Tableau Interview Questions and Answers

What is Tableau?

• Tableau is a powerful and rapidly growing business intelligence (BI) and data visualization tool. It helps in simplifying raw data into an easily understandable format. Tableau helps create interactive dashboards and worksheets to gain insights from data.

What are the key features of Tableau?

• Data Blending
• Real-time analysis
• Collaboration of data
• Creating interactive dashboards and reports
• Connecting to various data sources
• Visualizations (Charts, Maps, Tables, etc.)
• Calculated Fields
• Parameters
• Filters (Extract, Data Source, Context, Dimension, Measure)
• Actions (Filter, Highlight, URL)

What are the different Tableau products?

• **Tableau Desktop:** Used to create reports, dashboards, and stories. Available in Personal and Professional editions.
• **Tableau Public:** A free version of Tableau Desktop for creating public visualizations and sharing them online. Data saved here is publicly accessible.
• **Tableau Online:** A cloud-based platform for publishing, sharing, and collaborating on Tableau workbooks.
• **Tableau Server:** An on-premises platform for publishing, sharing, and collaborating on Tableau workbooks within an organization's infrastructure.
• **Tableau Reader:** A free desktop application to open and interact with Tableau workbooks (.twbx files) created in Tableau Desktop. Cannot edit or save workbooks.
• **Tableau Prep:** A tool for preparing, cleaning, and shaping data for analysis in Tableau.

What is the difference between Tableau Desktop Personal and Professional editions?

• **Personal Edition:** Can connect to a limited number of data sources (files, web data). Workbooks can only be saved locally or to Tableau Public. Cannot connect to Tableau Server.
• **Professional Edition:** Can connect to a wide range of data sources (databases, cloud data sources). Workbooks can be saved locally, to Tableau Public, Tableau Online, or Tableau Server.

What is the difference between Tableau Server and Tableau Online?

• **Tableau Server:** Hosted on your organization's infrastructure. Gives you more control over security, scalability, and integration with existing systems. Requires managing hardware and software.
• **Tableau Online:** Hosted by Tableau in the cloud. No infrastructure management required. Scalability and maintenance are handled by Tableau. Access is via a web browser.

What is a Dimension in Tableau?

• Dimensions are categorical fields. They typically contain qualitative values (like names, dates, geographical data). Dimensions affect the level of detail in the view – they create headers and define the granularity of the data. When you drag a dimension to the Rows or Columns shelf, it creates headers. Examples: Product Category, Country, Order Date, Customer Name.

What is a Measure in Tableau?

• Measures are quantitative fields. They typically contain numerical values that can be aggregated (like sum, average, count). When you drag a measure to the Rows or Columns shelf, it creates an axis. Examples: Sales, Profit, Quantity, Discount.

What is the difference between discrete and continuous fields?

• **Discrete:** Values are distinct and separate (e.g., categories, integers). Discrete fields create headers in the view and are typically blue pills.
• **Continuous:** Values form an unbroken range (e.g., decimals, dates used as a range). Continuous fields create axes in the view and are typically green pills.

Can a Dimension be continuous? Can a Measure be discrete? Give examples.

• Yes.
  • **Continuous Dimension:** Dates are often treated as continuous dimensions (e.g., `Order Date` on the Columns shelf creates a continuous axis showing a range of dates).
  • **Discrete Measure:** You can treat a measure as discrete (e.g., `SUM(Sales)` on the Rows shelf can be set to Discrete). This creates headers for the sum of sales values instead of an axis, often used for building tables or lists.

What is Data Blending in Tableau?

• Data blending is a method in Tableau for combining data from multiple data sources on a single worksheet. It's useful when you have related data in different sources that you want to analyze together without joining them into a single table. Tableau queries each data source independently and then aggregates the results to a common level of detail based on the linking fields.

What are the limitations of Data Blending?

• Data blending is done on a per-sheet basis.
• Secondary data sources are dependent on the primary data source.
• Cannot blend data from cube data sources.
• Performance can be slower compared to joins, especially with large datasets.
• Limited join types (effectively a left join from the primary to the secondary source).

What is the difference between Data Blending and Data Joining?

• **Joining:** Combines data from multiple tables within the *same* data source. Performed at the row level before aggregation. Creates a single logical table. Supports various join types (inner, left, right, outer).
• **Blending:** Combines aggregated data from multiple *different* data sources on a worksheet. Performed after aggregation to a common level of detail. Effectively a left join at the aggregated level.

What is an Extract in Tableau? Why use it?

• A Tableau Data Extract (.tde or .hyper) is a compressed snapshot of data stored on disk.
• Benefits of using Extracts:
  • **Performance:** Extracts are highly optimized for performance in Tableau, often leading to faster query response times compared to live connections.
  • **Portability:** Extracts allow you to work offline or share workbooks without needing access to the original data source.
  • **Reduced Load:** Reduces the load on the source database.
  • **Functionality:** Enables certain features like `COUNTD` (Count Distinct) with some data sources that don't natively support it.

What is a Live Connection in Tableau? Why use it?

• A Live Connection means Tableau is directly connected to the source database. Queries are executed against the source database in real-time whenever the view is updated.
• Benefits of using Live Connections:
  • **Real-time Data:** Always working with the most up-to-date data.
  • **No Storage Overhead:** Doesn't require storing a copy of the data.
  • **Leverages Database Power:** Can utilize the performance and processing power of the source database for complex queries.

What is the difference between an Extract and a Live Connection?

• **Extract:** Snapshot of data stored in Tableau's format. Faster performance within Tableau. Data is not real-time (needs refresh). Can work offline.
• **Live Connection:** Direct connection to the source database. Real-time data. Performance depends on the source database. Requires connection to the source.

What is the purpose of Filters in Tableau?

• Filters are used to restrict the data that is returned from the data source or displayed in the view. They allow you to focus on specific subsets of the data for analysis.

What are the different types of Filters in Tableau? Explain the order of execution.

• Filters are applied in a specific order (the "Order of Operations"):
  1. **Extract Filters:** Applied to the data source to create a smaller subset of data in the extract.
  2. **Data Source Filters:** Applied to the data source connection, restricting data *before* it's brought into Tableau.
  3. **Context Filters:** Independent filters computed *before* other dimension filters. They create a temporary, smaller subset of data that other dimension filters then act upon.
  4. **Dimension Filters:** Applied to dimensions, filtering data based on categorical values.
  5. **Measure Filters:** Applied to measures, filtering data based on quantitative values after aggregation.
  6. **Table Calculation Filters:** Applied to the results of table calculations. These filters do *not* filter the underlying data, only the view displayed.

What is a Context Filter? When would you use it?

• A Context Filter is an independent filter that is computed *before* other dimension filters. When you add a dimension filter to context, Tableau creates a temporary table containing only the data that passes the context filter. Subsequent dimension filters are then applied to this smaller, temporary table.
• Use Context Filters when:
  • You want a dimension filter to be applied *before* other dimension filters.
  • You want to improve performance on large datasets by reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed by subsequent filters.
  • You want to create dependent filters (e.g., filtering by State after filtering by Region).

What is the difference between a Dimension Filter and a Measure Filter?

• **Dimension Filter:** Filters data based on the values of a dimension (categorical data). Applied *before* aggregation. Affects which rows from the data source are included.
• **Measure Filter:** Filters data based on the aggregated values of a measure. Applied *after* aggregation. Filters based on the result of a calculation (e.g., show only rows where `SUM(Sales)` is greater than $1000).

What is a Table Calculation Filter?

• A Table Calculation Filter is applied *after* all other filters and after table calculations have been computed. It filters the results of a table calculation *without* filtering the underlying data. This means the data is still available for other table calculations, but only a subset of the results is displayed in the view.

What is a Calculated Field? Give an example.

• A Calculated Field is a new field created in Tableau by applying calculations or formulas to existing fields in your data source.

  Profit Ratio = SUM([Profit]) / SUM([Sales])

  Sales per Customer = [Sales] / [Number of Records]

  Category and Sub-Category = [Category] + " - " + [Sub-Category]

What are the different types of Calculated Fields?

• **Basic Expressions:** Row-level calculations or aggregate calculations.
• **Level of Detail (LOD) Expressions:** Allow you to compute values at a different level of detail than the visualization.
• **Table Calculations:** Computations performed on the aggregated data in the view.

What is a Level of Detail (LOD) Expression? Why use it?

• LOD expressions allow you to compute values at a specific level of detail, independent of the dimensions in the view. This is powerful for answering questions that require calculations at a different granularity than what's displayed.
• Types of LOD expressions:
  • `FIXED`: Computes values using the specified dimensions, ignoring the dimensions in the view.
  • `INCLUDE`: Computes values using the dimensions in the view *plus* the specified dimensions.
  • `EXCLUDE`: Computes values using the dimensions in the view *minus* the specified dimensions.

Give an example of a FIXED LOD expression.

• `{FIXED [Customer Name] : SUM([Sales])}`: This calculates the total sales for each customer, regardless of what other dimensions are in the view.
• `{FIXED [Order Date] : SUM([Sales])}`: This calculates the total sales for each order date.

Give an example of an INCLUDE LOD expression.

• `{INCLUDE [Product Name] : AVG([Sales])}`: If your view is at the State level, this calculates the average sales for each product *within* each state.

Give an example of an EXCLUDE LOD expression.

• `{EXCLUDE [Region] : SUM([Sales])}`: If your view shows Sales by State and Region, this calculates the total sales for each state, ignoring the contribution of the Region dimension within the state.

What is the order of execution for LOD expressions?

• LOD expressions are computed in a specific order relative to filters:
  1. Context Filters
  2. FIXED LOD Expressions
  3. Dimension Filters
  4. INCLUDE/EXCLUDE LOD Expressions
  5. Measure Filters
  6. Table Calculation Filters

What is a Table Calculation? Why use it?

• Table calculations are calculations that are performed on the aggregated data in the view. They are computed *after* all other filters and LOD expressions. They require specifying a "Compute Using" setting (e.g., Table (Across), Table (Down), Pane (Across), Cell) to define how the calculation is partitioned and addressed across the table structure.
• Use Table Calculations for:
  • Running totals
  • Percentage of total
  • Rankings
  • Moving averages
  • Difference from a previous value

Give an example of a Table Calculation.

• `RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Sales]))`: Calculates the running total of sales.
• `PERCENTILE(SUM([Sales]))`: Calculates the percentage of total sales for each mark in the view.
• `RANK(SUM([Profit]))`: Ranks the profit values.

What is the difference between a Calculated Field and a Table Calculation?

• **Calculated Field:** Can be row-level, aggregate, or LOD. Computed earlier in the order of operations. Can be used in other calculations and filters.
• **Table Calculation:** Always operates on the aggregated data *in the view*. Computed last in the order of operations. Requires a "Compute Using" setting. Cannot be used directly in most other filter types (only Table Calculation Filters).

What is a Parameter in Tableau? Why use it?

• A Parameter is a dynamic value that can be used as a placeholder in calculations, filters, reference lines, or to swap measures/dimensions. Parameters allow users to interact with the view and change values dynamically without modifying the underlying data or calculation logic.
• Use Parameters for:
  • Allowing users to select a value (e.g., "Top N" value, a discount rate).
  • Swapping measures or dimensions in a view.
  • Setting values in calculated fields (e.g., a threshold).

How can you use a Parameter to swap measures?

• Create a parameter (e.g., `[Select Measure]`) with a list of string values corresponding to the measures you want to swap (e.g., "Sales", "Profit", "Quantity").
• Create a calculated field that uses a `CASE` or `IF` statement based on the parameter value to return the selected measure.

  CASE [Select Measure]
  WHEN "Sales" THEN [Sales]
  WHEN "Profit" THEN [Profit]
  WHEN "Quantity" THEN [Quantity]
  END

• Place this calculated field on the Rows or Columns shelf.
• Show the parameter control to allow users to select the measure.

What is a Set in Tableau? Why use it?

• A Set is a custom field that defines a subset of data based on some condition. Sets can be based on dimensions or measures. Elements are either "In" the set or "Out" of the set.
• Use Sets for:
  • Highlighting or filtering specific groups of data (e.g., "Top 10 Customers", "Customers with High Profit").
  • Comparing the "In" group to the "Out" group.
  • Creating calculated fields based on set membership.
  • Using Set Actions for interactive filtering.

What is the difference between a Group and a Set?

• **Group:** Combines multiple members of a dimension into a single member. A dimension can only belong to one group within a single grouping. Used for combining similar dimension members for analysis or display.
• **Set:** Defines a subset of data members based on a condition. Members are either "In" or "Out" of the set. A dimension member can be part of multiple sets. More flexible for comparisons and interactive filtering.

What is a Dashboard in Tableau?

• A Dashboard is a collection of worksheets, views, filters, parameters, images, and other objects arranged together to provide a consolidated view of key data insights. Dashboards are designed for interactive exploration and storytelling.

What are Actions in Tableau Dashboards? Name the different types.

• Actions are features that allow you to add interactivity to your dashboards and worksheets. They enable users to interact with marks in a view to filter, highlight, or navigate to external resources.
• Types of Actions:
  • **Filter Actions:** Uses the selection in one view (the source) to filter data in another view (the target).
  • **Highlight Actions:** Uses the selection in one view to highlight corresponding marks in another view.
  • **URL Actions:** Creates a hyperlink that opens a web page, file, or other URL when a mark is selected.
  • **Go to Sheet Actions:** Navigates the user to a different sheet, dashboard, or story.
  • **Set Actions:** Changes the values included in a set based on user selection, allowing for dynamic set membership.
  • **Parameter Actions:** Changes the value of a parameter based on user selection.

Explain how a Filter Action works.

• You configure a Filter Action specifying a source sheet (where the user clicks), a target sheet (which gets filtered), and the fields to filter on. When a user selects a mark(s) in the source sheet, Tableau sends the values of the specified fields from the selected marks to the target sheet, filtering the data in the target sheet to match those values.

What is a Story in Tableau?

• A Story is a sequence of visualizations (worksheets or dashboards) presented in a guided narrative format. You create story points, each containing a view or dashboard, and add captions to guide the audience through the data insights. Stories are used for presenting findings or telling a data-driven narrative.

What is the difference between a Dashboard and a Story?

• **Dashboard:** A single view containing multiple related visualizations for interactive exploration.
• **Story:** A sequence of views (worksheets or dashboards) presented in a linear narrative to guide the audience through insights.

What are the different ways to share a Tableau workbook?

• Publish to Tableau Server or Tableau Online.
• Save as a Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx) and share the file.
• Publish to Tableau Public (if using Tableau Public or allowed by license).
• Export individual sheets/dashboards as images, PDFs, or data.

What is a Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx)?

• A Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx) is a single file that contains the Tableau workbook (.twb) *and* a copy of the local data source (extracts, text files, etc.). This makes it easy to share with others as they don't need access to the original data source.

What is a Tableau Workbook (.twb)?

• A Tableau Workbook (.twb) file contains the layout and design of the worksheets, dashboards, and stories, but it does *not* contain the data itself. It only contains a connection reference to the data source. Sharing a .twb file requires the recipient to have access to the original data source.

How do you create a calculated field to get the difference from the previous year's sales?

• Use a Table Calculation: `SUM([Sales]) - LOOKUP(SUM([Sales]), -1)`
• You would then set the "Compute Using" to calculate across the years (e.g., Table (Across) if years are columns, or Pane (Down) if years are rows within a pane).

How do you create a calculated field to get the percentage of total sales?

• Use a Table Calculation: `SUM([Sales]) / WINDOW_SUM(SUM([Sales]))`
• You would set the "Compute Using" based on what you want the "total" to be (e.g., Table (Across) for percentage of row total, Table (Down) for percentage of column total, Table (Overall) for percentage of grand total).
• Alternatively, you can use the "Add Table Calculation" quick option on a measure pill.

What is the purpose of the Data Interpreter in Tableau?

• The Data Interpreter is a feature in Tableau that helps clean up data in Excel files, Google Sheets, or PDF files by detecting and removing extra information like titles, headers, footers, or extra rows/columns that are not part of the actual data table.

What is the difference between `COUNT([Field])` and `COUNTD([Field])`?

• `COUNT([Field])`: Counts the total number of non-null values in the specified field.
• `COUNTD([Field])`: Counts the number of distinct, non-null values in the specified field.

What is the purpose of Groups in Tableau? (Refined answer)

• Groups are used to combine multiple related members of a dimension into a single group. This simplifies the view and allows you to analyze data at a higher level of aggregation. For example, grouping several smaller states into a "Other States" group. Groups are static unless manually edited.

How do you create a Group?

• Right-click on a dimension in the Data pane.
• Select "Create" > "Group".
• Select the members you want to group and click the "Group" button.
• You can also select marks in a view and click the group icon on the tooltip.

How do you create a Set?

• Right-click on a dimension or measure in the Data pane.
• Select "Create" > "Set".
• Define the condition(s) for set membership (e.g., select specific members, use a condition based on a formula, use "Top N").

What is the difference between a Filter and a Set?

• **Filter:** Removes data from the view. The data is no longer available for other calculations (unless it's a Table Calculation filter).
• **Set:** Defines a subset of data as "In" or "Out". The "Out" data is still available and can be used for comparisons or other calculations. Sets are more flexible for complex scenarios and interactive actions.

What is a Dashboard Layout in Tableau?

• Dashboard Layout refers to how the items (sheets, filters, text, etc.) are arranged on the dashboard.
• Types of layout containers:
  • **Tiled:** Items are arranged in a grid and automatically adjust size when the dashboard is resized.
  • **Floating:** Items can be placed anywhere on the dashboard and have a fixed size and position, regardless of dashboard size.

What is the difference between Tiled and Floating layout containers?

• **Tiled:** Items are placed side-by-side in rows and columns. They resize automatically with the dashboard. Easier to align and manage space, especially for responsive designs.
• **Floating:** Items can be placed anywhere, overlapping if desired. They maintain their size and position relative to the top-left corner of the dashboard. Gives more artistic control but requires careful positioning and doesn't automatically adapt to different screen sizes.

What is a Story Point?

• A Story Point is a single screen or step in a Tableau Story. Each story point can contain a different view (worksheet or dashboard) and includes a caption to explain the insight.

What is the purpose of the Pages Shelf?

• The Pages shelf allows you to break a view into a series of pages based on the members of a dimension. It creates a separate view for each member and provides controls to navigate through the pages, creating an animated effect.

What is the purpose of the Detail Shelf?

• The Detail shelf adds dimensions to the level of detail in the view without visually separating the data by those dimensions (like Rows or Columns do). It's often used to include dimensions needed for tooltips, reference lines, or calculations (like LOD expressions) without changing the visual aggregation level.

What is the purpose of the Tooltip? How do you customize it?

• The Tooltip is the box that appears when you hover over a mark in the view. It displays information about that specific mark.
• You can customize the tooltip by clicking on the "Tooltip" card on the Marks shelf. You can add/remove fields, format text, add images, or insert other sheets/dashboards.

What is a Reference Line? Why use it?

• A Reference Line is a line drawn across a chart at a constant value, calculated value, or statistical value (like average, median, percentile).
• Use Reference Lines to:
  • Show a target or threshold.
  • Compare data points to a benchmark (e.g., average sales).
  • Visualize statistical distributions.

What is Forecasting in Tableau?

• Tableau can perform simple forecasting based on time series data. It uses exponential smoothing models to predict future values based on historical patterns, trends, and seasonality. You can add a forecast by right-clicking on a time series axis or measure and selecting "Forecast" > "Show Forecast".

What are Trend Lines in Tableau?

• Trend Lines show the general direction of the data over time or across categories. Tableau can add various types of trend lines (linear, logarithmic, exponential, polynomial) to help visualize patterns and relationships in the data.

What is Clustering in Tableau?

• Clustering is an analytical feature in Tableau that uses the k-means clustering algorithm to group marks in the view based on the values of the measures. It helps identify segments or groups within your data.

What are the different chart types available in Tableau?

• Bar Chart, Line Chart, Pie Chart, Scatter Plot, Map, Tree Map, Heat Map, Highlight Table, Text Table, Circle View, Shape Plot, Gantt Chart, Bubble Chart, Area Chart, Box Plot, Histogram, Bullet Graph, Waterfall Chart, Funnel Chart (can be built with bar charts), etc.

What is the Show Me feature in Tableau?

• The "Show Me" feature is a pane in Tableau that recommends appropriate chart types based on the dimensions and measures you have selected in the Data pane. It helps users quickly create common visualizations.

What is Data Source Page in Tableau?

• The Data Source Page is where you connect to your data, set up joins or blends between tables, and perform initial data preparation steps like renaming fields, changing data types, or applying filters.

What is the difference between an INNER JOIN and a LEFT JOIN in Tableau?

• **INNER JOIN:** Returns only the rows where the join condition is met in *both* tables.
• **LEFT JOIN:** Returns all rows from the left table and the matching rows from the right table. If there is no match in the right table, NULL values are returned for columns from the right table.

What are the different ways to connect to data in Tableau?

• Connecting to files (Excel, CSV, JSON, PDF, Spatial, etc.)
• Connecting to databases (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)
• Connecting to cloud data sources (Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake, etc.)
• Connecting to web data connectors.
• Connecting to saved data sources.

What is the purpose of the Data Pane?

• The Data Pane (on the left side of a worksheet) lists all the dimensions, measures, parameters, sets, and calculated fields available from the connected data source. You drag fields from the Data Pane to the shelves or cards to build visualizations.

What is the purpose of the Marks Card?

• The Marks card controls the visual properties of the marks in the view. You can change the Mark Type (Bar, Line, Circle, etc.), and drag fields to Color, Size, Label, Detail, Tooltip, and Shape to encode data visually.

What is the purpose of the Shelves (Rows, Columns, Filters, Pages)?

• The Shelves are areas where you drag fields from the Data Pane to build the structure and layout of the view.
  • **Rows/Columns:** Define the axes or headers of the view.
  • **Filters:** Restrict the data shown.
  • **Pages:** Create a sequence of views.

What is a Hierarchy in Tableau? Why use it?

• A Hierarchy is a structured list of dimensions where each level is more granular than the one above it (e.g., Country > State > City).
• Use Hierarchies to:
  • Allow users to drill down and drill up through different levels of detail in the view.
  • Organize related dimensions in the Data Pane.

How do you create a Hierarchy?

• In the Data Pane, drag one dimension onto another dimension (e.g., drag State onto Country).
• Name the hierarchy.
• Add other related dimensions to the hierarchy by dragging them into it.

What is the difference between Drilling Down and Drilling Up?

• **Drilling Down:** Moving from a higher level of a hierarchy to a lower level (more granular) in the view (e.g., from Year to Quarter).
• **Drilling Up:** Moving from a lower level of a hierarchy to a higher level (less granular) in the view (e.g., from City to State).

What is Aliasing in Tableau?

• Aliasing allows you to rename members of a dimension in the view without changing the underlying data. This is useful for making labels more readable or consistent.

What is Formatting in Tableau?

• Formatting in Tableau allows you to control the appearance of views, including fonts, colors, borders, shading, numbers, dates, and titles. You can format at the workbook, sheet, or field level.

What is the difference between Standard and Entire View in the Fit options?

• Fit options (found on the toolbar) control how the view is scaled within the available space.
  • **Standard:** Tableau tries to fit the view within the space while maintaining the aspect ratio and avoiding scrolling where possible.
  • **Entire View:** Tableau stretches the view to fill the entire available space, which can sometimes distort the aspect ratio.
  • Other options include Fit Width and Fit Height.

What is the purpose of the Analytics Pane?

• The Analytics Pane (next to the Data Pane) provides quick access to various analytical features you can drag into the view, such as:
  • Reference Lines, Bands, and Distribution.
  • Trend Lines.
  • Forecast.
  • Clusters.
  • Constant Line, Average Line, Median with Quartiles.

What are Dashboard Objects? Give examples.

• Dashboard Objects are elements you can add to a dashboard besides worksheets and filters.
• Examples: Text objects, Image objects, Web Page objects, Blank objects, Navigation objects, Download objects, Extensions.

What is the purpose of a Container in a Dashboard?

• Containers (Horizontal or Vertical) are used to group multiple sheets or objects on a dashboard. Items within a container resize together. This helps with organizing the layout and creating responsive dashboards.

What is the difference between a Horizontal and Vertical Container?

• **Horizontal Container:** Arranges items side-by-side, distributing space horizontally.
• **Vertical Container:** Arranges items one above another, distributing space vertically.

What is the purpose of the Layout Pane in a Dashboard?

• The Layout Pane (on the left side of a dashboard) allows you to manage the arrangement and formatting of items on the dashboard. You can select items, view their hierarchy within containers, set their position, size, borders, and background.

What is the purpose of the Dashboard Title and Worksheet Title?

• **Dashboard Title:** The main title for the entire dashboard.
• **Worksheet Title:** The title for an individual worksheet. By default, worksheet titles are shown on a dashboard when the sheet is added, but you can hide them.

What is the difference between a Quick Filter and a Filter Card?

• There is no difference in terminology. "Quick Filter" is the user-facing term for the interactive filter control that appears on a dashboard or worksheet when you add a field to the Filters shelf and choose "Show Filter". The control itself is often referred to as a "Filter Card".

What are the different ways to apply filters in a Dashboard?

• Using Quick Filters (Filter Cards).
• Using Filter Actions (selecting marks in one sheet to filter others).
• Using Parameters linked to calculated fields that filter data.
• Using Set Actions linked to calculated fields that filter data.

What is the purpose of the Data Source Filter? (Duplicate, but important)

• A Data Source Filter is applied at the data source level. It restricts the data that Tableau retrieves from the source *before* it is brought into Tableau Desktop. This is useful for significantly reducing the size of the data being worked with, especially for large datasets, and is applied globally to any worksheet using that data source.

What is the purpose of the Extract Filter? (Duplicate, but important)

• An Extract Filter is used specifically when creating a Tableau Data Extract. It defines which subset of data from the original data source will be included in the extract. This is a permanent filter on the extract itself.

How do you optimize the performance of a Tableau workbook?

• Use Extracts instead of Live Connections, especially for large or slow data sources.
• Use Data Source or Extract filters to reduce the amount of data.
• Use Context Filters to improve the performance of cascading filters.
• Reduce the number of marks in the view.
• Optimize calculations (e.g., avoid complex table calculations where possible, use LODs appropriately).
• Limit the number of filters in a view.
• Optimize the underlying database queries.
• Use performance recording to identify bottlenecks.

What is the Performance Recorder in Tableau?

• The Performance Recorder is a tool in Tableau Desktop that helps you understand the performance of your workbook. When enabled, it records events like query execution, geocoding, layout computation, and rendering. After stopping the recording, Tableau opens a workbook that shows the duration of these events, helping you identify performance bottlenecks.

How do you publish a workbook to Tableau Server/Online?

• In Tableau Desktop, go to `Server` > `Publish Workbook`.
• Select the Tableau Server or Tableau Online site.
• Choose the project where you want to publish.
• Configure publishing options (data source embedding, permissions, refresh schedule).
• Click "Publish".

What is the difference between embedding a data source and publishing it separately?

• **Embedding:** The data source connection details and potentially the extract are saved *within* the workbook file on the server. This is simpler but less reusable.
• **Publishing Separately:** The data source is published as a standalone item on the server. Multiple workbooks can then connect to this single published data source. This is better for managing data sources centrally, ensuring consistency, and managing extract refresh schedules in one place.

What is the purpose of a Tableau Server Project?

• Projects on Tableau Server/Online are used to organize workbooks and data sources and to manage permissions. You can create projects for different teams, departments, or topics.

What are Permissions in Tableau Server/Online?

• Permissions control what users or groups can do with content (workbooks, data sources, projects) on Tableau Server/Online (e.g., view, edit, download, delete, publish).

What is the difference between Authentication and Authorization in Tableau Server/Online?

• **Authentication:** Verifies the identity of a user (e.g., logging in with username and password).
• **Authorization:** Determines what an authenticated user is allowed to do (based on permissions).

What are the different ways to refresh data extracts on Tableau Server/Online?

• Scheduled refreshes (daily, weekly, etc.).
• Manual refreshes triggered by a user.
• Triggered refreshes via the Tableau Server/Online REST API or command-line utilities.

What is Subscription in Tableau Server/Online?

• Subscriptions allow users to receive periodic email snapshots of a dashboard or view from Tableau Server/Online. Users can subscribe themselves or be subscribed by others.

What are Alerts in Tableau Server/Online?

• Data-driven alerts notify users via email when a measure in a view crosses a specific threshold. Users can create alerts on axes or marks.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Bridge?

• Tableau Bridge is a client application that runs in your network and securely maintains a connection to your on-premises data sources. It is used with Tableau Online to keep data sources connected to the cloud fresh, enabling live queries or scheduled extract refreshes for data that cannot be accessed directly from the internet.

What is the difference between a Tableau Dashboard and a Story? (Duplicate, but good to reinforce)

• Dashboard: Single, interactive view for exploration.
• Story: Sequence of views for guided narrative/presentation.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Data Model?

• The Data Model in Tableau (introduced in version 2020.2) is where you set up relationships between tables using logical and physical layers.
  • **Logical Layer:** Defines relationships between logical tables (which can contain multiple physical tables joined or unioned). Relationships are flexible and context-aware, acting more like flexible joins depending on the dimensions/measures used in the view.
  • **Physical Layer:** Defines joins and unions between physical tables within a single logical table.

What is the difference between Relationships and Joins in the Tableau Data Model?

• **Relationships (Logical Layer):** Define how tables are related, but don't immediately combine them. Joins are determined dynamically at query time based on the dimensions and measures used in the view. More flexible, avoids unnecessary duplication.
• **Joins (Physical Layer):** Combine tables into a single flat table *before* analysis. Requires specifying join types (inner, left, etc.). Can lead to data duplication if not handled carefully.

What is the purpose of the Ask Data feature?

• Ask Data is a feature in Tableau (Server/Online) that allows users to ask questions about their data in natural language. Tableau uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand the question and automatically generate relevant visualizations.

What is the purpose of the Explain Data feature?

• Explain Data is an AI-powered feature in Tableau that helps users understand unexpected values in their data. When a user selects a mark, Explain Data automatically analyzes the data to find potential explanations for why that mark's value is particularly high or low, presenting these explanations as visualizations.

What are Extensions in Tableau?

• Extensions are web applications that can be embedded directly into Tableau dashboards. They allow you to add custom functionality, integrate with other applications, or visualize data in ways not natively supported by Tableau.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Developer Portal?

• The Tableau Developer Portal provides resources, documentation, and APIs for developers to extend and integrate with the Tableau platform (e.g., creating extensions, using the REST API, embedding Tableau views).

What is the purpose of the Tableau REST API?

• The Tableau REST API allows developers to programmatically interact with Tableau Server/Online. You can use it to manage users, groups, projects, workbooks, data sources, schedules, and more.

What is the purpose of the Tableau JavaScript API?

• The Tableau JavaScript API allows you to embed Tableau visualizations into your own web applications and interact with them programmatically (e.g., filter data, respond to user selections, get data from views).

What is the purpose of the Tableau Hyper API?

• The Tableau Hyper API allows developers to interact with Tableau's Hyper data engine. You can use it to programmatically create, read, update, and delete data in `.hyper` extract files. This is useful for building custom data integration or processing tools.

What is Row Level Security in Tableau? How can you implement it?

• Row Level Security (RLS) restricts the data that a user can see based on their identity or attributes.
• Implementation methods:
  • **Data Source Filters:** Use a calculated field that checks the current user's name (`USERNAME()`) or group (`ISUSER()`, `ISMEMBEROF()`) against a mapping table in the data.
  • **Entitlement Tables:** Join your data table to a security table that maps users/groups to the data they are allowed to see.
  • **LOD Expressions (less common for strict RLS):** Can sometimes be used to show aggregated data while hiding detail.
  • **Using Tableau Server/Online User Filters:** Create a calculated field that filters data based on the Tableau Server user.

What is the purpose of the `USERNAME()` function?

• `USERNAME()` is a Tableau function that returns the username of the current user viewing the workbook on Tableau Server/Online or Tableau Desktop. It's commonly used in calculated fields for implementing row-level security.

What is the purpose of the `ISUSER()` and `ISMEMBEROF()` functions?

• `ISUSER(string)`: Returns `TRUE` if the current user's username matches the specified string, otherwise `FALSE`.
• `ISMEMBEROF(string)`: Returns `TRUE` if the current user is a member of the specified group on Tableau Server/Online, otherwise `FALSE`. These are also used for row-level security.

What is the difference between the `.tde` and `.hyper` extract formats?

• `.tde` (Tableau Data Extract): The older extract format used by Tableau.
• `.hyper`: The newer extract format introduced with the Hyper data engine. It is generally faster for both extract creation and query performance, and supports larger data volumes. `.hyper` is the default format in recent Tableau versions.

How do you convert a `.tde` extract to a `.hyper` extract?

• Open a workbook connected to a `.tde` extract.
• Right-click on the data source in the Data Pane.
• Select "Extract" > "Upgrade to Hyper". Tableau will create a new `.hyper` file and switch the connection.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Desktop Public Edition?

• Tableau Public Desktop is a free version of Tableau Desktop for creating public visualizations. Workbooks created here can only be saved to Tableau Public's website, making the data and visualizations publicly accessible. It's a great tool for learning Tableau and sharing data stories with the public.

What are the limitations of Tableau Public?

• Data must be saved to Tableau Public's website (no local saving of .twbx).
• Data is publicly accessible.
• Limited data source connectivity (primarily files and some web data).
• Limited data size (currently 15 million rows per workbook).
• No direct connection to databases or cloud data sources.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Reader? (Duplicate, but important)

• Tableau Reader is a free application to open and interact with Tableau Packaged Workbooks (.twbx). It allows users to view dashboards, filter data, and see tooltips, but they cannot edit the workbook, connect to the original data source, or save changes. Useful for sharing static reports with users who don't have Tableau Desktop, Server, or Online access.

What is the difference between Tableau Reader and Tableau Public?

• **Tableau Reader:** Desktop application to view .twbx files *offline*. Cannot save or edit.
• **Tableau Public:** Platform (website and desktop tool) to create and share visualizations *publicly online*. Data is hosted and accessible via the web.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Prep Builder?

• Tableau Prep Builder is a desktop application for visually preparing, cleaning, and shaping data. You build "flows" to perform steps like joining, pivoting, aggregating, cleaning values, and outputting the result as a Tableau Extract, CSV, or database table. It's designed to simplify data preparation tasks often done in ETL tools or scripts.

What is the purpose of Tableau Prep Conductor?

• Tableau Prep Conductor is an add-on for Tableau Server/Online that allows you to schedule and manage Tableau Prep flows. It automates the process of running flows and updating data extracts on the server.

What is the difference between Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop for data preparation?

• **Tableau Prep:** Designed specifically for data preparation. Provides a visual flow interface for cleaning, combining, and shaping data *before* analysis. Better suited for complex data preparation tasks.
• **Tableau Desktop:** Provides basic data connection and preparation capabilities (joins, pivots, simple calculations, renaming) on the Data Source page. Primarily an analysis and visualization tool.

What is the purpose of the Storytelling feature in Tableau? (Duplicate, but important)

• Storytelling allows you to create a sequence of views (story points) to guide users through a narrative or present insights in a structured way. It's a presentation tool within Tableau.

How do you create a custom color palette in Tableau?

• You can define custom color palettes by editing the `Preferences.tps` file located in your Tableau Repository. This is an XML file where you add `` elements with lists of color codes. After saving the file and restarting Tableau, your custom palettes will appear in the color picker.

What is the purpose of the Data Highlighter?

• The Data Highlighter is a feature that allows users to quickly find specific marks in a view by typing in a search box. It highlights the matching marks and dims others, without filtering the data. It's an interactive way to explore subsets of data without changing the view's structure.

What is the purpose of the Inspector Tab in Tableau Prep?

• The Inspector tab in Tableau Prep shows details about the data at each step of the flow, including data types, profiles of values (distribution, outliers), and changes made by the cleaning steps. It's essential for understanding and validating your data preparation process.

What is the purpose of the Profile Pane in Tableau Prep?

• The Profile pane in Tableau Prep displays a summary of the data in each field, including value distributions, data types, and quality indicators (like nulls or errors). It's a key part of the visual data preparation process, allowing you to quickly identify issues and apply cleaning steps.

What is the purpose of the Recommendation Pane in Tableau Prep?

• The Recommendation pane in Tableau Prep provides suggestions for cleaning steps based on the data profile. For example, it might suggest grouping similar values, fixing data type issues, or filtering outliers.

What is the purpose of the Clean Step in Tableau Prep?

• A Clean Step in Tableau Prep is where you apply various cleaning and shaping operations to the data, such as renaming fields, changing data types, filtering rows, grouping values, splitting fields, or applying calculations.

What is the purpose of the Aggregate Step in Tableau Prep?

• An Aggregate Step in Tableau Prep allows you to change the granularity of the data by grouping on dimensions and aggregating measures. This is similar to creating a summary table.

What is the purpose of the Pivot Step in Tableau Prep?

• A Pivot Step in Tableau Prep allows you to transform data from a wide format to a tall (or narrow) format (and vice versa). This is useful for restructuring data where categories are stored as columns and you want to turn them into rows.

What is the purpose of the Union Step in Tableau Prep?

• A Union Step in Tableau Prep combines rows from multiple tables that have the same structure into a single table.

What is the purpose of the Join Step in Tableau Prep?

• A Join Step in Tableau Prep combines columns from multiple tables based on a common field. You can perform inner, left, right, or full outer joins.

What is the purpose of the Output Step in Tableau Prep?

• An Output Step in Tableau Prep saves the result of your flow to a file (Tableau Extract, CSV) or publishes it to a database table.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Catalog?

• Tableau Catalog (part of the Data Management Add-on for Server/Online) provides data discovery, governance, and lineage features. It helps users find data, understand its context, track its origin, and manage data quality warnings.

What is Data Lineage in Tableau Catalog?

• Data Lineage in Tableau Catalog shows the path of data from its original source to the dashboards and views that consume it. This helps understand where data comes from and how changes in the source might affect downstream content.

What is the purpose of Data Quality Warnings in Tableau Catalog?

• Data Quality Warnings allow data stewards to add banners to data sources or tables in Tableau Catalog to inform users about potential issues (e.g., "Under Maintenance", "Stale Data", "Warning: Sensitive Data").

What is the purpose of the Data Management Add-on for Tableau Server/Online?

• The Data Management Add-on provides features for data governance, preparation, and cataloging, including Tableau Prep Conductor (for scheduling flows) and Tableau Catalog (for data discovery and lineage).

What is the purpose of the Server Management Add-on for Tableau Server?

• The Server Management Add-on provides features for managing and scaling Tableau Server deployments, including the Resource Monitoring Tool (for performance monitoring) and the Content Migration Tool (for migrating content between sites or environments).

What is the purpose of the Resource Monitoring Tool (RMT)?

• The Resource Monitoring Tool (part of the Server Management Add-on) is a web-based tool that monitors the performance and resource usage of Tableau Server nodes. It helps identify bottlenecks and troubleshoot performance issues in large or complex deployments.

What is the purpose of the Content Migration Tool (CMT)?

• The Content Migration Tool (part of the Server Management Add-on) is a desktop application that simplifies the process of migrating content (workbooks, data sources, etc.) between Tableau Server sites or environments. It helps manage permissions, connections, and transformations during migration.

What is the difference between a Tableau Site and a Tableau Server instance?

• A Tableau Server instance is the physical or virtual server installation of Tableau Server.
• A Tableau Site is a partitioned section *within* a Tableau Server instance. A single Tableau Server can host multiple sites, each with its own users, groups, projects, and content, providing multi-tenancy.

What is the purpose of embedding Tableau views?

• Embedding Tableau views allows you to integrate interactive Tableau visualizations into your own web applications, portals, or other third-party applications. Users can view and interact with the data without leaving your application, using the Tableau JavaScript API.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Exchange?

• The Tableau Exchange is a marketplace where you can find connectors, dashboard extensions, accelerators (pre-built dashboards), and other tools and resources to extend Tableau's capabilities.

What is an Accelerator in Tableau?

• An Accelerator is a pre-built dashboard template designed for specific industries or use cases (e.g., Sales Performance, Marketing Analytics, Healthcare). You can connect your own data to an Accelerator to quickly get started with analysis.

What is the purpose of the Device Layouts for Dashboards?

• Device Layouts allow you to customize how a dashboard appears on different types of devices (e.g., Desktop, Tablet, Phone). You can rearrange items, hide sheets, or adjust sizing to create an optimized experience for each device.

What is the purpose of the Ask Data feature? (Duplicate)

• (Already covered) Natural language querying for data insights on Server/Online.

What is the purpose of the Explain Data feature? (Duplicate)

• (Already covered) AI-powered feature to explain data points in a view.

What are some best practices for designing effective dashboards in Tableau?

• Understand your audience and their needs.
• Keep it simple and focused on key questions.
• Use appropriate chart types for the data.
• Arrange elements logically with clear flow.
• Use consistent formatting and color palettes.
• Optimize for performance.
• Make it interactive using filters and actions.
• Provide clear titles and labels.
• Use layout containers for organization and responsiveness.
• Get feedback from users.

What is the purpose of the Tableau Community?

• The Tableau Community is a valuable resource for users to ask questions, share knowledge, find solutions, participate in forums, attend user groups, and contribute to the Tableau ecosystem. It includes the Tableau Community Forums, Tableau Public, Tableau User Groups, and the Tableau Extension Gallery.