Optimizing performance in larger files

Whimsical’s infinite canvas is great for getting all your ideas down in one place, and you don’t want anything slowing you down. So, here are a few things that might impact board performance and what you can do to improve them.

Number of items in a file

With over 10,000 items, your file may start to slow down. As you approach this number, you'll see this message:

If this happens, we recommend splitting up your content into multiple smaller files. You can do this easily by creating a new file, then cutting and pasting a section from the larger file. You can still keep all your ideas organized and in one place, by embedding, nesting or linking to the smaller files from a Whimsical doc. Check out this article to learn how. 👌

Choice of browser

Whimsical works on all major browsers but works best in Chrome, so if you’re experiencing performance issues in Safari, Firefox, or Edge we recommend switching to Chrome or Brave.

Other intensive processes running at the same time

Whimsical relies on your computer’s CPU/RAM to function smoothly, so if you’re using other apps simultaneously that may be taking up these resources (e.g. photo editing apps) we recommend closing them.

Many people collaborating live in the same file

With over 150 people working in a file at the same time, you will no longer see all their live cursors and updates may start to slow down. Why not try more asynchronous collaboration, or take turns with a timer? 😉