Tableau is Salesforce’s analytics platform for preparing data, building interactive visualizations and sharing them through desktop applications, browsers and mobile devices. Desktop and Prep Builder run on Windows and macOS; Server also supports Linux. Commercial subscriptions support team deployments, alongside free Desktop, Public and Reader options.
Connections and reusable preparation
In Tableau Desktop, users select a connector for a spreadsheet, text file, database or other source. Tableau exposes its columns as fields for analysis. A live connection queries the source, while an extract keeps a separate data snapshot for local analysis. Users can filter that snapshot and refresh it fully or incrementally as records change.
Tableau Prep Builder organizes cleaning work as a flow of connected steps. Its Profile pane summarizes field values, while a data grid shows individual records. Users correct types, trim text, split fields and group inconsistent values. Union steps append rows; joins combine columns through matching fields. The Changes pane records transformations for editing or reordering.
Running the flow creates a Hyper extract, CSV file, published data source or database output. Prep Conductor can schedule flows on Cloud or Server when the deployment includes Data Management and enables that component.
Building a view from fields
Tableau’s data model can relate separate tables through matching fields. Relationships preserve each table’s detail and let Tableau determine joins during analysis. Physical joins and unions instead combine tables within the model.
On a worksheet, dimensions define categories and detail, while measures supply quantities that Tableau aggregates. Dragging fields onto Rows and Columns builds the view’s axes. The Marks card assigns color, size, shape and labels. Show Me offers chart choices for the current fields, and tooltips reveal values behind individual marks.
Calculations, filters and maps
The Calculation Editor creates named fields from formulas, existing fields and functions. A parameter can replace a constant in a calculation, filter or reference line. Users expose its control as a list, slider or input field; changing its value updates elements that reference it.
Filters include or exclude members, limit results to a top or bottom group, and narrow dates. Hierarchies let users drill from broader categories into details. Geographic roles turn location fields into map marks, where color or size can represent measures.
The Analytics pane adds reference lines, distributions, trends and forecasts where the view supports them. Available drop targets can scope an object to the table, pane or cell. Desktop also exports source data as CSV and view data as an Excel crosstab.
Dashboards that respond to selections
A dashboard combines worksheets on one canvas, with tiled or floating layouts. Authors can make a selection in one view filter another, or apply one filter across related worksheets. Tableau stories arrange worksheets or dashboards into successive story points. Each point can keep its own filter state and caption without changing earlier points.
Publishing to Cloud or Server
Tableau Cloud provides hosted analytics, while Tableau Server runs on infrastructure that the organization manages. Authors publish workbooks and data sources into projects for browser access. A user’s license, site role and content permissions jointly determine viewing, editing and publishing rights. Viewer access allows interaction but does not permit web editing.
Administrators connect a Tableau Bridge client to their Cloud site and place it where it can reach private data. Bridge runs live queries or scheduled extract refreshes for supported sources; file sources require extracts.
Tableau Reader provides a separate free route for interacting with visualizations that others share as local files.
Following data on mobile
Tableau Mobile connects to Cloud or Server accounts for browsing, searching and opening dashboards. It views visualizations rather than authoring them, and cannot sign into Tableau Public. Offline previews retain limited interactions such as panning and tooltips, but omit filtering.
On Cloud, Tableau Pulse tracks business metrics over time. Users follow metrics to receive insights and alerts about significant changes, and inspect contributions from different dimensions.
Semantic models and conversational authoring
Tableau Next organizes analysis in workspaces around Data 360 objects and semantic models. Authors define relationships and business calculations, then build metrics, visualizations and dashboards from that shared meaning. They can share assets or embed metrics and dashboards in Salesforce Lightning pages. Dashboard actions can invoke Salesforce Flows.
In Desktop and web authoring, Tableau Agent turns natural-language requests into visualizations and calculations. Desktop users must sign into a Tableau+ or Tableau Cloud+ site, a Cloud trial, or a Server site. An administrator must enable AI authoring there.
When administrators enable Agent for Prep, users describe a cleaning task, review its proposed steps and apply them. Agent cannot create joins or output steps.
On Tableau+ or Tableau Cloud+ sites, creators assemble content and business rules into Tableau Knowledge graphs. Agents query those graphs for business context. Knowledge currently supports English only.
Local analysis or public publishing
| Desktop option | Working scope |
|---|---|
| Free | Local analysis, including live sources; no publishing, packaged-workbook sharing or Cloud/Server published-source connections. |
| Professional | A paid license enables Cloud/Server connections, publishing and sharing. |
| Public | Restricted connectors and public web publishing; the native edition excludes commercial use. Published views become accessible on the internet. |
