Browser Support

Supported Browsers

OpenAnalyst is built on modern web standards and is tested continuously against the latest stable releases of all major browsers. The platform uses a progressive enhancement approach — core functionality is available on all supported browsers, while advanced features (such as WebGL-accelerated visualizations and Web Workers for background data processing) take advantage of capabilities in newer browser versions.

Browser-Specific Notes

Google Chrome

Chrome is the primary development and testing target for OpenAnalyst. All features are developed and verified on Chrome first. Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine provides the best performance for data-heavy operations such as large table rendering and real-time chart updates. The Chrome DevTools integration also provides the most comprehensive debugging experience when using OpenAnalyst debug mode.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is fully supported and receives the same level of testing as Chrome. Firefox's strict content security policies are well-aligned with OpenAnalyst's security model. Users of Firefox with the uBlock Origin or similar content blockers may need to allow app.openanalyst.com in their block list, as some tracker-blocking heuristics can interfere with the analytics telemetry that powers usage-based features.

Apple Safari

Safari 16.0 and above are supported. Safari versions prior to 16.0 lack support for certain CSS features and Web APIs used by the OpenAnalyst interface. If you are on macOS Monterey (12.x) or earlier, ensure you have updated Safari to the latest available version through macOS Software Update.

Known Safari limitation: the CSV download functionality uses a download API that Safari handles differently from Chromium-based browsers. If CSV exports are opening in a new tab instead of downloading, go to Safari Preferences > General and set "File download location" to a specific folder.

Microsoft Edge

Edge (Chromium-based, version 110+) is fully supported and performs equivalently to Chrome. The legacy EdgeHTML-based Edge (pre-2020) is not supported. Edge users in enterprise environments may encounter issues if their IT policy restricts WebSocket connections — OpenAnalyst uses WebSockets for real-time dashboard updates.

Required Browser Features

OpenAnalyst requires the following browser capabilities to be enabled. Most are active by default in all supported browsers:

• JavaScript: Required. The application cannot function without it.
• Cookies: Required for session authentication. First-party cookies from app.openanalyst.com must be allowed.
• LocalStorage: Used for storing user preferences and caching lightweight interface state. Must not be blocked.
• WebSockets: Required for real-time data push and live collaboration features. Typically blocked in highly restrictive enterprise proxy configurations.
• WebGL: Used for hardware-accelerated chart rendering with large datasets. If unavailable, the platform falls back to a software renderer — performance on charts with 100,000+ data points will be reduced.
• File API: Required for the file upload (CSV, Excel, JSON) feature.

Known Issues

Recommended Browser Settings

For the best experience with OpenAnalyst, we recommend the following browser configuration:

• Zoom level: Keep browser zoom at 100% (default). OpenAnalyst uses fluid layouts that adapt to window size, but extreme zoom levels (above 150% or below 75%) may cause layout issues in dense data tables.
• Hardware acceleration: Ensure browser hardware acceleration is enabled (it is on by default). Disabling it will significantly slow down chart rendering for dashboards with many widgets.
• Pop-up blocker: Allow pop-ups from app.openanalyst.com. Some authentication flows (particularly OAuth for data source connections) open in a pop-up window.
• Extensions: Disable browser extensions on app.openanalyst.com if you experience unexpected behavior. Password managers, translation extensions, and screen readers are generally compatible; ad-blockers and script blockers may interfere.

Accessibility Features

OpenAnalyst is committed to meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. Current accessibility support includes:

• Keyboard navigation: All interactive elements are reachable and operable via keyboard. Use Tab to navigate, Enter or Space to activate controls, and Escape to dismiss modals and dropdowns.
• Screen reader support: The interface uses semantic HTML and ARIA labels. Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) are supported on all major browsers. Chart data is also available in accessible tabular format as an alternative to visual rendering.
• High contrast mode: OpenAnalyst respects the OS-level "Increase Contrast" or "High Contrast" accessibility setting and adjusts the interface accordingly.
• Reduced motion: Users with the "Prefer reduced motion" OS setting enabled will see transitions and animations minimized throughout the interface.
• Focus indicators: Keyboard focus is always visually indicated with a clear, high-contrast outline that meets WCAG contrast requirements.

Mobile Browser Support

OpenAnalyst is primarily designed for desktop use. A responsive mobile view is available for reviewing dashboards and reading reports on mobile browsers, but creating and editing dashboards, running interactive analyses, and managing connections require a desktop-sized screen (minimum 1024px width recommended).

Supported mobile browsers for the read-only dashboard view:

• Safari on iOS 16.0 and above
• Chrome for Android (latest stable)
• Samsung Internet 21 and above