Before diving into importing or working with those big datasets, take a moment to really get what your Glide app needs. Think about the key data fields, how much data you're dealing with, and how often it gets updated. This way, you can plan ahead and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Glide mainly uses Google Sheets, but you can also pull data from Airtable, Excel files, and even APIs. If you're working with a lot of data, Google Sheets might slow down a bit. In that case, Airtable or a database API could be a better choice for keeping things zippy.

If you're sticking with Google Sheets, here are some tips to keep things running smoothly:

• Break up large datasets into multiple sheets within the same workbook.
• Get rid of any columns and rows you don't need.
• Use filters and data validation to keep your data clean.
• Be smart with formulas – too many complex ones can slow things down.

When it's time to import data:

• Use the import range function in Google Sheets to link data from other sheets instead of copying it.
• For sources like Airtable or APIs, use Glide's native integrations or Zapier to sync data efficiently.

Take advantage of Glide’s built-in Data Editor to manage your data:

• Filter data so you only show what's needed for each part of your app.
• Use computed columns to generate values efficiently and keep formulas within Glide, not in your source data.

Keep your data in tip-top shape with regular maintenance:

• Check for unused fields and redundant data now and then.
• Move old data that you don't need every day to a separate sheet or database.

For a better user experience, use pagination:

• Break data into smaller chunks instead of loading everything at once.
• Use features like 'Show Next Page' in lists to load more data as needed.

Boost performance by using:

• Row Owners to make sure only the relevant user's data gets loaded.
• User-specific columns to store data that's just for individual users without messing up the global dataset.

Let external tools handle the heavy lifting:

• Services like Google Cloud Functions or AWS Lambda can process data, and you can feed the results back to Glide via Google Sheets, Airtable, or APIs.

Keep an eye on performance and tweak as needed:

• Use Glide's analytics to see how data load times and app performance are doing.
• Reevaluate and reorganize your data storage and formatting based on what you see in the performance metrics.