If you manage Google Business Profiles for clients, the slowest step in trying any API-based tool is usually Google itself: you request Business Profile API access for your own Google Cloud project, and approval can take a few days. OpenGMB, the open-source GBP manager we build, has a mock mode for exactly that gap. This post is the short version of how to run it locally and click through everything with sample data first.

Disclosure: we build OpenGMB. The community edition is MIT licensed.

What you need

  • Docker Engine 24 or newer with the Compose plugin
  • About 4 GB of free RAM while the images build
  • A public HTTPS hostname, only if you want Google sign-in
  • An authenticator app, because two-factor sign-in is required

Run it 

git clone https://github.com/synectus/OpenGMB.git cd OpenGMB/deploy/selfhost cp .env.example .env # set OWNER_EMAIL and OWNER_PASSWORD docker compose up -d --build

The comments in .env.example explain every value. Then open http://localhost:8080, sign in with the owner email and password, enrol your authenticator app and keep the backup codes it shows.

Use the sample Google account

The Google client starts in mock mode. Under Settings → Google, press "Use the sample Google account" to import sample locations. From there you can look at the parts that matter before you connect a real profile:

  • Reviews: one inbox for every location's Google reviews. Assign them, add internal notes, and draft replies yourself, with templates or with AI.
  • Posts: write, schedule and approve posts for one location or many, with a calendar of what is scheduled or published.
  • Profile health: a health score with the checks behind it, and edits to hours, categories and services across many locations in one change.
  • Performance: calls, website clicks, direction requests and impressions per location.

AI drafts use your own Anthropic key (no credits, no markup), and rank tracking uses your own DataForSEO account. In mock mode you can leave both out.

What to test while you are in there: the approval rules

The part worth testing with sample data is what happens before anything would reach Google. In the community edition:

  • Posts and profile edits always need a person's approval.
  • Replies to 1 to 3 star reviews always need a person and are never published automatically.
  • Replies to 4 and 5 star reviews need a person, unless the owner turns on auto-approve for that client.
  • Every reply, post and edit is checked by guardrail rules first: links, emails, phone numbers, offers, bad hours, banned words. Blocks cannot be overridden; warnings must be acknowledged.

Healthcare and law firm clients get extra rule packs, and the rules run again just before anything is sent to Google.

When you are ready to go live

Request Business Profile API access for your own Google Cloud project and wait for Google's approval. The full guide covers ports, email, Google, backups and upgrades: OpenGMB self-hosting guide.

The code is synectus/OpenGMB on GitHub.