Step-by-step guide: How to create a dashboard in Tableau like a pro

Below is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to create a professional dashboard in Tableau, from connecting data to designing a polished, interactive dashboard that clearly communicates your insights. We’ll also cover best practices, advanced tips, and ways you can continue leveling up your Tableau skills, including some upcoming live (and free) Tableau-focused events from General Assembly.

Table of contents

1. What is a Tableau dashboard?
2. The foundation: Understanding Tableau’s building blocks
3. Setting up your Tableau environment
4. Preparing your data
5. Connecting to data in Tableau
6. Building visualizations (worksheets)
7. Combining worksheets into a dashboard
8. Making dashboards interactive
9. Enhancing your dashboard with objects & actions
10. Sharing and publishing your dashboard
11. Best practices for effective dashboards
12. Further learning & upcoming Tableau events
13. Additional resources

1. What is a Tableau dashboard?

A Tableau dashboard combines multiple worksheets, visualizations, and other objects (like text, images, and filters) into a single interactive interface. Dashboards allow users to explore data, uncover trends, and make data-driven decisions efficiently. They’re widely used in business intelligence, analytics, and reporting.

2. The foundation: Understanding Tableau’s building blocks

Before building a dashboard, you need to understand the components:

• Worksheets: These are the individual visualizations (charts, graphs, maps) you create. Think of them as the building blocks of your dashboard.
• Dashboards: A collection of worksheets and other objects (like text, images, and web pages) arranged on a single screen. They provide a consolidated view of your data.
• Data source: The origin of your data (e.g., an Excel file, a database connection).
• Dimensions: Categorical data (e.g., names, dates, locations). They are used to segment and categorize your data.
• Measures: Numerical data (e.g., sales, profit, quantity). They are the values you want to analyze and visualize.
• Marks card: Marks card is the control panel that governs how your data appears in a view. It controls the mark type (such as bar, line, circle, or shape), color (including palette, transparency, and borders), size (mark thickness or size), labels (turning them on, off, or formatting them), detail (adding extra fields for more granular information), and tooltips (editing pop-up text and formatting).
• Shelves: Rows and columns shelves are used to create the structure of your visualizations.

3. Setting up your Tableau environment

Before you begin, ensure you have either Tableau Desktop installed or a Tableau Cloud/Tableau Server account. If you don’t have Tableau yet, you can download a free trial from the Tableau website.

4. Preparing your data

Before diving into Tableau, ensure your data is clean and well-structured. Here are some tips:

• Use consistent column headers (e.g., Order Date, Product Name).
• Fix data types (dates as dates, numbers as numbers, etc.).
• Avoid special characters and extra whitespace.
• Create separate dimension tables (like Customer, Product) and fact tables (like Orders/Invoices) if your raw data is relational.

Well-prepared data ensures fewer headaches once you’re building dashboards.

5. Connecting to data in Tableau

Dashboards are only as good as the data behind them.

1. Connect to data: On the left side of the welcome screen, choose your data source:
   • From file (e.g., Excel, CSV)
   • From server (e.g., SQL, Oracle)
   • Cloud-based connectors (e.g., Tableau Cloud, Google Sheets)
2. 
3. Set Relationships (if using multiple data tables): Drag tables into the Relationships canvas and define matching keys (e.g., CustomerID in both a Customer table and an Orders table). Tableau often auto-detects field relationships but always review the “cardinality” settings to ensure optimal performance.

After connecting successfully, switch to a new Worksheet to start building views.

6. Building visualizations (worksheets)

Each visualization (or “view”), such as a bar chart, line chart, map, or KPI text, that you want to include in your dashboard starts with a worksheet. Here’s how to create them:

1. At the bottom of the workbook, click the “New Worksheet” icon (a small grid with a plus sign).
2. Choose Dimensions & Measures:
   • Dimensions (blue pills) are typically categorical (like Country, Category, or Date if used as discrete).
   • Measures (green pills) are numeric data fields (like Sales, Profit, Discount).
3. 
4. Drag & Drop:
   • Drag Dimensions, e.g., Country, from the Data Pane to the “Columns” or “Rows” shelves to define your chart axes.
   • Drag Measures, e.g., Sales, to the “Columns” or “Rows” shelves.
5. 
6. Mark types: Use the “Marks” card to change chart types (bar, line, pie, etc.), colors, sizes, and labels. Use the “Show Me” tab for recommended charts based on your selection.

7. Combining worksheets into a dashboard

Once you have multiple worksheets, bring them all together on a Dashboard:

1. Create a new dashboard: At the bottom of Tableau, click New Dashboard icon (the tab with a window icon next to the New Worksheet icon).
2. Drag & drop worksheets: On the left side panel, under Sheets, drag each worksheet into the Dashboard pane.
   
   To replace a sheet already in the dashboard, select it and hover over the replacement sheet in the Sheets list, then click the Swap Sheets button.
   
3. Set dashboard size: Under Dashboard → Size, pick a fixed dimension (e.g., 1200×800) or choose Automatic to let Tableau adjust based on screen size. Consider your target audience and how they will view the dashboard (desktop, tablet, phone).
4. Rearrange & resize: Decide which views should be side by side, top-to-bottom, or floating overlays. You can use Tiled (snaps in place) or Floating (manual positioning). By default, objects are “tiled,” meaning they automatically arrange themselves.

Your final dashboard can now display multiple data visualizations in one place for a holistic perspective.

8. Making dashboards interactive

Interactivity is one of Tableau’s strong suits. Here are a few ways to add it:

1. Use as filter: In the top-right corner of each worksheet (on the dashboard), click the Use as Filter icon. Selecting marks in that worksheet will filter other worksheets on the dashboard to those matching records.
   
2. Adding filters:
   • Click the drop-down menu on a specific worksheet in the dashboard → Filters → Choose a field (like Category or Region).
   • You can set the filter to apply to all worksheets using the same data source: drop-down → Apply to Worksheets → All Using This Data Source.
3. 
4. Highlighting: Highlight is a way to visually emphasize certain data points across multiple views. When you use the Highlight feature ( Action), Tableau temporarily dims the other marks and brightens or outlines the related marks that match what you’ve selected.

9. Enhancing your dashboard with objects & actions

Beyond just worksheets, Tableau offers objects you can add for design or functionality:

1. Horizontal and vertical objects (layout containers): These are the foundation of organized dashboards. Layout containers allow you to group related objects together, ensuring they resize predictably when users interact with your Tableau dashboard. 
2. Text objects: Simple yet powerful, text objects are perfect for adding titles, explanations, key takeaways, or any contextual information to guide your audience and provide clarity.
3. Image objects: Insert static images or link them to an external URL.
4. Web page: Embed entire web pages directly within your dashboard. This is incredibly useful for bringing in supplementary information, live data feeds, or external applications. Be mindful of web security options, and note that some websites (like Google) prevent embedding. Always use HTTPS protocol for URLs when possible to enhance security.
5. Blank objects: Blank objects are your secret weapon for fine-tuning spacing between dashboard elements. Use them to create visual breathing room and improve the overall layout and readability of your dashboard.
6. Buttons (navigation/download):
   • Navigation object: Lets you navigate to another worksheet, dashboard, or story at the click of a button. It’s especially handy if you don’t want to rely on “Go to Sheet” actions from within a tooltip or mark selection.
   • Download object: Enables quick exporting (PDF/PNG/PPT/Crosstab) of the current dashboard or part of it.
7. Extension objects: Lets you integrate custom or third-party extensions (e.g., write-back forms, advanced analytics) directly into the dashboard window.
8. Pulse metric objects: For real-time performance monitoring, embed existing metric cards directly into your dashboards using Pulse Metric objects. These metrics are linked to your published data sources, providing up-to-the-minute insights.

To insert objects, just drag them from the Objects section on the left to your dashboard area. 

10. Sharing and publishing your dashboard

You’ve built a great dashboard, and now it’s time to let others interact with it:

Publish to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud (online)

Best for: Sharing with people inside your organization who also have Tableau accounts.

1. Open Your Workbook in Tableau Desktop.
2. Sign In to the Server/Cloud: Go to Server → Sign In. Enter your Tableau Server URL or use the Quick Connect link if using Tableau Cloud (Online). Enter your credentials.
3. Publish: Once signed in, go to Server → Publish Workbook. In the Publish Workbook dialog, Select a Project to place your workbook in. Set permissions, and click Publish
4. Test & share: After publishing, Tableau automatically opens the workbook in the browser. Copy the link and share it with colleagues who can sign in to view, interact with, or edit (permissions allowing).

Make it public (Tableau Public)

Best for: Showcasing dashboards to a broad audience, including non-Tableau users.

1. Open Your Workbook in Tableau Desktop.
2. Save to Tableau Public: Go to Server → Tableau Public → Save to Tableau Public. Sign in to your free Tableau Public account.
   
3. Obtain the link or embed code: Once published, a browser window displays your public dashboard. Click the Share button to copy the link or embed code. Anyone with that link can see or embed your viz—no login needed.

Note: Anything on Tableau Public is fully open on the web. Sensitive or proprietary data should not be published here.

Packaged Workbook (.twbx) + Tableau Reader

Best for: Sharing offline or with colleagues who don’t have a Tableau license.

1. Create a Packaged Workbook: In Tableau Desktop, go to File → Export Packaged Workbook (or Save As → select “Tableau Packaged Workbook”). This bundles your dashboard, data, and formatting into a single .twbx file.
   
2. Share the .twbx file: Colleagues can open a .twbx with the free Tableau Reader (downloadable from the Tableau site). The workbook remains interactive. Filters and highlighting work, but no editing or re-publishing.

Embedding on a website

Best for: Displaying an interactive dashboard directly on an internal or public webpage.

1. Publish your dashboard to Tableau Server, Tableau Cloud, or Tableau Public.
   
2. Copy embed code: From the published dashboard in a browser, select Share → Copy Embed Code. Paste this HTML snippet into your website’s code.

11. Best practices for effective dashboards

Here are key best practices to consider:

Know Your purpose & audience

Before you even drag your first sheet onto the dashboard canvas, ask yourself: “What is the purpose of this dashboard?” Are you presenting a conclusion, highlighting a key question, or enabling exploratory analysis?

Equally crucial is understanding your audience. Are they experts in the data, or are they new to the subject matter? What level of detail do they need? Tailoring your dashboard to your audience’s knowledge and needs is paramount for effective communication.

Leverage the prime real estate

Place the most critical chart or KPI in the upper-left corner. Users typically read from left to right, top to bottom.

Keep it clean & clear

Less is often more. Aim for no more than two or three key views per dashboard. Overloading a dashboard with too many visuals can overwhelm viewers, obscure the main message, and even impact performance. If your data story requires more views, consider creating multiple, focused dashboards instead of one sprawling one.

Use consistent color schemes and tidy fonts. Remove unnecessary grid lines or borders.

Add interactivity sparingly

While filters are powerful, too many can overwhelm users. Provide only relevant filters for exploring.

Design for performance

Large or numerous data sets can slow load times. Optimize data extracts, reduce complex calculations in real-time, and be mindful of the number of worksheets on one dashboard.

Mobile & device layouts

Tableau dashboards are fixed size by default. Design at the size your audience will actually view the dashboard. Alternatively, set the Size to “Automatic” to let Tableau adapt to different screen sizes. However, be aware that automatic sizing can sometimes lead to compressed views or scrollbars on smaller screens. The “Range” sizing feature can help mitigate this. For tablet and mobile users, consider creating device-specific layouts to optimize the dashboard experience on different screen sizes. Minimize scrolling if possible.

12. Further learning & upcoming Tableau events

General Assembly offers a variety of Tableau and data-focused workshops, as well as FREE classes. Check out these upcoming free live events to learn more:

1. Beginner’s Guide to Excel Analytics Basics | Free Class
   Strengthen foundational analytics knowledge and see how Excel can complement Tableau.
2. Beginner’s Guide to Tableau | Free Class
   Dive into Tableau’s basics, from connecting data to building your first visuals.
3. Beginner’s Guide to Data Analytics | FREE Class
   Kick off your data journey with an introduction to data analytics, including visualization techniques that can help you tell your data’s story.

Be sure to check our events page for specific dates, times, and registration details. Looking to dive deeper? Check out our comprehensive data science and analytics courses.

13. Additional resources

• Reverse engineer dashboards you admire from Tableau Public: Browse dashboards from top authors, reverse-engineer their techniques, and build your own portfolio.
• Tableau Video Library: The official Tableau Video Library has on-demand tableau dashboard tutorials from beginner to advanced.
• Community forums and Reddit (r/tableau): Ask questions, troubleshoot issues, and get design feedback from a global community.
• Design principles: Study basic design principles (color theory, typography, visual hierarchy) to create more visually appealing and effective Tableau dashboards. Resources like FontJoy (for font pairings) and Pinterest (for color palettes) can be helpful.
• Community challenges: Participate in challenges like Workout Wednesday, Makeover Monday, and Onyx Data to hone your skills by recreating visualizations and tackling real-world datasets.

How to create a dashboard in Tableau : Final thoughts

Creating a professional dashboard in Tableau means more than just dropping charts on a page. It’s about telling a compelling data story, enabling meaningful interaction, and delivering valuable insights that decision-makers can act upon. By following the steps above, preparing clean data, building thoughtful visuals, and fine-tuning your dashboard’s layout, you’ll be well on your way to creating dashboards that truly stand out.

With practice and the community behind you, you can master data visualization in Tableau. Don’t forget to explore the live (free!) classes and workshops from General Assembly to deepen your skills and network with fellow data enthusiasts. 

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