How to enable user writeback in Qlik Sense without DB access?
Hi everyone, I’m new to Qlik Sense and need some guidance.
I have a table with ID and Comments coming from a Redshift table (loaded via Dataiku). I would like to let users assign a comment category or update comments directly from the Qlik Sense front end — essentially a simple writeback or user input feature.
However, I do not have permission to add or update anything in the source database. So I’m trying to understand:
Is it possible to create something like a QVD or some other local file that users can update from the Qlik Sense front end?
If not, what are the recommended approaches for writeback when you cannot modify the original DB?
I saw some posts mentioning variables, Automations, and extensions, but I’m not sure what is realistic for my use case.
Are there any built-in features or community-friendly extensions that allow capturing user input and storing it somewhere accessible?
Any advice, examples, or best practices would be really helpful. Thank you!
Hi everyone — great question. The short version is: yes, you can enable user write-back in Qlik Sense without direct database access — by using the native automation features and storing data externally or in QVDs/flat files instead of writing directly to a DB. For example:
That automation captures user inputs or selections and writes them to a file store, QVD or API endpoint instead of the source DB. Qlik Community+1
Then, you can reload the data in your app (or have a scheduled reload) so the changes appear in the dashboard.
Just be aware: this kind of architecture has limitations (e.g., you’ll need to manage versioning, ensure users know the workflow, and perhaps handle re-loads separately).
