---
title: "Opening Hours"
description: "Some businesses can only accept orders during specific hours of the day."
url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps/openinghours"
markdown_url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps/openinghours.md"
last_updated: "2026-10-31T23:38:45+00:00"
version: "J2Commerce 6"
breadcrumbs:
  - title: "Home"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/"
  - title: "J2Commerce 6"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6"
  - title: "Apps and Extensions"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions"
  - title: "Apps"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps"
  - title: "Opening Hours"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/apps-and-extensions/apps/openinghours"
---

# Opening Hours

Some businesses can only accept orders during specific hours of the day. A bakery that stops taking online orders at noon so the kitchen can prepare for the afternoon rush, a flower shop that closes at 6 PM, or a food truck that only takes pre-orders between 8 AM and 10 AM are all real situations where round-the-clock checkout hurts operations more than it helps.

The Opening Hours app solves this. It lets you define a from/to window for each day of the week and blocks order placement outside those hours. Customers see a clear message explaining your store hours instead of hitting a confusing error.

**Good fits for this app:**

- Bakeries, cafes, and restaurants
- Food trucks and meal kit services
- Florists and time-sensitive perishable products
- Weekend-only or limited-hours stores
- Any business where orders must be received during staffed hours

## Requirements

- PHP 8.3+
- Joomla! 6.x
- J2Commerce 6.x

## Purchase and Download

**Step 1:** Go to the [J2Commerce website](https://www.j2commerce.com/extensions) **->** **Apps**

**Step 2:** Locate **Opening Hours** **->** click **View Details** **->** **Add to Cart** **->** **Checkout**

**Step 3:** Go to your **My Downloads** section under your profile button at the top right corner and search for the app. Click **Available Versions** **->** **View Files** **->** **Download Now** to save the ZIP file to your computer.

## Install the App

In the Joomla Administrator, go to **System** **->** **Install** **->** **Extensions**.

Upload the plugin`app_openinghours.zip` file or use the Install from URL option.

![Joomla System Dashboard with System in the sidebar and the Install Extensions link highlighted to open the extension installer](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/install.webp)

## Enable the App

The plugin installs and enables itself automatically. No separate enable step is needed. However, it's important to know where to go to enable or disable it in the future.

There are **two** ways to reach the Apps list.

**Option A:** Go to the **J2Commerce** icon at the top right corner **-> Apps**

**Option B:** Go to **Components** on the left sidebar **-> J2Commerce -> Apps**

![Joomla admin navigation to J2Commerce Apps: Components, J2Commerce, Apps in the sidebar and Apps in the J2Commerce menu highlighted, above the list of apps](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/gift-wrap-apps.webp)

To help you narrow down the list, you can do a search for **Opening Hours**, click the **X,** and it will turn into a green checkmark. It is now enabled and ready for setup.

![Joomla Apps list searched for opening, with the Opening Hours status icon highlighted as a green checkmark showing it is enabled](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/opening_hours_enable.webp)

## Configure the App

Click the **Opening Hours** title (next to the green checkmark) to open the settings screen.

> **Tip:** Click the **Toggle Inline Help** button on any app you install to see a description below each field directly in the admin panel.

![Opening Hours settings with Toggle Inline Help highlighted and help text for the Closed Store Message field explaining the two %s placeholders](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/opening_hours_toggle.webp)

### Closed Store Message

The **Closed Store Message** field controls what customers read when they are blocked from ordering.

![Opening Hours Closed Store Message field containing text that orders are not accepted outside of operating hours, under a Note](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/opening_hours_message1.webp)

You can write this message as plain text:

```
Sorry, we are not accepting orders right now. We accept orders from %s to %s.
```

The two `%s` placeholders are automatically replaced with the **From** and **To** times for the current day. For example, if Monday is configured from `09:00` to `17:00`, the customer sees:

> Sorry, we are not accepting orders right now. We accept orders from 09:00 to 17:00.

You can also enter a Joomla language constant here if your site is multilingual and you have defined a translation key. Leave the field blank to use the built-in default message: "Store hours: `[from]` to `[to]`."

### Available Store Times

This is the core of the app. The **Available Store Times** table shows one row for each day of the week, with a **From** and a **To** time field.

![Opening Hours Available Store Times table: Monday and Tuesday 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM, Saturday 07:00 AM to 03:00 PM, other days blank](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/opening_hours_hours.webp)

| Day | From field | To field | Result |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | `09:00` | `17:00` | Orders accepted 9 AM to 5 PM only |
| Saturday | *(blank)* | *(blank)* | No restriction — orders accepted all day |

**How the fields work:**

- **Both fields filled:** Orders are only accepted within that window on that day. Outside the window, checkout is blocked.
- **Both fields blank:** There is no restriction for that day — the store accepts orders 24 hours on that day.
- There is only one window per day. If your hours have a midday closure (for example, open 9 AM to noon and again from 1 PM to 6 PM), you cannot enter two separate windows for the same day with this app.

**Time format:** Enter times using a 24-hour clock. 9 AM is `09:00`. 2 PM is `14:00`. 11:30 PM is `23:30`. Your browser's time picker enforces this format automatically.

### Debug Mode

The **Debug Mode** toggle writes decision logs to your Joomla log directory every time the app checks the current time against your configured hours.

**Debug Mode:** No log file written. Recommended for live stores.

**Debug Mode:** Writes `plg_j2commerce_app_openinghours.php` to your Joomla logs folder.

Turn Debug Mode on temporarily while you test your configuration, then turn it off before the store goes live — the log file grows with every checkout attempt.

After adjusting any setting, click **Save** in the toolbar.

## How It Works

### Checking the Time

Every time a customer takes an action that could lead to an order, the app compares the current time to the window you configured for today's day of the week:

1. If today has no configured window (both **From** and **To** are blank), the app allows the action — there is no restriction.
2. If today has a window configured and the current time falls inside it, the app allows the action.
3. If today has a window configured and the current time falls outside it, the app blocks the action and shows your **Closed Store Message**.

### Where Customers See the Block

The app enforces this check at three points in the shopping flow, all using the same **Closed Store Message**:

**Arriving at the checkout page.** If a customer clicks through to checkout while the store is closed, they are sent back to their shopping cart with the closed-store message displayed as a warning. They never see the checkout form.

![Cart page with a warning highlighted saying orders are not accepted outside of operating hours, above a cart holding one item](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/opening_hours_checkout.webp)

**Confirming the order.** If a customer reaches the final confirmation step while the store is closed — for example, they started checkout during open hours and the store closed before they clicked **Confirm** — the order is not created and the error message is shown instead.

The customer must wait until the store reopens and start checkout again.

### Timezone

The app compares the current server time against your configured hours using the timezone set in **Joomla Global Configuration** — not the visitor's local time or browser time.

To check or change your Joomla timezone:

1. Go to **System** -> **Global Configuration**.
2. Click the **Server** tab.
3. Find the **Website Time Zone** field and confirm it matches your store's operating timezone.

![Joomla Global Configuration, Server tab highlighted, with the Website Time Zone field highlighted and set to Chicago](https://docs.j2commerce.com/images/docs/shared/opening_hours_global.webp)

If your store is based in London and your Joomla timezone is set to UTC, orders placed at 1 PM London time (BST, which is UTC+1) will appear to the app as 12:00 PM UTC. Make sure the timezone matches where your staff actually work.

## Tips

- **Test with Debug Mode before going live.** Enable it, place a few test orders at different times, then check the log file to confirm the app is reading the correct day and time.
- **Leave weekend days blank if you want to accept orders every hour on those days** — you do not need to enter `00:00` to `23:59`; a blank row already means unrestricted.
- **Double-check your Joomla timezone first.** Most "the block fires at the wrong time" issues trace back to a mismatched Server Time Zone, not a mistake in the hours you entered.
- **Write a specific Closed Store Message.** A message that includes your actual hours (using the `%s` placeholders) helps customers know exactly when to come back.

## Troubleshooting

### Customers can still check out outside business hours

**Cause:** Either the app is not enabled, or today's day row in **Available Store Times** has both fields blank.

**Solution:**

1. Go to **J2Commerce** -> **Apps** and confirm **Opening Hours** shows a green checkmark.
2. Open the **Opening Hours** settings and check the **Available Store Times** table.
3. Remember: a blank From/To row means that day has **no restriction** — orders are always accepted. If you want that day restricted, fill in both times.
4. Click **Save**.

### The block fires at the wrong hour

**Cause:** The Joomla Global Configuration timezone does not match your store's actual timezone.

**Solution:**

1. Go to **System** -> **Global Configuration** -> **Server** tab.
2. Check the **Website Time Zone** value.
3. Correct it to match your store's local timezone (for example, `Europe/London` or `America/New_York`).
4. Click **Save & Close**.

### The block fires on the wrong hour of the day

**Cause:** Times were entered in 12-hour format instead of 24-hour format.

**Solution:** All times use a 24-hour clock. 2:00 PM must be entered as `14:00`, not `2:00`. Entering `2:00` as the closing time means the store closes at 2 AM, not 2 PM. Review your **From** and **To** entries for any afternoon or evening hours and correct them.

### The error message shows raw placeholder text (%s)

**Cause:** The **Closed Store Message** field contains a Joomla language constant that does not exist in your language file, or the field was accidentally cleared in a way that removed the placeholders.

**Solution:** Check the **Closed Store Message** field in the app settings. Either restore text with two `%s` placeholders for the times, or ensure the language constant you entered is defined in your active language file.

## See Also

- [Apps Overview](https://docs.j2commerce.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=47)