Control when customers can buy by running your shop on a schedule with business hours, category restrictions, and holiday closures.
This WooCommerce store timer plugin targets store owners who need to control their buying windows. If you run bakeries that take orders only during the daytime, sell event tickets that go live at specific times, or need compliance to prevent holiday sales, WooCommerce alone doesn’t offer ways to enforce those rules.
What makes this plugin stand out is its flexibility. You can disable purchases for all products, specific items, or entire categories. Configure daily start and end times, weekly recurring days, monthly occurrences, or particular months. There’s also an optional countdown timer to build anticipation, while automating opening times avoids manual toggling.
Without scheduling tools, you might manually hide Add to Cart buttons or take down products outside business hours. That’s time-consuming and prone to mistakes when customers try ordering while you’re closed, leading to confusion and support requests.
This plugin eliminates that friction by leveraging WooCommerce hooks to hide purchasing elements automatically and displays clear notice text explaining when you’ll be open again for happier customers and fewer headaches.
How It Works
Getting started with store scheduling happens through familiar WooCommerce settings with new timing options and restriction controls for purchase availability.
- Install and Activate – Download the plugin zip from your PluginEver account, and upload it via the WordPress dashboard or FTP. Activate it, and enter your license key to unlock updates and premium features.
- Disable Purchase – Disable Purchase Storewide; specific product and category-level settings can override this.
- Set Time Conditions – Define date ranges with hours, weekly recurring days, monthly occurrences, or specific months.
- Store Reopen Countdown – Enable countdown timer so customers can see when the store will reopen.
Key Features
These features provide precise control over when and how customers can purchase while keeping setup simple through automated scheduling and messaging.
Set opening and closing times for entire stores, defining daily hours or date ranges with custom notices.
Apply scheduling rules to individual products, setting specific availability times based on their own conditions and sales requirements.
Apply different schedules to each product category, setting separate hours for perishable goods or seasonal products.
Block purchases on specific dates, like national holidays, or allow shopping only on weekends, with compliance.
Build anticipation by showing live countdowns until the store reopens with customizable placement and messages.
Override global rules directly from product or category pages with unique open and close times.
How to Disable Purchases During Certain Hours in WooCommerce
To block orders outside business hours, disable purchases during certain hours in WooCommerce by navigating to WooCommerce → Store Timer and enabling the Disable Purchase option.
Next, configure the Time Condition by selecting Time and setting daily start and end times, such as 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Add a clear message in Notice Text, for example, “Our store is currently closed. Please come back during our business hours,” then save your settings.
When off-hour windows begin, the Add to Cart buttons disappear, and your notices appear. When time windows end, purchases reopen automatically without manual intervention or customer confusion.
Create Weekend-Only Store Availability Schedule in WooCommerce
Want your shop to open only on Saturdays and Sundays? Create weekend-only store availability schedule in WooCommerce by going to WooCommerce → Store Timer.
Under Time Condition, choose Weekly on every, and select Monday through Friday as the restricted days. Leave Saturday and Sunday unselected so the store remains available on those days.
Save the changes, and the store automatically accepts orders only during weekends. Outside those days, purchase buttons are hidden for clear availability windows.
Show Countdown Timer Until Store Opens in WooCommerce
Display a countdown timer that shows customers exactly when your store will reopen. To set this up, go to WooCommerce → Store Timer → Timer, then check the Enable Timer option and select where the timer should be displayed on the site.
The countdown timer appears only when the Time Condition is set to “Time”, since it relies on a defined start and end time to calculate the remaining duration.
When enabled, the plugin shows a live countdown with days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the next opening time. This gives customers a clear expectation of availability and helps reduce confusion during closed hours.
Disable Purchases During National Holidays in WooCommerce
Some stores need to close on public holidays. Disable purchases during national holidays in WooCommerce under WooCommerce → Store Timer.
Use the calendar in Time Condition to add specific dates, like January 1 or November 27. For a full-day closure, set the time to 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM; for partial closures, define specific hours. Add a notice message such as, “We’re closed today for a national holiday.”
Save changes, and on selected dates, the plugin automatically disables purchasing and displays your notices for compliant holiday closures without manual store management.
Use Cases
Real-world examples highlight how flexible scheduling improves store management and customer experience across different business types and compliance needs.
Local Bakery
A local bakery accepts online orders for pickup between 8 AM and 3 PM. They use store schedule features to disable purchases outside these hours, displaying messages like “We’re closed now. Please place your order tomorrow after 8 AM” preventing late-night orders.
Event Ticket Sales
An event organizer sells tickets that go on sale at specific times. They configure plugins to open purchasing on Friday at noon and close on Monday at midnight. Countdown timers build excitement, showing how long until tickets are available for timed launches.
Regulated Products Shop
A retailer of regulated items must comply with laws prohibiting sales on certain holidays. They set up holiday-based restrictions to block purchases on designated public holidays, displaying compliant notices ensuring legal requirement compliance.
Integrations & Compatibility
- WC Store Timer integrates with WooCommerce, requiring PHP 7.4+, WordPress 5.8+, and WooCommerce 5.0+. The plugin uses WordPress timezones, requiring correct site timezone settings under Settings → General.
- It relies on WordPress cron to trigger opening and closing, meaning scheduled tasks must run reliably. The plugin works with most themes and page builders using standard WooCommerce hooks to hide buttons and add notices.
- Caching plugins can cause outdated states – always clear caches after changing schedules or use cache exclusion rules. The countdown timer uses shortcodes for placement in widgets, posts, or custom templates.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions come from store owners implementing scheduled store hours and addressing common concerns about purchase timing restrictions.
How do I disable purchases during certain hours in WooCommerce?
Go to WooCommerce → Store Timer, and enable Disable Purchase. Under Time Condition, select Time and set your desired start and end hours with date. Add a Notice message, then save the settings. Purchases will be disabled automatically during off-hours, and the purchase options will be hidden.
Can I make my WooCommerce store open only on weekends?
Yes. Go to WooCommerce → Store Timer. Under Time Condition, choose Weekly on every, and select Monday through Friday as the restricted days. Leave Saturday and Sunday unselected so the store remains open on those days. Save the changes. The store will accept orders only on weekends, and purchase buttons will be automatically hidden on weekdays.
How do I show a countdown timer until my WooCommerce store opens?
In WooCommerce → Store Timer → Time, enable the countdown timer, and choose display locations. The plugin will display live countdowns until the next opening times. The countdown is shown only when the Time Condition is set to Time.
How do I set different schedules for different product categories?
Edit the category you want to schedule, then scroll to Store Timer Settings and select Customize. Set your preferred Time Condition, such as date ranges or weekly schedules, and add a notice message. Repeat the same steps for other categories as needed.
What should I do if the store doesn't reopen when it's supposed to?
Clear your cache, verify that the timezone settings in Settings → General match local timezones, and ensure WordPress cron is running with plugins like WP Crontrol. Temporarily deactivate other plugins or switch to a different theme to rule out conflicts.
Does the plugin support holiday closures?
Absolutely. In WooCommerce → Store Timer, add a holiday date under Time Condition using the calendar, selecting Time. Set full-day or partial hours, add a notice message, and save. Purchases will be disabled automatically on that date.
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