How to embed a PostgreSQL dashboard in your app

Embedded PostgreSQL dashboards have become a reliable way for SaaS teams to add in-app analytics without taking on the work of building a reporting system. When your product already runs on PostgreSQL, the simplest upgrade you can offer users is a clean, embedded dashboard that loads right inside your UI. No separate tabs.

Instead of writing and maintaining your own analytics layer, you can connect Postgres to a BI tool, design the dashboard once, and embed PostgreSQL dashboard directly into your application as a secure, controlled view. Users get the exact dashboard you want them to see, backed by your live PostgreSQL data, and your team avoids taking on a long-term BI engineering project.

This guide shows how to embed Postgres dashboards, what to consider before implementing them, and how to set up a production-ready embed flow using Draxlr.

Why embed a Postgres dashboard instead of building analytics yourself

Using an embed Postgres dashboard setup removes most of the engineering complexity involved in building analytics directly into your product. Instead of maintaining your own charting system, filters, access rules, and SQL logic, embedded dashboards handle the entire reporting layer for you. Here’s what embedding helps you avoid:

• Custom chart UI development — no need to maintain libraries, styling, responsiveness, or consistent layouts.
• Manually managing SQL queries — the BI layer handles query generation and optimization for your PostgreSQL data.
• User-level permissions — built-in filtering ensures each user sees only their allowed data.
• Multi-tenant logic — no separate routes, conditionals, or database guards to manage.
• Versioning dashboards — updates happen in your BI tool, and your app automatically serves the newest version.
• Performance tuning — caching and query optimization are handled outside your app code.
• Long-term upkeep — no deployments for small metric changes or layout adjustments.

Choosing a PostgreSQL dashboard embed lets your team ship analytics quickly while keeping your developers focused on core product work—not a BI system.

How Embedded Dashboards Work With PostgreSQL

The workflow is simple:

1. Connect PostgreSQL to your BI tool
2. Build your dashboard
3. Configure which rows each user can see
4. Enable embed mode
5. Add the embed link or component inside your product

Your database remains your source of truth. The BI layer reads from it securely and sends the dashboard to your UI as an iframe or a front-end component.

How to build and embed a PostgreSQL dashboard with Draxlr

1. Connect your PostgreSQL database

To connect your PostgreSQL database to Draxlr, enter your database credentials or use the “Import from URL” option if you already have a Postgres connection string.

If your PostgreSQL server uses IP allowlists, add the Draxlr IP shown on the screen to grant access. SSH connections are supported as well, so you can keep your PostgreSQL instance behind a secure tunnel while still using Draxlr in real time.

Once connected, Draxlr automatically reads your schema and makes your tables available for building embedded dashboards.

2. Build your dashboard

Once your PostgreSQL database is connected, you can start building your dashboard. Draxlr gives you three ways to work with your data:

• Visual Query Builder for building queries without writing SQL through clicks.
• AI SQL for generating queries from plain text prompts.
• Raw SQL if you prefer full control.

Every chart, table, and metric is powered directly by your live PostgreSQL data. You can mix query types within the same dashboard, rearrange elements with drag-and-drop, and adjust settings without touching your application code.

As you build, Draxlr stores your queries and structure so the final dashboard is ready for embedding. Any changes you make later, new filters, edits to a query, or layout adjustments, update instantly across all your embedded dashboards.

3. Set access rules

Before embedding, define how each user’s data should be filtered. Draxlr lets you pass identifiers like user_id, org_id, or any custom field from your application and applies these values to the dashboard in real time.

You can configure:

• Row-level filters to restrict data per user or organization
• Parameter mapping to inject values from your backend
• Dashboard permissions to control who can view each embed

Once access rules are set, every embedded dashboard loads with the correct PostgreSQL data without custom filtering logic in your frontend or backend.

4. Configure embed settings

Open the Embed page to customize how the Postgres dashboard should appear inside your application. You can enable or disable export buttons, adjust background colors, hide the header, configure drill-down behavior, and control other UI elements.

These settings allow you to tailor the embedded dashboard so it matches your product’s design and user experience.

5. Manage dashboard filters

If your embedded dashboard needs filters, configure them directly in the Embed page. Enable or disable filters, choose operators such as BETWEEN or IN, and set default values as needed.

Any filter you activate becomes part of the embed, giving users the ability to refine their view without leaving your application.

6. Copy your embed code

Once everything is configured, copy the generated embed code. Draxlr provides:

• HTML embed
• React component
• Vue component

If you need more control—such as injecting backend parameters, you can enable the backend API mode. Paste the embed code into your application, and the dashboard loads instantly with your PostgreSQL data.

A typical Postgres dashboard embed in Draxlr looks like

Common use cases for a Postgres dashboard embed

Teams typically embed dashboards for:

• Client portals
• Usage analytics inside SaaS products
• Operational reporting for customers
• Partner or reseller dashboards
• Internal tools that need analytics but not a full BI interface

Each viewer sees only the data they’re allowed to see.

What a good Postgres dashboard embed setup should include

1. Direct PostgreSQL connection: Avoid systems that require pushing data to an external warehouse.
2. Server-side filtering: User-scoped rules must be enforced on the backend, not through client-side logic.
3. Clean embedding: No-edit mode, responsive layout, consistent theming.
4. No-code dashboard updates: Your team should be able to update visuals without releasing new code.
5. Stable performance: The BI layer should generate optimized SQL and handle caching.

Draxlr is built around these requirements specifically for operational databases like Postgres.

Conclusion

Embedded PostgreSQL dashboards empower SaaS teams to deliver rich, real-time analytics directly inside their applications without the burden of building and maintaining complex BI infrastructure. By embedding live, secure dashboards tailored to each user’s data, your product stays focused, your engineering team stays agile, and your customers get instant, actionable insights exactly where they need them.

Don’t settle for disconnected reporting or delayed insights. Embrace embedded dashboards to accelerate your analytics delivery, improve user engagement, and reduce maintenance overhead. Get started today with Draxlr and transform how your SaaS delivers value faster, smarter, and easier than ever before.

FAQs

1. What is an embedded Postgres dashboard?

An embedded Postgres dashboard is a dashboard that’s built in a BI tool but displayed inside your own application using an embed code or component.

2. Is it safe to embed dashboards connected to my PostgreSQL database?

Yes. The embed only displays the dashboard not your credentials. Row-level filtering, JWT tokens, and parameter mapping ensure users see only their allowed data.

3. Will my embedded dashboard update automatically if the data changes in PostgreSQL?

Yes. Since the dashboard queries your live PostgreSQL data, embedded dashboards always reflect the latest information without redeploying your application.

4. What does embedded analytics mean?

Embedded analytics refers to analytics components—dashboards, charts, metrics, or reports that are integrated directly into your application rather than shown in a separate BI tool.

5. Can I embed Postgres dashboards in React, Next.js, or Vue?

Yes. Most BI tools like Draxlr, provide HTML, React, and Vue embed snippets that you can drop directly into your components or pages.

6. What are the best embedded dashboard tools?

Some of the commonly used embedded dashboard tools include Draxlr, Looker, Tableau Embedded, and Power BI Embedded. Each offers a different approach to embedding, depending on whether you need direct SQL access, multi-tenant control, or a full enterprise analytics stack.