Is your Sisense dashboard running queries you don't actually need?
Summary: Mia Isaacson introduces the 'Load Widget on Demand' plugin for Sisense, which helps optimize dashboard performance by allowing users to control when individual widgets load their data. This feature is particularly useful for complex dashboards with infrequently used widgets, as it prevents unnecessary queries, thereby enhancing load times and reducing resource usage. The plugin is easy to set up and doesn't require any coding, making it accessible for various Sisense users. It is available as a part of QBeeQ's free Starter PowerUp package, along with other plugins. Mia Isaacson invites users to share their experiences or ask questions about managing dashboard performance.
Is your Sisense dashboard running queries you don't actually need?
We hear questions like these from Sisense users working with complex dashboards: "On our heavier dashboards, load time is a real problem — is there anything we can do short of rebuilding the whole thing?" "We have widgets that most users never look at, but they're still slowing everything down." "If users could control what refreshes and when, it would completely change how we build dashboards."
If any of those sound familiar, this post is for you.
What is Load Widget on Demand?
Load Widget on Demand is a free Sisense plugin from QBeeQ that gives dashboard designers per-widget control over when data loads. By default, every Sisense widget queries its data source when the dashboard opens and again on every filter change, which is exactly what you want for most widgets. But on complex dashboards, some widgets are heavy, infrequently used, or simply don't need to run every time.
Load Widget on Demand lets you configure those widgets to display a Refresh button instead of loading automatically. The widget waits until the user asks for it — and when they do, it queries against the dashboard's current filter state. Setup takes a few clicks from the widget's three-dot menu. No code, no admin configuration required.
Key features
Per-widget configuration: Load on demand is enabled widget by widget from the three-dot menu. Enabling it on one widget has no effect on others.
No-code setup: Dashboard owners, co-owners, and users with designer or edit permissions can enable it in a few clicks — no scripting or configuration files required.
Filter-aware on refresh: Clicking Refresh queries against the dashboard's active filter state, not a cached result, so users always get data that reflects their current context.
Persistent refresh button: The button stays visible after loading, so users can re-query at any time without entering edit mode.
Consistent behavior in the widget editor: Load on demand stays active during editing, so changes in the Data or Design Panel only render when the designer manually refreshes — no unnecessary queries while building.
Use cases
Dashboards with heavy or slow-loading widgets: Pivot tables, scatter charts, and other complex visualizations no longer hold up the full dashboard open. The rest of the dashboard renders immediately while heavy widgets wait for user input.
Sequential analysis workflows: When users work through a dashboard in a specific order, not every widget is relevant at every step. Load on demand lets users pull data when it actually matters to them.
High-traffic or resource-constrained environments: Every automatic query has a cost. Load on demand reduces the number of queries fired on open, particularly for widgets that a significant portion of users never reach.
Embedded or customer-facing deployments: In deployments where load time and database efficiency directly impact end-user experience or infrastructure costs, load on demand is a fast, no-code lever for improvement.
Who is it for?
Load Widget on Demand is a strong fit for Sisense users who:
Build or maintain complex dashboards with multiple heavy visualizations
Manage Sisense environments where database performance or query volume is a concern
Design dashboards for large or broad user bases where not every widget is relevant to every user
Embed Sisense in external products and need tighter control over resource usage
Have users who've reported slow load times or sluggish filter interactions
If you've ever felt like your dashboard is doing more work than it needs to, this plugin is worth a look.
Getting started
Load Widget on Demand is included in QBeeQ's Starter PowerUp — a free bundle of 10 Sisense plugins available to all Sisense customers.
Have questions or want to share how you're using it? Drop a comment below — we'd love to hear how you're managing dashboard performance in your environment.
