Lazy loading of dashboard panels, a long-requested feature by the Grafana community, was implemented in version 6.2 to efficiently manage data queries and reduce load spikes on data source backends. Previously, Grafana would query all panels immediately upon opening a dashboard, even those not immediately visible, potentially causing unnecessary strain. With lazy loading enabled by default, only panels in view are queried, optimizing performance and encouraging users to strategically design dashboards by placing less frequently viewed, resource-intensive queries further down. Additionally, for React-based panels like Gauge and Bar Gauge, only visible panels will refresh when triggered, updating others as they scroll back into view. This feature aims to enhance user experience by reducing backend load and improving dashboard responsiveness.