> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.meetzela.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure Your Business Hours and After-Hours Behaviour

> Configure daily opening hours, your local timezone, after-hours call behaviour, and public holiday overrides for your Zela AI agent.

Business hours tell your Zela agent when your business is open and shape how it behaves at different times of day. When configured correctly, your agent can inform callers of your availability, adjust its responses outside trading hours, and handle public holidays or one-off closures automatically — without you having to manually toggle anything.

## Setting Your Hours

Set your opening and closing times for each day of the week under **Agent > Business Hours**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Agent > Business Hours">
    Open your Zela dashboard and navigate to **Agent**, then select **Business Hours**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Toggle each day Open or Closed">
    For each day of the week, use the toggle to mark it as **Open** or **Closed**. Days marked as Closed will follow your after-hours behaviour settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set opening and closing times">
    For each Open day, enter the time your business opens and the time it closes. Use the same times you'd give a customer who asked "what are your hours?"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save** when you've finished. Your updated hours take effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Timezone

Set your business timezone so your hours are applied correctly relative to your local time. This is especially important for scheduling — if your timezone is wrong, your agent may treat daytime calls as after-hours, or vice versa.

To set your timezone, go to **Agent > Business Hours** and select your city or region from the **Timezone** dropdown. Common options include US/Eastern, US/Pacific, America/Toronto, Europe/London, Australia/Sydney, and Pacific/Auckland, among others.

<Tip>
  Set your timezone before configuring hours — otherwise your schedule may be off by several hours.
</Tip>

## After-Hours Behaviour

Outside your configured business hours, your agent doesn't simply stop working — you choose how it responds. Go to **Agent > Business Hours > After-Hours Behaviour** and select one of the following options:

* **Option A: Agent stays active 24/7 but informs callers of business hours** — your agent continues to answer calls around the clock. If a caller tries to book outside your hours, the agent lets them know your business is currently closed, states when you reopen, and offers to take their details for a callback or book a future appointment.
* **Option B: Agent deactivates and sends calls to voicemail** — outside business hours, your agent stops answering and callers are sent directly to voicemail. Recordings appear in your Call Logs for you to review the next business day.
* **Option C: Agent deactivates and plays a custom message** — your agent plays a pre-recorded or typed message (for example, "Thanks for calling — we're currently closed. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Please call back during business hours.") and then ends the call.

## Holiday Overrides

Add specific dates when your business will be closed or operating on different hours — such as public holidays, staff training days, or planned shutdowns. Holiday overrides take priority over your regular weekly schedule on those dates.

To add a holiday override:

1. Go to **Agent > Business Hours > Holiday Overrides**
2. Click **Add Date**
3. Select the date from the calendar
4. Choose whether the business is fully closed or operating on custom hours that day
5. Optionally add a custom message your agent will use on that date (for example, "We're closed today for the public holiday — we'll be back tomorrow.")
6. Save

You can add as many override dates as you need, and each one can have its own custom message.

<Accordion title="What happens if I don't set business hours?">
  If you haven't configured business hours, your agent is active 24/7 by default. It will answer every inbound call at any time of day, any day of the week. Set your hours when you're ready to control after-hours behaviour or give callers accurate information about when you're available.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I set different hours for each day?">
  Yes — each day of the week is configured independently. You can be open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, closed on weekends, open Saturday mornings only, or any other combination that reflects how your business actually operates.
</Accordion>


## Related topics

- [Zela Dashboard Overview: Your Business at a Glance](/dashboard/overview.md)
- [Onboarding Checklist to Launch Your Zela Receptionist](/getting-started/onboarding.md)
- [From Sign-Up to Live Calls: Zela Quick Setup Guide](/quickstart.md)
- [Zela FAQ: Answers to Common Questions About Your Account](/help/faq.md)
- [Meet Your Zela AI Agent: What It Does and How It Works](/agent/overview.md)