **Past**. On a holiday, every inbox and channel on a business hours schedule is out of hours for the whole day. Inboxes on **Calendar Hours (24/7)**, and inboxes with no business hours, stay open.

Holidays don’t repeat. To close on the same date every year, add the holiday again for each year.

### Reply and automate outside your hours

![An inbox's preferences with Enable Auto Reply on and the Outside business hours tab open, showing its subject and message editor](https://www.thrivedesk.com/_astro/auto-reply-outside-hours.BKYV7o_3_20Uqct.webp)

An inbox can now send an auto reply when a conversation arrives out of hours. Go to **Settings → Inboxes** and edit the inbox. Turn on **Enable Auto Reply**, then select the **Outside business hours** tab and write your reply.

This reply needs a business hours group for that inbox. Without one, the tab shows **Business hours required** and a **Set up business hours** button.

[Automation](https://www.thrivedesk.com/features/automation/) rules can also check **Within Business Hours** or **Outside Business Hours**. Use these conditions to make a workflow run only during your hours, or only outside them.

[Read the documentation](https://help.thrivedesk.com/en/how-to-set-up-business-hours)