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Strava API Community Feedback Before Resubmitting - Streak Accountability App

  • November 26, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 79 views
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Hi Strava Developer Team and Community,

I'm building a personal accountability app called RunStreaks that helps runners maintain daily running streaks. After reviewing the November 2024 API policy updates and the feedback on my initial submission, I've made significant changes to ensure compliance.

Before I resubmit, I wanted to open it up for public review and get some feedback from this community.

Here's the live site: https://runstreaks.io 

I'm the only runner on there right now, but you can see the concept. I've done my best to remove literally everything possible to stay compliant while still maintaining the core idea in its most minimal form. I've worked pretty hard on this app, and I don't want to do another submission just to get rejected again. So I was hoping I could get some honest feedback before I make any final changes and resubmit.

What I've already removed from public view:

  • All activity details (distance, pace, time, elevation, etc.)
  • Best efforts and personal records
  • Activity feed/list
  • AI-generated analysis
  • Total miles and averages
  • Accountability partner notifications

My remaining questions (in order of most to least restrictive):

  1. Usernames & Avatars on a List - Can I display a simple list of runners showing only their Strava username and profile photo? No activity data, just a directory of users who've connected to the app.

  2. Boolean Streak Status - Can I show a simple "Streak Active ✓" or "Streak Broken" badge next to each user? This is a yes/no indicator with no numerical data—similar to how apps show "verified" badges.

  3. Streak Day Count - Can I display the number of consecutive days a user has logged at least one activity (e.g., "47 days")? This is a single derived number that doesn't reveal activity details, distances, or any metrics—just that activities occurred.

  4. Activity Heatmap (Boolean Only) - Can I show a calendar grid where squares are simply colored (activity logged) or empty (no activity), with no tooltips, distance data, or hover information?

Context: If options 2-4 aren't permitted, I totally understand. The app would simply become a personal accountability tool with no public-facing features. I just want to understand exactly where the line is so I can build something compliant.

I really appreciate any guidance you can share. I'm committed to respecting both the API terms and users' privacy—just looking for clarity on these specific edge cases.

Either way, this has been a fun project to build, and I love Strava. Thanks to everyone in this community for the help!

Sincerely (going for a run), 

Houston

 

homepage leaderboard - can I show Days of the active streak? can I at least show “Streak Status” without the days/dates/miles data at all? just the list of active streakers…?

 

 

 

can I even show the profile avatar image, name, location, and “streak active” vs “streak broken” status? and can I please just show the minimal visual activity heatmap with no other running data.. just to visually verify there was an activity on that date at bare minimum to serve as a strava verified streak, or is even putting the orange square on a heatmap like this considered a violation, what if I remove the dates so there’s even less context? built this beautiful app so would love any clarity :) 

 

 

 

Best answer by Elliott

Hey ​@houstongolden 👋 - thanks for providing all of this info. Let me get this to the team and we’ll be sure it’s added to your dev program submission. You should expect to hear next steps via email. 

4 replies

E
Community Manager
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  • ElliottCommunity Manager
  • Community Manager
  • November 30, 2025

Hey ​@houstongolden - thanks for reaching out! For inquiries around your application’s use case please drop the team a note at developers@strava.com. 
 

Thanks so much :) 

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    • houstongolden
    • Author
    • Hub Rookie
    • January 23, 2026

    Hi ​@Elliott Thanks for letting me know. I just emailed the team with my new approach and a few final clarifying questions before I resubmit. Looking forward to hearing back. 

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      • houstongolden
      • Author
      • Hub Rookie
      • January 23, 2026

      Hey ​@Elliott  - I just got an auto-reply from developers@strava.com pointing me back to this community for API questions, so following up here! 😉

      I saw this post mentioning that "coaching platforms focused on providing feedback to users and tools that help users understand their data and performance" are still allowed. I'm hoping Myo fits that category.

      After reading the API Agreement more carefully, I realized RunStreaks' public leaderboard wasn't compliant, so I've scrapped that entirely. Before resubmitting, I want to make sure my new approach is solid.

      Myo is a private AI fitness assistant:

      • Each user only sees their own data
      • No sharing between users
      • No leaderboards or social features
      • The AI simply helps users privately track their own streaks, goals, and progress

      My question is around the AI language in the API Agreement. I understand it prohibits data use "for any model training related to artificial intelligence, machine learning or similar applications." To be clear, we would not be training anything. The use case is strictly inference — letting an AI read a user's own activities to answer questions like "How's my running streak going?"

      Ideally I'd use OpenAI or Anthropic APIs for this. If that's not allowed, I'm open to using a self-hosted local model where zero Strava data touches external providers and absolutely no training occurs.

      Would either (or both) of these approaches be compliant?

      Thanks!

      - Houston
       

      E
      Community Manager
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      • ElliottCommunity Manager
      • Community Manager
      • Answer
      • January 23, 2026

      Hey ​@houstongolden 👋 - thanks for providing all of this info. Let me get this to the team and we’ll be sure it’s added to your dev program submission. You should expect to hear next steps via email. 

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