Tableau Tips That Continue to Save You Time
One of the first videos I posted on YouTube was about “10 Tableau tricks you should know”. That was a few years ago. Fast-forward to 2023, and I’m amazed (and relieved) to see that many of those tips are still handy and time-saving.
However, unless you use Tableau every day, it’s easy to forget these tricks. You might even forget some of Tableau’s cooler features altogether.
A refresher goes a long way. So, here’s a refresher. Let’s dive back into these time-tested tips — plus a few new ones.
If you’re new to Tableau, consider this your quick introduction to some of its nifty features. If you’re a seasoned Tableau pro, this could be your updated primer with updated screenshots and new perspectives.
Some of these tips can save you time — and can also save you headaches! When you’re stressed, and up against a deadline, the last thing you want is to do rounds of trial and error to find what you’re looking for.
#1 The Magic of Shortcuts
Shortcuts can help us speed up our workflow because they can help us avoid unnecessary, or tedious repetitive steps.
Right-click + Drag (or Cmd + Drag)
Opens the “drop field” window, letting you specify how you want to use the field. This is great for aggregating dimensions, or for choosing a different aggregation for measures.
This replaces the need to drag and drop a field, have Tableau generate a display, and then end up changing the field altogether. For example, instead of displaying a dimension, you can count it right away.
Control + Drag (or Cmd + Drag)
Allows you to copy a “pill” that’s already on the canvas. It saves time especially when copying fields with ad-hoc table calculations.
Double-click on Measures for Text Tables
For text tables, this allows you to add multiple measures to the existing crosstab with Measure Names and Measure Values (aka proper labels to the numbers)
#2 Finding the Missing Side Bar
The side bar in Tableau has changed in appearance, but it will still be stressful if you don’t know how to minimize and maximize it.
The new side bar now comes with > or < which allows you to maximize and minimize it, respectively.
Alternatively, you can go to Window from the top menu, and toggle the “Show Side Bar” option.
#3 Drag Files for Instant Connection
This simplifies connecting to file-based data sources, like csv, txt, Excel files, PDF, JSON etc.
Common headache:
Connecting to an Excel file when the actual file is csv. By default, many machines will use an Excel icon even if the file is csv (comma separated value file) — so it’s easy to mistake one for the other.
And if we do make that mistake, we may get a stress-inducing error message:
Easy solution:
Just drag the file onto an open instance of Tableau Desktop, and Tableau will choose the right option.
Tip #4: Import Data Source from Workbook
Sometimes you just want to use that same data source from another workbook.
For example, you may already have a workbook that has multiple data sources. You just want to pick one of these for another project.
Tip #5: Copy and Paste Data
This allows you to quickly import data to and from Tableau. This is useful when you want to quickly check out some data between applications (for example between Tableau and Excel). This can be a massive time-saver, since you don’t have to create a file, save the file, then connect to the file.
Bonus: you can even copy data from the charts/graphs!
Be wary though: this is only for quick checks. If this is data you want to keep on connecting to, you should create a permanent, proper data set.
Tip #6: Summary Stats Card
Also known as Summary Card, this provides a quick look at either the statistical summary of the whole worksheet or of a selection of points.
It includes: sum, average, minimum, maximum, median
It can also show additional statistics: standard deviation, first quartile, third quartile, skewness, excess kurtosis
Tip #7: Describe Worksheet
When we are handed a workbook to maintain or troubleshoot, we may not even know how to start understanding this workbook.
This workbook doesn’t have to be someone else’s — it could be our own that our younger selves created. And we may have already completely forgotten what it is that we created.
The Describe Worksheet feature allows us to somehow reverse engineer what a worksheet has. While this isn’t a complete documentation of everything that happened to your worksheet, it’s a very good start.
Bonus: Describe Field
This helps us understand and explore a field even before we drag it to our worksheet.
Note that for measures, we will need to load the domain before we see that field’s range of values.
Tip #8: Where are my extracts?
When you’re working with a .twb file (Tableau Workbook), you will be prompted where you want the extract to be saved.
When you’re working with a .twbx file (Tableau Packaged Workbook), the extract gets saved within the workbook
Tip #9: Reshowing Hidden Field Labels
It’s just one of those things that’s easy to forget. I personally don’t hide field labels often, so it’s always a challenge remembering how to unhide them.
Tip #10: TWBX are Zipped Files
Want to see what’s inside a Tableau Packaged workbook (.twbx)? Just rename the file extension from “.twbx” to “.zip” and unzip it like you would any other zip file.
What does it contain? The Tableau Workbook (.twb), any extracts (.hyper) or local file data sources, and images.
This is the original video if you’re interested:
Let’s connect: sqlbelle.ck.page
