Tableau glossary
Key Tableau certification terms and acronyms.
Definitions are AI-assisted and reviewed for general accuracy — verify critical details against Tableau's official documentation.
Aggregation
The process of summarizing measure values using functions like SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, or COUNT at the view's level of detail.
Calculated Field
A user-defined field created by writing a formula in Tableau to derive new data from existing fields.
Calculated Field
A user-defined field created using Tableau's formula editor that computes new data from existing fields or constants.
Context Filter
A filter that is executed first, creating a temporary table that all subsequent filters and LOD expressions operate against.
Context Filter
A filter that creates a temporary table of filtered data against which all other filters and LOD expressions are subsequently applied.
Dashboard
A single canvas in a Tableau workbook that combines multiple sheets, text, images, and layout containers into one view.
Dashboard Action
An interactive behavior in a Tableau dashboard triggered by user events, enabling filter, highlight, URL, or sheet navigation actions.
Data Blending
A method of combining data from multiple sources in a single view using a left join-like relationship at the aggregate level.
Data Blending
A method of combining data from multiple data sources in a single view using a linking field, without creating a formal join.
Dimension
A qualitative field in Tableau used to categorize, segment, and filter data; typically discrete and displayed in blue.
Dimension
A categorical field used to partition and label data, typically containing qualitative values such as names, dates, or geographic regions.
Disaggregation
Turning off measure aggregation in Tableau so each individual row in the data source is plotted as a separate mark.
Dual Axis
A chart configuration that places two independent measure axes on opposite sides of a single pane, enabling overlay of two mark types.
Dual Axis
A chart configuration that overlays two measures on separate synchronized axes sharing the same view pane.
EXCLUDE
An LOD expression type that removes specified dimensions from the view's granularity when computing a calculation.
Extract
A static, compressed snapshot of data stored locally in Tableau's .hyper format, enabling faster query performance and offline access.
Extract
A static, compressed snapshot of data saved as a .hyper file that Tableau queries locally for improved performance.
Filter
A mechanism that restricts the data displayed in a view; Tableau applies filters in a defined order of operations.
FIXED
An LOD expression type that computes a value at a specified dimension level, ignoring view-level filters except context filters.
Group
A manually created field that combines selected dimension members into higher-level categories within Tableau.
Hierarchy
An ordered grouping of related dimensions that enables drill-down navigation from higher to lower levels of detail in a view.
Hyper
Tableau's in-memory data engine format (.hyper) used for fast data extract storage and query processing.
INCLUDE
An LOD expression type that adds specified dimensions to the view's existing granularity for a calculation.
Join
A physical combination of tables by matching rows on a key field, performed before data reaches the canvas.
Join
A relational operation that combines rows from two or more tables based on a common field before data is loaded into Tableau.
Live Connection
A data source connection that issues real-time queries directly to the underlying database each time the view is loaded or refreshed.
LODLevel of Detail
Expressions in Tableau that control the granularity of a calculation, independent of the view's dimension level.
LODLevel of Detail
An expression type that controls the granularity at which a calculation is computed, independent of the view's current level of detail.
Mark
A single visual element in a view (bar, circle, line segment, etc.) that represents one or more rows of data.
Marks Card
The panel in Tableau's authoring interface that controls visual encoding properties such as color, size, shape, label, and detail.
Marks Card
The panel in Tableau Desktop that controls mark type and encoding channels such as Color, Size, Label, Detail, and Tooltip.
Measure
A quantitative field containing numeric values that Tableau aggregates by default when added to a view.
Measure
A quantitative field in Tableau that can be aggregated using functions such as SUM, AVG, or COUNT.
Parameter
A user-controllable input variable in Tableau that can replace constant values in calculated fields, filters, and reference lines.
Pill
The visual representation of a field in Tableau's interface; blue pills are discrete dimensions or measures, green pills are continuous.
Publish
The process of deploying a Tableau workbook, data source, or extract to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud for shared access.
Quick Table Calculation
Pre-built table calculations in Tableau applied to a measure with a single click, such as Running Total or Percent of Total.
Relationship
A flexible, context-aware logical join between tables in Tableau's data model that preserves row-level detail per table.
Relationship
A flexible, context-aware link between tables defined in the Data Source canvas that preserves each table's row granularity.
Set
A custom field that defines a subset of dimension members as either 'in' or 'out' based on a condition or manual selection.
Set
A custom field in Tableau that defines a subset of dimension members based on conditions or manual selection.
Show Me
A Tableau panel that suggests appropriate chart types based on the fields currently selected in the Data pane.
Story
A Tableau workbook sheet that sequences multiple views or dashboards into a guided narrative using story points.
Table Calculation
A secondary calculation applied to aggregated values already in the view, computed using Tableau rather than the data source.
Table Calculation
A secondary calculation applied to values already aggregated in the view, computed locally in Tableau rather than in the data source.
TDETableau Data Extract
The legacy columnar extract file format (.tde) used in Tableau versions prior to 10.5; superseded by the .hyper format.
Tooltip
A configurable pop-up in a Tableau view that displays additional information about a data mark when a user hovers over it.
Union
A method of appending rows from one table beneath another table that shares the same or compatible column structure.
Union
A method of appending rows from two or more tables with the same structure into a single combined table.
VizQLVisual Query Language
Tableau's proprietary language that translates drag-and-drop actions into database queries and renders the resulting visualization.