Share Insights
Sharing insights
Build worksheets first, then assemble dashboards and stories. Dashboard concepts include size (fixed, automatic, range), tiled versus floating layout, containers, device layouts, show/hide sheets, legends, and actions: filter, highlight, URL, parameter, and go-to-sheet. Tooltips can hold full viz-in-tooltip views. Parameters are workbook-level controls and are not data source filters.
Publishing concepts include Tableau Server and Cloud projects, permissions, published data sources, extract refresh schedules, subscriptions, and data-driven alerts. For offline handoff, a packaged workbook (.twbx) bundles the workbook with its extract and assets; a regular workbook (.twb) points at external data. Tableau Reader is view-only. Tableau Public publishes content publicly. Export options include image, PDF, PowerPoint, crosstab, and data.
Traps: a filter action does not filter its own source sheet; highlight is not filter; floating objects do not reflow and can overlap on other screen sizes; fixed dashboards do not resize; parameters cannot be used in data source filters; publishing without credentials or a refresh schedule leaves extracts stale. Also distinguish a packaged workbook from a packaged data source.
Worked rule: if the audience needs scheduled browser refresh, publish a data source or workbook to Server or Cloud, embed credentials, and set a refresh schedule. If the audience needs an offline file, use File > Save As > .twbx so the extract and images travel with the workbook. Rule of thumb: choose the delivery channel first, then design for its constraints.