diff --git a/packages/core/components/Loader/Loader.tsx b/packages/core/components/Loader/Loader.tsx
index 87f9608b8..d5877f6d0 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/Loader/Loader.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/components/Loader/Loader.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,22 @@
 import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
 import './loader.styles.css'
 
+// these coorespond to bootstrap classes
+// https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.2/components/spinners/
+type SpinnerType = 'text-primary' | 'text-secondary'
+
 type LoaderProps = {
   fullScreen?: boolean
+  spinnerType?: SpinnerType
 }
 
-const Spinner = () => (
-  <div className='spinner-border text-primary' role='status'>
+const Spinner = ({ spinnerType }: { spinnerType: SpinnerType }) => (
+  <div className={`spinner-border ${spinnerType}`} role='status'>
     <span className='sr-only'>Loading...</span>
   </div>
 )
 
-const Loader: React.FC<LoaderProps> = ({ fullScreen = false }) => {
+const Loader: React.FC<LoaderProps> = ({ fullScreen = false, spinnerType }) => {
   const backgroundRef = useRef(null)
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -23,10 +28,10 @@ const Loader: React.FC<LoaderProps> = ({ fullScreen = false }) => {
 
   return fullScreen ? (
     <div ref={backgroundRef} className='cove-loader fullscreen'>
-      <Spinner />
+      <Spinner spinnerType={spinnerType || 'text-primary'} />
     </div>
   ) : (
-    <Spinner />
+    <Spinner spinnerType={spinnerType || 'text-primary'} />
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/MultiSelect.tsx b/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/MultiSelect.tsx
index b68a72a20..01b4df4d6 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/MultiSelect.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/MultiSelect.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import Icon from '../ui/Icon'
 
 import './multiselect.styles.css'
 import { UpdateFieldFunc } from '../../types/UpdateFieldFunc'
+import Loader from '../Loader'
 
 interface Option {
   value: string | number
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ interface MultiSelectProps {
   selected?: (string | number)[]
   limit?: number
   tooltip?: React.ReactNode
+  loading?: boolean
 }
 
 const MultiSelect: React.FC<MultiSelectProps> = ({
@@ -31,7 +33,8 @@ const MultiSelect: React.FC<MultiSelectProps> = ({
   updateField,
   selected = [],
   limit,
-  tooltip
+  tooltip,
+  loading
 }) => {
   const preselectedItems = options.filter(opt => selected.includes(opt.value)).slice(0, limit)
   const [selectedItems, setSelectedItems] = useState<Option[]>(preselectedItems)
@@ -90,11 +93,12 @@ const MultiSelect: React.FC<MultiSelectProps> = ({
           <div
             id={multiID}
             onClick={() => {
-              if (!selectedItems.length) {
+              if (!selectedItems.length && !loading) {
                 setExpanded(true)
               }
             }}
             className='selected'
+            aria-disabled={loading}
           >
             {selectedItems.length ? (
               selectedItems.map(item => (
@@ -115,7 +119,7 @@ const MultiSelect: React.FC<MultiSelectProps> = ({
                 </div>
               ))
             ) : (
-              <span className='pl-1 pt-1'>- Select -</span>
+              <span className='pl-1 pt-1'>{loading ? 'Loading...' : '- Select -'}</span>
             )}
             <button
               aria-label={expanded ? 'Collapse' : 'Expand'}
@@ -129,6 +133,7 @@ const MultiSelect: React.FC<MultiSelectProps> = ({
               <Icon display={'caretDown'} style={{ cursor: 'pointer' }} />
             </button>
           </div>
+          {loading && <Loader spinnerType={'text-secondary'} />}
           {!!limit && (
             <Tooltip style={{ textTransform: 'none' }}>
               <Tooltip.Target>
@@ -140,6 +145,7 @@ const MultiSelect: React.FC<MultiSelectProps> = ({
             </Tooltip>
           )}
         </div>
+
         <ul className={'dropdown' + (expanded ? '' : ' d-none')}>
           {options
             .filter(option => !selectedItems.find(item => item.value === option.value))
diff --git a/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/multiselect.styles.css b/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/multiselect.styles.css
index d1da17d24..0bc374edb 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/multiselect.styles.css
+++ b/packages/core/components/MultiSelect/multiselect.styles.css
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
     display: inline-flex;
     align-items: center;
     .selected {
+      &[aria-disabled='true'] {
+        background: var(--lightestGray);
+      }
       border: 1px solid var(--lightGray);
       padding: 7px;
       min-width: 200px;
@@ -41,6 +44,9 @@
         margin-bottom: 0;
       }
     }
+    .spinner-border {
+      right: 20% !important;
+    }
   }
   .dropdown {
     background: white;
diff --git a/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/NestedDropdown.tsx b/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/NestedDropdown.tsx
index f1500bc0e..43cef5cbb 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/NestedDropdown.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/NestedDropdown.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useMemo, useId } from 'react'
 import './nesteddropdown.styles.css'
 import Icon from '@cdc/core/components/ui/Icon'
 import { filterSearchTerm, NestedOptions, ValueTextPair } from './nestedDropdownHelpers'
+import Loader from '../Loader'
 
 const Options: React.FC<{
   subOptions: ValueTextPair[]
@@ -106,12 +107,10 @@ type NestedDropdownProps = {
   activeGroup: string
   activeSubGroup?: string
   filterIndex: number
-  isEditor?: boolean
-  isUrlFilter?: boolean
   listLabel: string
   handleSelectedItems: ([group, subgroup]: [string, string]) => void
   options: NestedOptions
-  subGroupingActive?: string
+  loading?: boolean
 }
 
 const NestedDropdown: React.FC<NestedDropdownProps> = ({
@@ -120,7 +119,8 @@ const NestedDropdown: React.FC<NestedDropdownProps> = ({
   activeSubGroup,
   filterIndex,
   listLabel,
-  handleSelectedItems
+  handleSelectedItems,
+  loading
 }) => {
   const dropdownId = useId()
   const groupFilterActive = activeGroup
@@ -255,7 +255,12 @@ const NestedDropdown: React.FC<NestedDropdownProps> = ({
         className={`nested-dropdown nested-dropdown-${filterIndex} ${isListOpened ? 'open-filter' : ''}`}
         onKeyUp={handleKeyUp}
       >
-        <div className='nested-dropdown-input-container' aria-label='searchInput' role='textbox'>
+        <div
+          className={`nested-dropdown-input-container${loading ? ' disabled' : ''}`}
+          aria-label='searchInput'
+          aria-disabled={loading}
+          role='textbox'
+        >
           <input
             id={`nested-dropdown-${filterIndex}`}
             className='search-input'
@@ -266,7 +271,8 @@ const NestedDropdown: React.FC<NestedDropdownProps> = ({
             tabIndex={0}
             value={inputValue}
             onChange={handleSearchTermChange}
-            placeholder={'- Select -'}
+            placeholder={loading ? 'Loading...' : '- Select -'}
+            disabled={loading}
             onClick={() => {
               if (inputHasFocus) setIsListOpened(!isListOpened)
             }}
@@ -277,6 +283,7 @@ const NestedDropdown: React.FC<NestedDropdownProps> = ({
             <Icon display='caretDown' />
           </span>
         </div>
+        {loading && <Loader spinnerType={'text-secondary'} />}
         <ul
           role='tree'
           key={listLabel}
diff --git a/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/nesteddropdown.styles.css b/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/nesteddropdown.styles.css
index a85f7dc9f..f30de424e 100644
--- a/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/nesteddropdown.styles.css
+++ b/packages/core/components/NestedDropdown/nesteddropdown.styles.css
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
     display: inline-block;
     width: 100%;
     padding: 0;
+    &::placeholder {
+      color: var(--darkGray);
+    }
   }
 
   .main-nested-dropdown-container,
@@ -56,6 +59,10 @@
       right: 1px;
       float: right;
     }
+
+    &.disabled {
+      background-color: var(--lightestGray);
+    }
   }
 
   & .main-nested-dropdown-container {
diff --git a/packages/core/styles/_reset.scss b/packages/core/styles/_reset.scss
index bcc710abd..5f3c486eb 100644
--- a/packages/core/styles/_reset.scss
+++ b/packages/core/styles/_reset.scss
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
   }
 }
 .cdc-open-viz-module {
-  span,
   applet,
   object,
   iframe,
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/DashboardFilters.tsx b/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/DashboardFilters.tsx
index fce293930..95f055c68 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/DashboardFilters.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/DashboardFilters.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { FILTER_STYLE } from '../../types/FilterStyles'
 import { NestedOptions, ValueTextPair } from '@cdc/core/components/NestedDropdown/nestedDropdownHelpers'
 import NestedDropdown from '@cdc/core/components/NestedDropdown'
 import { MouseEventHandler } from 'react'
+import Loader from '@cdc/core/components/Loader'
 
 type DashboardFilterProps = {
   show: number[]
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ const DashboardFilters: React.FC<DashboardFilterProps> = ({
         }
 
         const _key = filter.apiFilter?.apiEndpoint
+        const loading = !apiFilterDropdowns[_key]
 
         const multiValues: { value; label }[] = []
 
@@ -92,8 +94,9 @@ const DashboardFilters: React.FC<DashboardFilterProps> = ({
           })
         }
 
+        const formGroupClass = `form-group mr-3 mb-1${loading ? ' loading-filter' : ''}`
         return filter.filterStyle === FILTER_STYLE.multiSelect ? (
-          <div className='form-group mr-3 mb-1' key={`${filter.key}-filtersection-${filterIndex}`}>
+          <div className={formGroupClass} key={`${filter.key}-filtersection-${filterIndex}`}>
             <MultiSelect
               label={filter.key}
               options={multiValues}
@@ -101,10 +104,11 @@ const DashboardFilters: React.FC<DashboardFilterProps> = ({
               updateField={updateField}
               selected={filter.active as string[]}
               limit={filter.selectLimit || 5}
+              loading={loading}
             />
           </div>
         ) : filter.filterStyle === FILTER_STYLE.nestedDropdown ? (
-          <div className='form-group mr-3 mb-1' key={`${filter.key}-filtersection-${filterIndex}`}>
+          <div className={formGroupClass} key={`${filter.key}-filtersection-${filterIndex}`}>
             <NestedDropdown
               activeGroup={filter.active as string}
               activeSubGroup={filter.subGrouping?.active}
@@ -112,10 +116,11 @@ const DashboardFilters: React.FC<DashboardFilterProps> = ({
               options={getNestedDropdownOptions(apiFilterDropdowns[_key])}
               listLabel={filter.key}
               handleSelectedItems={value => updateField(null, null, filterIndex, value)}
+              loading={loading}
             />
           </div>
         ) : (
-          <div className='form-group mr-3 mb-1' key={`${filter.key}-filtersection-${filterIndex}`}>
+          <div className={formGroupClass} key={`${filter.key}-filtersection-${filterIndex}`}>
             <label className='text-capitalize font-weight-bold' htmlFor={`filter-${filterIndex}`}>
               {filter.key}
             </label>
@@ -123,12 +128,13 @@ const DashboardFilters: React.FC<DashboardFilterProps> = ({
               id={`filter-${filterIndex}`}
               className='cove-form-select'
               data-index='0'
-              value={filter.queuedActive || filter.active}
+              value={loading ? 'Loading...' : filter.queuedActive || filter.active}
               onChange={val => {
                 handleOnChange(filterIndex, val.target.value)
               }}
-              disabled={values.length === 1 && !nullVal(filter)}
+              disabled={loading ? true : values.length === 1 && !nullVal(filter)}
             >
+              {loading && <option value='Loading...'>Loading...</option>}
               {nullVal(filter) && (
                 <option key={`select`} value=''>
                   {filter.resetLabel || '- Select -'}
@@ -136,6 +142,7 @@ const DashboardFilters: React.FC<DashboardFilterProps> = ({
               )}
               {values}
             </select>
+            {loading && <Loader spinnerType={'text-secondary'} />}
           </div>
         )
       })}
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/dashboardfilter.styles.css b/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/dashboardfilter.styles.css
index a6abf0aba..0aec67ed5 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/dashboardfilter.styles.css
+++ b/packages/dashboard/src/components/DashboardFilters/dashboardfilter.styles.css
@@ -8,4 +8,17 @@
     height: calc(1.5em + 0.75rem + 2px);
     align-self: flex-end;
   }
+  .form-control:disabled {
+    background-color: var(--lightestGray);
+  }
+  .loading-filter {
+    position: relative;
+    .spinner-border {
+      position: absolute;
+      top: 55%;
+      right: 10%;
+      width: 1.5rem;
+      height: 1.5rem;
+    }
+  }
 }