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Refresh Intervals and Live Updates

Refresh Intervals and Live Updates

How dotBlast keeps your displays showing current data.

Refresh Intervals

Each widget has its own refresh interval setting. Options typically include:

  • 30 seconds — for rapidly changing data (stock prices, social feeds)
  • 1 minute — default for most widgets
  • 5 minutes — for slowly changing data (weather, news)
  • 15 minutes — for static content (menus, announcements)
  • Manual only — refresh only when you update

How Updates Work

  1. Widgets poll their data sources at their refresh interval
  2. New data is processed and rendered
  3. The dashboard updates without a full page refresh
  4. Connected devices receive the update automatically

Live Data Sources

Some widgets support true live updates via WebSocket:

  • Metric widgets with connected APIs
  • Chart widgets with streaming data
  • Weather widgets with real-time conditions

These update instantly when data changes, without waiting for the refresh interval.

Optimizing Refresh

  • Use longer intervals for battery-powered devices
  • Use shorter intervals for important metrics
  • Consider data source rate limits when setting intervals

Battery Considerations

Devices on battery power may reduce update frequency to conserve energy. For always-on displays, use a power adapter.