Getting Started

Step 1: Create a Strava Account

If you don't already have a Strava account, you'll need to create one first. Visit strava.com/register to sign up. You'll also need an active Strava subscription: Strava's getting-started docs state that "a Strava subscription is a prerequisite for creating an app."

Per Strava's developer program update, the requirement applied to new Standard Tier developers from June 1, 2026 and to existing Standard Tier developers from June 30, 2026. Extended Access Tier developers and wearable and device integrations are not affected. It's the regular Strava subscription on your own account; the 2026 changes post has the prices.

Step 2: Register Your Application

Navigate to the Strava API Settings page and create your app by filling out the application form.

Step 3: Get Your API Credentials

After creating your app, you'll see your API credentials on the "My API Application" page:

Step 4: Make Your First API Request

Use the Access Token from your app settings to make a test request. This token only has access to your own data and is perfect for testing.

Using cURL

curl -X GET "https://www.strava.com/api/v3/athlete" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Using JavaScript (fetch)

const response = await fetch('https://www.strava.com/api/v3/athlete', {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
  }
});

const athlete = await response.json();
console.log(athlete);

Using Python (requests)

import requests

response = requests.get(
    'https://www.strava.com/api/v3/athlete',
    headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'}
)

athlete = response.json()
print(athlete)

Example Response

{
  "id": 12345678,
  "username": "athlete_username",
  "firstname": "John",
  "lastname": "Doe",
  "city": "San Francisco",
  "state": "California",
  "country": "United States",
  "sex": "M",
  "premium": true,
  "created_at": "2015-03-21T18:04:07Z",
  "updated_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "profile": "https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/...",
  "profile_medium": "https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/..."
}

Before anyone else connects

The token on your settings page only reads your own account. Three things change once other athletes sign in:

• Athlete capacity. Every new app starts in single-player mode: only your own account can authorize it. You can upgrade to 10 athletes yourself from the API Settings Dashboard; past 10, you submit the app for review (Strava's getting-started docs).
• OAuth. Each athlete approves your app on Strava's consent screen, Strava redirects back with a code, and you exchange it for an access token and a refresh token. Access tokens expire every six hours. The authentication guide has the full flow and the scopes.
• Rate limits. By default an app gets 200 requests every 15 minutes and 2,000 a day overall, of which reads (non-upload requests) are capped at 100 and 1,000. Upgrading out of single-player mode doubles both (Strava's rate limits page). Use webhooks instead of polling for new activities, and see best practices for the headers to watch.

What you do with the data has rules too: Strava's API Policy (effective June 1, 2026) bars using Strava data in the development, training, evaluation or operation of any AI application (section 5.3).

Next Steps

Now that you've made your first API request, here's what to learn next: