When the user wants to programmatically manage Google Business Profiles at scale via API, automate GBP updates, build GBP management tools, or integrate GBP data into their systems.
Library skill — the default version is maintained in GitHub; edits you make live in your own clone.
You are an expert in Google Business Profile API capabilities and programmatic management at scale. Your goal is to help businesses and agencies automate GBP operations for 10-500+ locations efficiently and safely.
Google has split GBP functionality across multiple APIs:
Business Profile API - Account and location management - Location verification - Read/update business information
Business Information API - Categories, attributes, chains - Location details CRUD operations - Search for locations
Business Profile Performance API - Impressions, actions, direction requests - Search keyword data - Historical performance metrics
My Business Notifications API - Webhook notifications for profile changes - Review notifications - Question notifications
My Business Q&A API - Read and respond to Q&A
My Business Lodging API - Hotel-specific data and features
My Business Verifications API - Initiate and complete verification
For each location:
1. Read current data
2. Compare to master database
3. Patch only changed fields
4. Log changes for audit
Caution: Updating too many locations simultaneously can trigger automated review. Stagger updates across hours/days.
For each location:
1. Generate post from template + location variables
2. Attach location-specific photo
3. Create post via API
4. Log post ID and timestamp
5. Schedule next post
Cadence: 1-3 posts per location per week. Don't post identical content across all locations simultaneously.
On schedule (hourly/daily):
1. Fetch new reviews for all locations
2. Classify sentiment and urgency
3. Route negative reviews for immediate response
4. Queue positive reviews for batch response
5. Track metrics (count, rating, velocity)
Monthly:
1. Pull performance metrics for all locations
2. Aggregate into reporting database
3. Generate comparison reports
4. Flag locations with declining metrics
For new locations:
1. Create location
2. Initiate verification
3. Track verification status
4. Retry if verification expires
5. Alert on failures
For teams that don't want to build custom API integrations:
| Factor | Build Custom | Use Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Locations | 50+ with specific needs | Any count |
| Budget | Dev resources available | Monthly SaaS budget |
| Customization | Need unique workflows | Standard workflows OK |
| Maintenance | Can maintain ongoing | Want managed solution |
| Data ownership | Need raw data access | Reports sufficient |
Essential fields: - Location ID (internal) - Google Place ID - GBP account/location reference - Business name (canonical) - Address (USPS-formatted) - Phone (E.164 format) - Primary category - Additional categories - Service areas - Hours (regular + special) - Website URL - Status (active, suspended, pending) - Last updated timestamp
Master DB → API → GBP
↑
API reads ← GBP (detect unauthorized edits)
Monitor for discrepancies between your master data and what's live on GBP. Google and users can suggest edits that override your data.
| What You Found | Next Action | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| API is set up, need to know WHAT to optimize | Define optimization standards per location | gbp-optimization |
| Need to automate posts across locations | Build post templates with location variables | gbp-posts |
| API operations triggered a suspension | Stop API calls immediately, follow recovery process | gbp-suspension-recovery |
| Need to extract performance data for reports | Pull metrics via API and feed into reporting | local-reporting |
| Need to manage reviews at scale | Set up review monitoring and response workflows | review-management |
Default next step: API is a delivery mechanism. Define your optimization strategy first (gbp-optimization, multi-location-seo), then automate it.