# Public holidays and closures > Play a closed message on public holidays and planned closures, automatically by date or with a manual switch. - URL: https://kb.voipcloud.online/call-flows/holiday-closures/ - Section: Call-flow recipes - Type: guide - Applies to: All countries - Last reviewed: 2026-11-09 Callers hear a holiday or closed message on the days you choose, and your normal call flow runs on every other day. There are two ways to do it, and you can use both together: - **By date** with [Time conditions](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/time-conditions/): set the holiday dates in advance and the PBX switches for you. - **By hand** with [Call flow control](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/call-flow-control/): dial a code or tap a button in the Webphone to close and reopen, for example when you close early or unexpectedly. ```text Inbound number → Call flow control ├─ Passive → Announcement (closed) └─ Active → Time conditions (holidays) ├─ Matches → Voicemail (holiday greeting) └─ Doesn't match → your normal call flow ``` ## Before you start - A working call flow that starts with an [Inbound number](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/receive-calls/inbound-number/), such as the one in [Business hours and after-hours calls](https://kb.voipcloud.online/call-flows/business-hours/). - The dates you'll be closed. - A holiday greeting, and for the manual switch a short "We're closed" message. You can record them while you set up, or upload audio files. **Australia only:** Public holidays differ between states and territories. Use the dates for the state your office is in. ## Close by date with Time conditions ### 1. Add a holiday Time conditions object 1. Drag [Time conditions](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/time-conditions/) from the **Conditions** group onto the canvas and click the gear icon. 2. Enter a **Name**, such as "Public holidays", and check the **Time zone**. 3. Click **Add a time conditions group** for the first holiday. 4. Click **Add a time condition**, choose **Days of the month** and enter the date, for example 25 to 26. 5. Click **Add a time condition** again, choose **Months** and select the month, for example December. 6. For a holiday whose date changes every year, such as Easter, also add **Years** with the current year. 7. Add a group for each other holiday, then click **Save**. A closure that crosses the end of a month needs two groups, for example 24 to 31 December, and 1 to 2 January. All conditions in a group must match; a call matches if it matches any group. ### 2. Put it in front of your normal call flow 1. Remove the connection from the **Inbound number** to the first object of your normal call flow (for example your business-hours **Time conditions**): hover over the connecting line and click the round **×** button that appears on it. 2. Connect the **Inbound number** to the new "Public holidays" **Time conditions**. 3. Connect its **Doesn't match** path to the first object of your normal call flow. ### 3. Add the holiday message 1. Drag [Voicemail](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/accept-make-divert/voicemail/) onto the canvas and click the gear icon. 2. Enter a **Name**, set **Greeting** to **Custom**, and record or upload your holiday message. Say when you'll reopen. 3. Turn on **Voicemail to email**, **Local storage**, or both, and click **Save**. 4. Connect the **Matches** path of "Public holidays" to this **Voicemail**. If you don't want messages, use an [Announcement](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/audio/announcement/) instead. The call ends when the message finishes. ## Close by hand with Call flow control In this recipe, **Active** means open and **Passive** means closed. 1. Drag [Call flow control](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/call-flow-control/) from the **Conditions** group onto the canvas and click the gear icon. 2. Enter a **Name**, such as "Office open", and note the **Internal number**. Dial it from any phone on your PBX to switch the state. 3. Choose who can switch it from the Webphone: leave **All Webphone users have access to this object** on, or turn it off and choose **Users**. 4. Choose **Active**. To get an email whenever someone switches it, turn on **Enable email notification**. 5. Click **Save**. 6. Connect the **Inbound number** to **Call flow control**, and its **Active** path to the first object of your normal call flow (or the "Public holidays" **Time conditions**). 7. Drag an [Announcement](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/audio/announcement/) onto the canvas, record or upload your "We're closed" message, and connect the **Passive** path to it. To switch with one press on a desk phone, program the object's **BLF code** on a phone key. The key also shows the current state. **Important:** If you also have a [Voice menu](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/voice-menu/) with **Allow calling to internal numbers** on, outside callers could dial the call flow control's internal number and switch it. Turn that option off. ## Apply configuration Click **Apply configuration** in the top-right corner. Nothing changes for real calls until you do. ## Check it works - **By date:** to test without waiting for the holiday, add a temporary group for today's date, apply, and call your number from a mobile. You should hear the holiday message. Then delete the group and apply again. - **By hand:** dial the call flow control's internal number to switch it to **Passive**, then call your number from a mobile. You should hear the closed message. Switch it back to **Active** and call again to check normal calls are back. ## Variations - **Several offices or numbers:** give each office its own **Call flow control** with the same **Internal number**. Dialling it switches them all together. - **Forward to a mobile on holidays:** connect **Matches** to a [Call diversion](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/accept-make-divert/call-diversion/) instead of voicemail, so someone on call can answer. See [Forward calls to a mobile](https://kb.voipcloud.online/call-flows/forward-calls-to-a-mobile/). - **Next year's dates:** at the start of each year, update the dates in "Public holidays", especially groups that use **Years**. ## Related - [Business hours and after-hours calls](https://kb.voipcloud.online/call-flows/business-hours/) - [Time conditions](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/time-conditions/) - [Call flow control](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/conditions/call-flow-control/) - [Announcement](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/audio/announcement/)