ScreenCloud Dashboards is straightforward to set up, but keeping it running reliably takes a little know-how. This guide covers best practices, maintenance tips, and how to avoid the most common pitfalls so your dashboards stay live and looking great.
New to Dashboards?
Start with the ScreenCloud Dashboards Set Up Guide first, then come back here.
Use a dedicated service account
One of the most important things you can do is create a dedicated login specifically for ScreenCloud Dashboards, separate from anyone's personal work account.
Why this matters:
If someone's personal account is deactivated or their password changes, your dashboard goes down
Personal accounts are more likely to have unsupported MFA methods (push notifications, SMS codes)
A shared service account can be managed by your team, not just one individual
How to set it up:
Create a generic email (e.g.
[email protected]) with access to the tools you want to displaySet up 2FA using a secret key (OTP via Google or Microsoft Authenticator) — not SMS or push approval
Store the credentials somewhere your team can access them
Set your session refresh rate correctly
Every dashboard tool has a session timeout. The point at which it logs you out due to inactivity. If ScreenCloud doesn't refresh before that happens, your screen will show a login page instead of your data.
The rule: Set your refresh rate slightly shorter than your dashboard's timeout. If Tableau times out after 30 minutes, set your refresh to 25 minutes.
Common session timeouts to know:
Dashboard | Avg. Timeout |
Tableau | 30 minutes |
GitHub / Zendesk | 30 minutes |
Grafana / Jira / DataDog | 60 minutes |
Salesforce | 2 hours |
Google Looker Studio | 1 hour |
Not sure of your timeout? Leave the default (45 minutes) and adjust if issues arise. The minimum allowed interval is 5 minutes, but avoid setting it too low, as frequent refreshes put unnecessary load on the source system.
Design your Dashboard for the screen
Dashboards capture a screenshot and can't scroll or resize content automatically. What you see during setup is what appears on screen. Here are some best practices:
Design your source dashboard to fit 1920×1080 (1080p landscape), which is the standard display resolution
If your dashboard is too tall or wide, create multiple Dashboard instances, each capturing a different section, and sequence them in a playlist
For 4K displays, add key
useUHDwith valuetruein the same screen data settingsFor portrait screens, enable portrait rendering via Settings > Advanced Settings > Data: add key
usePortraitwith valuetrue(orusePortraitUHDfor 4K portrait)
The screenshot interval (minimum 5 seconds) means video won't render properly. Add video content separately in your playlist instead.
Dashboards can't display interactive content
Dashboards renders as static images and doesn't support touch or clicks (exception: Power BI has a dedicated interactive app)
Keep your login journey up to date
If your source dashboard changes its login flow, or if credentials are updated, your Dashboard will stop working. Here's how to handle both scenarios without starting from scratch.
Credentials changed (username/password only)
Click the settings button on the Dashboard instance and select Update Credentials. No need to re-record the full journey.
Login flow changed (new steps, new MFA setup)
Use Re-Record Journey — hover over the Dashboard in your library, click the options menu, and select Re-record Journey. This updates the login steps while keeping the Dashboard in all your existing playlists and channels.
Only the original creator of a Dashboard can access Re-Record Journey. This is another reason a shared service account is worth setting up, as it keeps access within the team rather than tied to one person.
Share Dashboards across spaces
If multiple teams or locations need the same dashboard, use Share rather than recreating it in each Space.
Hover over the Dashboard → click the 3-dot menu → select Share → toggle on the Spaces you want.
Shared Dashboards appear under Shared by Others in the recipient Space and update centrally. Change it once, it updates everywhere.
It's not possible to duplicate a Dashboard. If you need a second version with different credentials or a different view, you'll need to create a new one from scratch.
Know when Dashboards isn't the right tool
Dashboards works best for authenticated, login-protected tools where data doesn't need to update in real time. For other use cases, a different ScreenCloud feature may serve you better:
Situation | Better option |
Public dashboard, no login required | |
Data updating every second | |
Power BI specifically | Dedicated Power BI app (supports interactivity, no session timeouts) |
Internal site on local network | Use Links with Windows/macOS player or SCOS on the same network |
If Dashboards isn't working
Before contacting support, run through this quick checklist:
Check the ScreenCloud Status Page for any active incidents
Confirm the Dashboard is still enabled on your account (Pro/Enterprise required)
Clear your browser cache, open a fresh Incognito window, and try re-saving the Dashboard
Check if your source site's login flow or session settings have changed
If your dashboard is behind a firewall, confirm your IT team has whitelisted ScreenCloud's IPs.
If you need to raise a support ticket, include the Dashboard ID (hover over the dashboard → options menu → Copy Dashboard ID) and a screen recording of the setup process with the Dashbord recording window and the dashboard journey steps on the left. This significantly speeds up diagnosis.
Full troubleshooting guidance: Troubleshooting ScreenCloud Dashboards.