Data Dashboard Embeds

Why Data Dashboards Belong on Playlist Screens

Data dashboards are one of the most powerful things you can put on a playlist screen. Real-time KPIs, live sales metrics, operations data, and analytics update automatically — no manual refreshes, no stale screenshots.

With HipDeck’s Embed Element, any dashboard that generates an iframe or embed code can run on any screen in your organization. Your team sees the numbers that matter, exactly when they need them.

Supported Platforms

Any dashboard tool that provides a public embed code or iframe snippet works with HipDeck’s Embed Element. Paste the code into the element’s Embed Code field and you’re done.

Below are step-by-step instructions for the most common platforms.

Tableau Public

1. Open your workbook on Tableau Public.
2. Click Share at the bottom of the visualization.
3. Copy the code from the Embed Code field.
4. Paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Power BI

1. Open your report in Power BI Service.
2. Click File > Embed report > Publish to web (public).
3. Confirm the dialog and click Create embed code.
4. Copy the iframe snippet and paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Looker Studio / Google Data Studio

1. Open your report in Looker Studio.
2. Click File > Embed report.
3. Enable embedding and copy the iframe code.
4. Paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Grafana

1. Open the panel you want to embed.
2. Click the panel title and select Share.
3. Go to the Embed tab and copy the iframe snippet.
4. Paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Metabase

1. Open your question or dashboard in Metabase.
2. Click Sharing and embedding (the share icon).
3. Enable Public sharing and copy the public embed link or iframe code.
4. Paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Databox

1. Open your Databox dashboard.
2. Click Share in the top-right corner.
3. Select Embed and copy the iframe code.
4. Paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Klipfolio

1. Open your dashboard in Klipfolio.
2. Click Share > Embed.
3. Copy the generated iframe snippet.
4. Paste it into the HipDeck Embed Element.

Tips for Dashboard Embeds

• Enable auto-refresh in your dashboard tool so data updates without any interaction. Most platforms offer a refresh interval setting.
• Hide navigation chrome — many tools let you append URL parameters (e.g. ?:showVizHome=no in Tableau, &kiosk in Grafana) to strip out menus and toolbars for a cleaner display.
• Use dark themes where available. Dark backgrounds reduce glare and improve readability on screens in bright environments.
• Test at your target resolution before deploying. Dashboards can reflow unexpectedly at non-standard aspect ratios.
• Keep the dashboard focused — embed a single view or tab rather than a full multi-page report to avoid confusion for viewers who can’t interact with the screen.

Sizing Your Dashboard Embed

Dashboards often have specific aspect ratios baked in by the source tool. If your dashboard appears cropped or leaves empty space, adjust the width and height in the Embed Element’s settings panel.

Set Width to 100% and Height to match the dashboard’s native ratio (for example, 600px for a standard landscape layout). If the dashboard still doesn’t fill the element, add the following inline style directly to the <iframe> tag in your embed code:

style="width: 100%; height: 100%;"

This forces the iframe to expand to the full size of the Embed Element, regardless of the dashboard tool’s default sizing.

Authentication Considerations

Most embed-friendly dashboards require a public share link — one that anyone with the URL can view without logging in. HipDeck screens run unattended, so any flow that requires an interactive login will not work.

Enterprise tools such as Power BI (workspace reports), Tableau Server, and Grafana with authentication enabled may support token-based embedding or SSO. These approaches require additional configuration on the dashboard platform side and are outside HipDeck’s control.

Wherever possible, use the platform’s public or anonymous embed option. If your organization’s security policy prohibits public links, work with your IT team to configure token-based embedding before adding the element to a playlist.

Combining Dashboard Embeds with Playlist Scheduling

HipDeck’s playlist scheduling lets you show different content at different times of day — which is ideal for dashboards that are only relevant to specific shifts or workflows.

For example, you might schedule:

• Morning (7 AM – 12 PM): Sales KPI dashboard showing overnight and morning pipeline activity.
• Afternoon (12 PM – 5 PM): Operations metrics dashboard tracking fulfillment, support queues, or production throughput.
• Evening (5 PM – 8 PM): End-of-day summary dashboard with daily totals and goal progress.

To set this up, add each dashboard as a separate Embed Element in your playlist, then use the Schedule option on each element to define its active time window. Elements outside their scheduled window are automatically hidden.

Related Resources

• Embed Elements
• Working with Elements
• Getting Started