Dashboard Won't Load: Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Overview

When a dashboard will not load, the cause usually falls into one of five categories: permissions, data source problems, browser issues, widget errors, or a temporary service outage. This guide walks through each category with specific checks and fixes.

Step 1: Check for Error Messages

When a dashboard fails to load, clariBI usually displays an error banner at the top of the page. Common messages include:

Start by reading the error message carefully -- it often points directly to the cause.

Step 2: Check Your Permissions

If you see a permission error:

1. Confirm you are logged in to the correct account.
2. Check your role in the workspace where the dashboard lives. Go to the workspace and click Members. You need at least Viewer access.
3. Check your organization role. Users with the Viewer role can see dashboards but users who were recently downgraded may have cached permissions.
4. Ask a workspace Admin or the dashboard creator to verify you have access.

See Workspace Roles: Owner, Admin, Member, Viewer Permissions for details.

Step 3: Check the Data Source

Many dashboard loading failures are caused by an underlying data source problem.

1. Go to Data Sources in the left sidebar.
2. Look for any data source with a red Error or yellow Warning badge.
3. Click the affected data source to see the error details:
4. Authentication expired -- Re-authenticate the connection. See the relevant integration guide.
5. Connection timeout -- The database or API is not responding. Check that the external service is online.
6. Sync failed -- The last data sync did not complete. Try clicking Sync Now.

If the data source is working but the dashboard still fails, the problem may be with a specific widget query. Move to Step 4.

Step 4: Check Individual Widgets

Dashboards are made up of widgets. If one widget fails, it may block the entire dashboard or show a partial failure.

1. Open the dashboard in Edit Mode (click the pencil icon).
2. Look for widgets with a red error icon or "Failed to load" message.
3. Click the broken widget and select Edit.
4. Check the query or data source configuration:
5. Is the query referencing a table or column that was renamed or deleted?
6. Is the data source for this widget still connected?
7. Did the widget's date range filter expire (e.g., a hardcoded date in the past)?
8. Fix the query and click Save Widget, then reload the dashboard.

Step 5: Try Browser Troubleshooting

If there is no error message and the dashboard just shows a loading spinner:

Clear Browser Cache

1. Open your browser's settings.
2. Go to Privacy or Clear Browsing Data.
3. Clear cached files and cookies for claribi.com.
4. Reload the page.

Try a Different Browser

Open the dashboard in a different browser (e.g., Firefox instead of Chrome). If it loads in another browser, the issue is browser-specific -- likely a cached state or extension conflict.

Disable Browser Extensions

Ad blockers and privacy extensions sometimes block API requests that dashboards need. Temporarily disable extensions and reload.

Check Your Network

• Are other websites loading normally?
• Are you on a VPN that might block requests to claribi.com?
• Is your network firewall blocking WebSocket connections? (Some dashboard features use WebSockets for real-time updates.)

Step 6: Check Service Status

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, there may be a temporary service outage.

• Check the clariBI status page at status.claribi.com for any active incidents.
• Try loading a different dashboard. If all dashboards fail, the issue is likely service-wide.
• Wait a few minutes and try again. Most service outages are resolved within minutes.

Still Not Working?

If you have gone through all six steps and the dashboard still will not load:

1. Take a screenshot of the error.
2. Note the dashboard URL and the time of the error.
3. Open the browser developer console (F12 > Console tab) and copy any red error messages.
4. Contact support at support@claribi.com with these details.

Related Articles

• Data Source Sync Failures: Timeouts, Auth Expiry, Quotas
• Report Generation Failures: Every Error and Fix
• Workspace Roles: Owner, Admin, Member, Viewer Permissions