Layout Container
With the release of Qlik Sense February 2024 (client-managed), Qlik officially introduced the Layout Container, a new object included in the Dashboard Bundle. Subsequent updates — May 2024 and August 2025 — further enhanced styling options and layer management, making it one of the most valuable design tools in Qlik Sense today.
For Qlik Cloud (SaaS) users, the Layout Container had already appeared in early previews and limited rollouts (around November 2023) before becoming fully available in February 2024.
Why the Layout Container Matters
After testing it in several real-world projects, our team identified five key advantages that make the Layout Container a game-changer for data visualization and dashboard development in Qlik Sense.
1 – More precise and professional dashboard design
The Layout Container allows developers to move beyond Qlik Sense’s traditional grid structure. It enables pixel-perfect positioning, precise alignment, and modern, corporate-level layouts — delivering dashboards that look polished and professional.
2 – Dynamic content visibility
Each object inside the container can be dynamically shown or hidden using expressions or variables. This makes it possible to:
- Display different KPIs or visualizations depending on the level of detail selected;
- Manage desktop and mobile layouts within the same sheet, without duplication.
3 – Enhanced user experience (UX)
The ability to control layering and visibility helps developers create cleaner, more interactive interfaces, ensuring that users only see what’s relevant in their current context.
4 – Better governance and layout standardization
Layout Containers can be reused and copied across sheets and apps, enabling organizations to adopt shared templates and a consistent visual identity. This results in a more unified and seamless user experience across all dashboards.
- Native support — no more external extensions
The Layout Container eliminates the need for third-party layout extensions (such as the popular Grouped Container). As part of Qlik’s official Dashboard Bundle, it offers full product support and long-term reliability.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
While powerful, the Layout Container has a few known constraints:
- Nesting other containers or trellis containers is not supported
- It cannot be placed inside another container object
- Objects must be created externally and then added to the container
- Some keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V) are not yet supported
- Performance may decrease when many overlapping objects are used
Final Thoughts
The Layout Container is one of the most impactful additions to Qlik Sense in recent years. It brings a level of design flexibility and creative freedom that was once exclusive to QlikView.
For BI developers and data visualization teams, this means creating dashboards that are not only functional and dynamic, but also visually refined and user-friendly — with fewer compromises between form and function.
Author: Massimiliano Ruffo – HiBI Qlik product specialist
