Habit trackers are easy to ignore
When the only person who sees a missed day is you, skipping “just today” has no real stakes.
Build habits people can actually see.
PublicHabits is for people who have tried habit trackers, but haven’t seen lasting change.
It makes your habits visible to anyone with a link to your PublicHabits page.
When someone might be looking, it’s harder to skip a day.
Visible progress. Real follow-through.
30-second tour
See PublicHabits in action
Watch how to create a habit, log your progress, and share a public link people can actually check to see if you're following through.
The problem
Tracking a habit isn’t the same as changing it.
If you’ve tried habit trackers before, you know how it goes: a strong start, a missed day, an abandoned app. Private progress is easy to ignore. PublicHabits makes your habits visible, so a skipped day is out in the open.
Accountability partners are inconvenient
Coordinating check-ins, reminders, and schedules with someone else rarely sticks for long.
Coaches and communities can be expensive
Paid coaching and accountability groups are great for some, but they’re often overkill for building your habits.
How it works
Log the habit. Share the link.
Three steps turn a private plan into visible, shareable progress.
1
Create a habit
Add the habit you want to build and write a public commitment.
2
Log your progress
Check in daily and build a visible streak on a calendar-style grid you can see at a glance.
3
Share your link
Send the link to your PublicHabits page to friends or followers to let them see your habits - and turn it off anytime.
What you get
Your habits, visible at a glance.
Daily habit logging
Check off each habit with a single tap.
Calendar progress view
See your month fill in as you keep showing up.
Streaks & consistency history
Track how many days in a row you’ve followed through.
Public commitment
Write what you’re committing to in your own words.
Shareable progress link
Generate one link and send it to anyone.
Your PublicHabits page
A clean public page with your habits and display name.
Why it works
Visibility changes behavior.
Hawthorne effect
People behave differently when they know they are being observed; psychologists call this the Hawthorne effect.
Making your progress visible pushes you to stay consistent. PublicHabits turns that principle into a simple behavior change tool.
Built by
Eric Payne
Founder, PublicHabits
I built PublicHabits to improve my own habits, and making my progress public is what works for me. Try it and see if it works for you too.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PublicHabits?
PublicHabits is a behavior change app for people who’ve tried habit trackers but haven’t seen lasting change. It makes your habits visible to anyone with a link to your PublicHabits page. When someone might be looking, it’s harder to skip a day and easier to stay consistent.
How is this different from a habit tracker?
Habit trackers record your progress privately, which makes them easy to quietly abandon. PublicHabits changes the incentive: your habits are visible to anyone with your link, so showing up each day matters.
How is this different from habit trackers I’ve tried before?
Most habit trackers end the same way: a strong start, a missed day, then the app quietly stops getting opened. Nobody notices, so nothing is at stake. PublicHabits puts your habits on a page other people can check. Once you’ve shared your link, skipping a day isn’t something only you know about, and that gives each day real stakes.
What happens if I miss a day?
Your streak count starts over and that day stays blank on your calendar. That’s it. Nothing is deleted and there’s no penalty. Every day you’ve already logged stays on your page, so one missed day doesn’t wipe out weeks of progress. People with your link see an honest record, not a perfect one. What matters is showing up the next day.
Who can see my habits?
Sharing is off by default. When you enable sharing, anyone with your link can view your shared habits and display name. Keep in mind that people you share the link with are able to forward it to others. You can turn sharing off at any time.
Do people need an account to view my shared progress?
Anyone with access to your shared link can view the public page. They do not require an account or need to download the app.
Do my habits stay private?
Nothing is public unless you turn on sharing. Once enabled, anyone with your public link can view your shared habits, and you can turn the link off whenever you want.
Is PublicHabits a coaching app?
No. There are no coaches, programs, or group chats. PublicHabits gives you psychology-backed accountability without the cost or coordination of a coach or accountability partner.
Why does making my habits visible help?
It draws on the Hawthorne effect: people often behave differently when they know they’re being observed. Making your progress visible adds gentle pressure to stay consistent.