To run a festive offer on Google Business Profile, create an Offer post with a clear title, a start and end date and time, your own photo, and short terms. Use Update posts for festive hours, greetings and booking reminders. Keep phone numbers out of the text, and skip offer posts entirely if you run a hotel, because Google doesn't allow them.
This is part of our Google Business Profile guide for Indian businesses. For year-round ideas, see the 12 weekly Google Business Profile post examples.
Offer posts vs Update posts
Google lets a verified business publish Updates, Offers and Events (Google).
| Offer post | Update post | |
|---|---|---|
| Use it for | A real discount, combo, free add-on or limited deal | Festive hours, greetings, new stock, booking reminders |
| Required | Title, dates and time | Description |
| Optional | Description, photo or video, coupon code, link, terms and conditions | Photo or video, one action button with a link |
| Button | "View offer", added automatically | Your choice, e.g. Book, Order online, Call now |
| How long it stays | Has a date range | Archived after 6 months |
If there's no real deal, use an Update. A greeting dressed up as an offer just looks odd.
Google's rules for offer posts
What Google says
- Dates and time are required on an Offer (Google). Set the end date to the real last day of the deal.
- Posts without a date range are archived after 6 months. An Offer always has one.
- No unverified contact details in the text. Google may remove posts with contact information it can't verify and suggests the Call now button, which uses your verified number (Google posts policy).
- Hotels can't post offers. Google doesn't let hotels create Offer posts, or any post that mentions or links to deals, promotions or discounts (Google posts policy). Hotels can still post timely Updates. Check this page if you run a lodge, resort or homestay listed as a hotel.
- Regulated products. Businesses selling alcohol, tobacco or gambling can post, but Google says the posts shouldn't include content about those products (Google). A liquor shop can post its Diwali hours, but not a whisky discount.
- Everything follows the general content policy. Posts, photos and videos must follow Google's prohibited and restricted content rules (Google contribution policy).
What else gets posts rejected
Google doesn't publish a full list of rejection reasons. Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky, a local SEO agency, has reported rejections for off-topic content, spam, inappropriate words, personal information about people, and phone numbers or addresses in the text (Sterling Sky, 2022). That's an agency's experience, not Google policy, but it matches what Google does publish.
Rules you set yourself
These aren't Google rules, but they keep a festive offer honest:
- Say exactly what's included, for whom, and until when.
- Write terms in one line: "Valid till 15 Nov. One per bill. Not valid with other offers."
- Don't claim "lowest price in the city" or "50% off everything" unless it's literally true.
- Use the same offer in-store, on WhatsApp and on Google, so staff and customers see the same terms.
When to post for each festival
Plan posts backwards from the festival date, so the offer is live while people are still deciding where to buy. Our festival marketing calendar for India 2026-27 has the full list with lead times.
| Festival | Date | Post the offer | Post the Update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Sun 8 Nov 2026 (Drik Panchang) | 2 to 3 weeks before, ending on the last day of the deal | Festive hours a week before; closure days the day before |
| Dhanteras | Fri 6 Nov 2026 | Jewellers and electronics: 10 days before | Extended hours |
| Bhai Dooj | Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Gift boxes: a week before | Order-by date |
| Wedding season | Varies by community; check local muhurat dates | Bridal packages: 3 to 4 weeks before your busy dates | Booking slots, trial days |
| Christmas | Fri 25 Dec | Bakeries, cafes, gifting: 2 weeks before | Pre-order last date |
| New Year | Fri 1 Jan 2027 | Gyms, clinics, coaching: from late December | New batches, check-up camps |
| Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Pongal | About 14 to 15 Jan 2027 (Drik Panchang lists 15 Jan for New Delhi) | Kite, sweets and til-gud sellers: 10 days before | Regional greeting, festival hours |
Regional dates differ. Confirm with a panchang for your city before you set offer dates.
Example festive posts
Each example is an Illustrative example. Change the names, prices and dates to your own, and only post offers you will honour.
1. Sweet shop: Diwali gift boxes (Offer)
Illustrative example
- Title: Diwali dry fruit boxes, 10% off on orders above ₹2,000
- Dates: 25 Oct to 7 Nov 2026
- Description: Kaju katli, mixed dry fruit and sugar-free boxes, packed in our gift cartons. Order 2 days ahead for corporate orders of 25 boxes or more. Free delivery within 5 km of our Vijay Nagar shop.
- Terms: One offer per bill. Not valid with other discounts.
- Photo: Your own boxes on the counter, not a stock photo.
2. Jeweller: Dhanteras booking (Offer)
Illustrative example
- Title: Dhanteras: no making charges on silver coins
- Dates: 27 Oct to 6 Nov 2026
- Description: Book your silver coins and gold jewellery for Dhanteras in advance and collect on the day. Hallmarked jewellery only.
- Terms: On silver coins only. Gold rates as on the day of purchase.
3. Salon: wedding season (Offer)
Illustrative example
- Title: Bridal trial at ₹999, adjusted in the final package
- Dates: 1 Nov 2026 to 31 Jan 2027
- Description: Book a bridal makeup and hair trial with our senior artist. If you book the wedding package, the trial fee is adjusted in the final bill.
- Terms: By appointment. One trial per bride.
4. AC and appliance service: Diwali (Update)
Illustrative example
Guests coming for Diwali? Book a deep clean for your AC and chimney before 5 November. Our technicians cover Kondapur, Gachibowli and Madhapur, and we're open on Dhanteras. Tap Book to pick a slot.
Button: Book, linking to the booking page.
5. Restaurant: festive hours (Update)
Illustrative example
Diwali hours: open 12 to 4 pm on 8 November and closed on 9 November. Regular hours resume on 10 November. Happy Diwali from all of us.
Also set special hours on the profile itself so Google shows the right hours in search, not only in the post.
6. Bakery: Christmas pre-orders (Offer)
Illustrative example
- Title: Christmas plum cake, pre-order and save ₹100 per kg
- Dates: 10 Dec to 22 Dec 2026
- Terms: Pre-orders only, collection 23 to 25 Dec.
7. Coaching centre: New Year batch (Update)
Illustrative example
New JEE foundation batch for Class 9 starts 5 January. Free demo class every Saturday in December. Seats are limited to 30 per batch. Tap Learn more for timings and fees.
8. Kite shop: Uttarayan (Offer)
Illustrative example
- Title: Uttarayan combo: 20 kites + 1 firki at a fixed price
- Dates: 4 Jan to 14 Jan 2027
- Terms: While stocks last.
A festive checklist for Google Business Profile
- Special hours added for every festival closure or late opening
- One Offer post per real deal, with exact start and end dates
- Terms in one line, matching what staff will say in the shop
- Your own photos, with no phone number written on them in place of the button
- Booking or ordering link pointing to a page that mentions the same offer
- Review requests sent to festival customers after delivery, to everyone, without any reward
- Old offers left to expire, not edited into new ones
For the review step, see how to ask for Google reviews on WhatsApp. Google prohibits discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews, so never combine a festive offer with a review request (Google contribution policy).
Festival creatives beyond Google
The same offer usually runs on WhatsApp Status and Instagram too. BeeCMO's Creative Bee makes festival creatives from your logo, number, offer and photos, in your language, for you to post yourself. Ready designs are on our Diwali post designs, New Year post designs and Makar Sankranti post designs pages.
How BeeCMO helps
- Guard Bee drafts a Google Business Profile post from your current offers and the festival calendar for your country, scheduled to the minute.
- Each post waits for your one-tap approval on WhatsApp before it goes up.
- These Business Profile features work once Google approves our app's API access, which is pending. See Guard Bee and pricing.
FAQ
Can I post a Diwali offer on Google Business Profile?
Yes, if your business is verified and isn't a hotel. Create an Offer post with a title, start and end dates and a time, and add a photo, coupon code, link and terms if you like.
Why was my Google offer post rejected?
Google doesn't always say. Its published rules cover unverified phone numbers or contact details in the text, hotel offers, content about regulated products such as alcohol, and its general prohibited content policy. Remove any typed phone number and use the Call now button.
Can hotels post offers on Google Business Profile?
No. Google says hotels can't create offer posts, or any post that mentions or links to deals, promotions or discounts. Hotels can still post timely updates.
How long does an offer post stay on my profile?
An Offer post carries the start and end dates you set. Posts without a date range are archived after 6 months.
Can I give a festive discount to customers who leave a review?
No. Google prohibits discounts, free items or payment in exchange for a review. Keep festive offers and review requests separate.
Sources
All checked 28 October 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, create posts (post types, offer fields, View offer button, 6-month archiving, regulated industries): https://support.google.com/business/answer/7342169
- Google Business Profile Help, posts content policy (unverified contact info, Call now button, hotels can't post offers): https://support.google.com/business/answer/7213077
- Google Maps user contributed content policy (prohibited content, review incentives): https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114
- Sterling Sky (Joy Hawkins), why Google posts get rejected, October 2022 (agency-reported reasons): https://www.sterlingsky.ca/rejected-google-posts/
- Drik Panchang, Diwali 2026 puja calendar (Dhanteras 6 Nov, Lakshmi Puja 8 Nov, Bhai Dooj 11 Nov): https://www.drikpanchang.com/diwali/diwali-puja-calendar.html?year=2026
- Drik Panchang, Makar Sankranti 2027 (15 January for New Delhi): https://www.drikpanchang.com/sankranti/makar-sankranti-date-time.html?year=2027