Plotly Newsletter, March 2026

Spring is here, and we’re hitting the road. This month, we were at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in Orlando, hosting live demos of AI-native analytics, and introducing new ways to connect your data from Snowflake, Spotify, or anywhere Python can reach.

If you’ve been curious about what Plotly can do beyond our open-source library, this is your month to find out.

In this newsletter:

• Upcoming Webinar: Getting Started with Plotly Studio
• Webinar Recap: We Charted Rob’s Spotify History
• PlotlyBI — Plotly App Challenge
• Plotly at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2026
• ​​Plotly Studio Data Sources
• Plotly Dash Example Apps
• Resources

📊 Getting Started with Plotly Studio

On April 1 at 11am EDT, join us for a free guided walkthrough of the Plotly ecosystem with our engineering experts. We’ll cover core Plotly Studio features, run live demos with real datasets, and answer your questions live!

We’re offering this support for free, to everyone, because we want every Plotly user to feel confident building with the full power of our newest products. Submit your questions when you register and we’ll address them during the session. Register now!

🎼 We Charted Rob’s Spotify History

Last week, Plotly’s Sam Tripp built a live Spotify analytics app using plain English prompts in Plotly Studio, then used Claude Code to integrate into it Dash Enterprise Workspaces to take it from prototype to production-ready.

See the complete AI-assisted workflow from data connection to deployed app, while Rob Calvin explains his questionable 2019 playlists. Watch on-demand!

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📊 PlotlyBI — Plotly App Challenge

We’re running a new community challenge, and this one’s for anyone who’s ever wished their Power BI data could power a richer, more interactive app.

The challenge: Connect a Power BI semantic model to a Dash or Plotly Studio app, build something that tells a compelling story with the data, and submit it for a chance to win.

Not sure where to start? We’re providing the Microsoft AdventureWorks Sales dataset as a ready-to-use .pbix file (just import it into your Power BI workspace and connect it to your app), or bring your own semantic model.

Full details + sample code in the community forum. Submit your creation by May 3 11:59pm EDT for a chance to win a cash prize.

If you need more help on how to connect Plotly Studio directly to your existing Power BI semantic models, check out our webinar, “Take Your Power BI Models Beyond the Static Dashboard”.

💼 Plotly at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2026

We spent last week at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in Orlando, where the most common reaction when people learned Plotly is the most widely used Python charting library was: “Oh, that’s you!”

Turns out a lot of senior data leaders have history with our open-source tools but didn’t realize we’ve evolved into an AI-native platform.

The line that started the most conversations? “Your BI isn’t broken. It’s just from 2016.” At a conference where frustration with Power BI and Tableau was hardly a secret, attendees were particularly interested in how Plotly Studio connects directly to Power BI semantic models, preserving data investments while unlocking the customization and flexibility traditional BI tools can’t provide. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and see where we’ll be next.

⚙️ Plotly Studio Data Sources

If Python can connect to it, Plotly Studio can visualize it. See how you can connect six of the most popular data sources to Plotly Studio.

Google BigQuery

Google BigQuery is a serverless, highly scalable cloud data warehouse designed for fast SQL queries on massive datasets. Connecting to Google BigQuery requires a service account JSON key generated from the Google Cloud Console.

Oracle

Oracle Database is a multi-model database management system known for its scalability, security, and enterprise features. Connecting to Oracle Database requires your host address, port, service name, and login credentials.

PostgresSQL

Connecting PostgreSQL requires your host address, port, database name, and login credentials. Follow these steps to connect to your PostgreSQL data and visualize it with Plotly Studio.

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is an enterprise-grade relational database management system. Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server requires your host address, port, database name, and login credentials.

Motherduck

MotherDuck is a serverless cloud analytics platform powered by DuckDB. Connecting MotherDuck requires a MotherDuck access token, which can be generated in a few steps from your MotherDuck dashboard.

Snowflake

Connecting Snowflake takes about five minutes. Before starting, you’ll need your Account Identifier and login credentials, plus a quick check with your Snowflake admin to confirm which authentication method your organization uses.

🧑‍💻 Plotly Dash Example Apps

Wondering what’s possible with Dash and Plotly Studio? Now there’s a better place to find out.

We’ve revamped our Examples Apps page with a curated gallery of real apps built across industries, from genomics and clinical research to finance, sports analytics, energy trading, and media. Filter by industry or feature (3D modeling, AI/ML, live updates, maps, and more) to find something relevant to what you’re building.

📚 Resources

Catch up on blog posts and user stories, deep diving into key topics for data science teams:

• Updates to Dash Design Kit for Good-Looking Data Apps
• Pre-Compute Once, Serve Instantly with Dash Enterprise @schedule Decorator
• Plotly Dash Embedded: Build Data Apps, Deploy Anywhere
• The Best Way to Publish and Host Your Plotly Dash Apps in 2026
• A Guide to Data Context in the Age of AI
• Two New Plotly.js Features That Change How You Build Multi-Panel Charts

👋 Thanks for reading!

Thanks for joining us for this month’s round-up. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Plotly next month.