Privacy Policy

Last Updated: November 13, 2026

ThruCue was built as a free, independent hobby project for bicycle tourists—not as a business designed to monetize your personal information. Our goal is simple: collect and transmit as little data as technically possible while still giving you a useful offline tool on the road.

ThruCue has no user accounts, runs no advertising or marketing trackers, and will never sell, rent, or profit from your data. Most of what ThruCue does happens directly inside your web browser on your own device.

1. Route Imports and Offline Device Storage

To show upcoming stops along your ride without requiring cell service, ThruCue parses and stores your routes locally in your browser, sending out only the specific stop details needed to calculate detours and place links.

Importing files (GPX, KMZ, and future formats): When you import a route file, your web browser reads and parses it locally using JavaScript rather than uploading the file itself to a server. While the raw file and your full route path remain in your browser, ThruCue extracts the individual destinations from your route during import and sends their names and coordinates over the network to look up place details and biking detours (explained in Section 2). ThruCue does not save your file or route on any server.
Importing via URL (such as public Google My Maps links): When you enter a route URL, your web browser downloads the route data directly via JavaScript and parses it locally the exact same way as an imported file. Individual destinations extracted from that route are sent out for lookup during import (see Section 2), while ThruCue never receives the URL you entered or saves your route on any server. Note that when your browser fetches a URL from a third-party host (such as Google), that provider receives your browser's download request under its own privacy policy.
Offline storage on your device: Once imported, your route and enriched destination details are saved locally inside your browser using IndexedDB, alongside offline application files managed by Service Workers. This data stays on your device until you delete the route in ThruCue or clear your browser's site data.

2. Destination and Biking Detour Lookups

When you import a route, ThruCue enriches each stop along your path so you know how far off-route it is and can easily open it in Google Maps.

What is sent during import: For each destination extracted from your route, your browser sends only (a) the destination's name, (b) its coordinates, and (c) the coordinates of the nearest point along your route to our backend functions. The rest of your route geometry stays in your browser.
How that request is processed: Those destination requests pass through Netlify Edge Functions, which immediately query Google Cloud (Google Maps Platform) on your behalf:
- Google Places API is used to look up basic public details about the stop (such as whether it is permanently closed and its Google Place ID).
- Google Routes API is used to calculate bicycle directions from your route exit point to the destination so ThruCue can display the detour distance.
No storage by ThruCue: ThruCue acts strictly as a pass-through during import. We do not save, log, or build a database of your route or the destinations you look up; the results are immediately returned to your browser and saved locally on your device.
Opening links in Google Maps: Clicking a destination's link inside ThruCue opens Google Maps (using its Google Place ID or coordinates). Once you open Google Maps, your interaction is governed directly by Google.

Because these lookups rely on third-party cloud infrastructure, Netlify and Google process network request data (such as IP addresses, coordinates, and search queries) according to their own policies:

3. Your Live GPS Location

ThruCue never sends your live GPS location to any ThruCue server.

On-device calculation only: When you grant location access, ThruCue reads your coordinates through your web browser's built-in Geolocation feature and uses JavaScript locally on your phone to calculate how far you are from upcoming stops. ThruCue never transmits, logs, or stores your live location on our servers or third-party APIs.
Browser and operating system behavior: To provide GPS coordinates to your browser in the first place, your phone's operating system (such as iOS or Android) and web browser may use their own location services (including GPS satellites, Wi-Fi networks, or cell towers) governed by their own device settings and privacy policies. ThruCue has no access to or control over how your device or browser determines your position, and you can revoke ThruCue's location permission at any time in your browser or phone settings.

4. Minimal Analytics and Zero Ad Tracking

We want a basic sense of whether people find ThruCue useful without tracking who you are across the internet.

Simple Analytics: ThruCue uses Simple Analytics, an EU-hosted, privacy-first analytics tool that does not use cookies, device fingerprinting, or browser local storage, and does not collect or store IP addresses. It records only aggregate, non-personal metrics—such as page views, timestamps, referrer hostnames, time zone, and anonymized browser/device types—which is why ThruCue does not need to show you an annoying cookie banner. You can read full details in the Simple Analytics Privacy Policy and What Simple Analytics Collects.
No marketing or cross-site tracking: ThruCue contains zero advertising networks, behavioral trackers, or social media pixels (no Meta pixels, Google Analytics, or ad scripts of any kind).
Standard web hosting: ThruCue's web application files are hosted by Netlify. When your browser loads ThruCue or checks for app updates, Netlify processes standard web request metadata (such as your IP address) to deliver the site securely under the Netlify Privacy Policy.

5. Controlling Your Data, Children's Privacy, and Updates

Deleting your data: Because ThruCue holds none of your routes, destinations, or personal details on its servers, you have complete control over your data on your own device. Deleting a route in ThruCue or clearing site data in your browser permanently erases it.
Children's privacy: ThruCue is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes to this policy: As ThruCue evolves (for example, adding support for new route file formats or route URL providers), we may update this policy and revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
Contact: ThruCue is operated by Cory Gagliardi. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, you can reach out on our contact page.

Our Ongoing Commitment

ThruCue exists to help cyclists navigate resupply stops and camp spots with less friction, not to harvest personal data. Whether we add new route formats or new features in the future, our guiding principle remains the same: process as much as possible directly on your device, send only the minimum data needed to make the tool work, and never turn your data into a product.