When you run multiple self-hosted services, you don’t just need uptime — you need clarity.
For me, Glance became that clarity layer.
Instead of jumping across multiple tabs for health checks, service links, backup visibility, and quick actions, I can view everything from one dashboard that is fast, clean, and easy to customize.
Why Glance helps me
- One place for core service visibility
- Quick access to frequently used tools
- Easy to evolve as the stack grows
- Flexible widget layout that matches my workflow
My current setup snapshots
Widgets I currently use
Here are some of the widgets in my current daily layout:
- Clock + multiple timezones (server + personal references)
- Calendar for quick planning context
- Search widget with custom bangs (including SearXNG)
- Spotify now playing block for lightweight media context
- GitHub contribution graph extension for activity visibility
- Tailscale devices status widget for tailnet awareness
- Restic backup status extension so backups are visible at a glance
- Occupied Ports widget (custom) to avoid host-port conflicts during new deployments
- Quote widget for a small daily touch (purely for fun)
Why this setup works for me
I like tools that feel good for daily operations, not just demos.
Glance works for me because:
- It stays lightweight even with many widgets
- It is easy to iterate quickly as my stack changes
- It supports both built-in and custom data sources
- It keeps important context visible while I’m deploying, debugging, or monitoring
Links
- Glance (official repo): https://github.com/glanceapp/glance
- My Occupied Ports widget repo: https://github.com/js-surya/occupied-ports-widget
Acknowledgement
Big thanks to the Glance maintainers and contributors for building and maintaining such a clean, practical dashboard project for the self-hosting community.
Final thought
If you’re building a homelab or self-hosted stack, a dashboard is more than decoration — it reduces friction.
Glance is the first dashboard in my setup that feels both useful and maintainable long-term.