Refresh Button for Statistics For Strava Using Home Assistant + Node-RED + Portainer API

[lennon101]

I wanted a simple way to manually trigger my refresh.sh script inside the Statistics For Strava (SFS) Docker container. While I have setup a daily sync of the strava data, I've wanted a way to manually sync (or even automatically sync) so that I can get my new workouts into SFS as soon as I've finished. I'm already running a docker instance of Home Assistant (HA) and I wondered if I could create a HA button that I when pressed, would trigger a SFS sync.

Here’s how I wired it all together using Node-RED and the Portainer API.

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🧩 Setup Overview

All three services — Home Assistant, Node-RED, and Statistics For Strava — are running as containers managed by the same Portainer instance on the same machine.
This makes it easy to execute Docker commands via Portainer’s API without worrying about cross-host networking.

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🟢 Step 1 – Home Assistant Button

In Node-RED, I installed the Home Assistant Pallet and then added a Button node to register a new button entity in Home Assistant via the Node-RED Integration.
This button appears in my dashboard as button.refresh_statistics.

When pressed, it simply sends an event into Node-RED. Simple!

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🔄 Step 2 – Node-RED Flow

When the button event fires, Node-RED performs two quick API calls to Portainer:

1. Create a Docker Exec session in the statistics-for-strava container:
   You'll need to use a function node in Node Red and you'll need to create an API Key in Portainer for Node Red. Then copy and paste the below into the function node (ensuring you update the api key details and the portainer ip addr details)

    msg.headers = {
        'X-API-Key': 'PORTAINER_API_KEY',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    };
   
    // Build the payload to create a Docker exec instance
    msg.payload = {
        "AttachStdout": true,
        "AttachStderr": true,
        "Tty": false,
        "Cmd": ["sh", "/bin/refresh.sh"]
    };
   
    // URL to create exec on your container
    msg.url = "http://PORTAINER_IP_ADDR:9000/api/endpoints/2/docker/containers/NAME_OF_SFS_CONTAINER/exec";
   
    // HTTP method
    msg.method = "POST";
   
    return msg;

   Notes:

   This function node becomes the package we need to send the POST request to Portainer to get the docker exec session id which is then used to to execute docker exec commands to the SFS container.

2. Start the Exec session:
   Create another function node and paste the below into it (ensuring you update the api key details and the portainer ip addr details as before)

    // Extract the exec ID from previous HTTP response
    let execId = msg.payload.Id;
   
    msg.headers = {
        'X-API-Key': 'PORTAINER_API_KEY',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    };
   
    // Payload for starting the exec
    msg.payload = {
        "Detach": true,
        "Tty": false
    };
   
    // // URL to start exec
    msg.url = `http://PORTAINER_IP_ADDR:9000/api/endpoints/2/docker/exec/${execId}/start`;
   
    // HTTP method
    msg.method = "POST";
   
    return msg;

The Authorization header uses a Portainer Access Token created under My Account → Access Tokens.

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⚙️ Step 3 – Integration Details

• HTTP Request Nodes in Node-RED handle both API calls.
• The flow uses msg.payload.Id from the first response to start the exec session.
• Using "Detach": true ensures Node-RED doesn’t hang while waiting for Portainer’s stream response.

Wire each of these function nodes to http request nodes (as shown in the screnshot of the node flow above). Leave the fields in the http request nodes blank (they have been set using the function nodes). Here's a screenshot of what the http request node should look like:

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🎉 Result

Now, pressing the “Refresh Strava Stats” button in Home Assistant immediately runs the refresh.sh script inside the container — all through Portainer’s API, fully automated.

The only annoying part here is the http request node for the start appears to timeout after 2mins. But fear not, if you use the below payload (as it is written above) then the timeout never occurs because it is running in detach mode.

    msg.payload = {
        "Detach": true,
        "Tty": false
    };

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🧠 Lessons Learned

• Using Portainer’s API avoids needing shell access or SSH.
• Keeping all containers under one Portainer instance simplifies endpoint management.
• Set Detach: true when starting execs via Portainer — otherwise Node-RED times out.

[GroGerome]

Nice! I didn't know Portainer had an API that could do that! Will definitely copy your idea !

[Export33]

Thanks for sharing. I´ll do that when i find time.