The Tableau Performance Checklist

Data

The Tableau Performance Checklist

by Brad Fair
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The Tableau Performance Checklist series is designed to help you streamline your dashboard performance and Tableau Server configuration. Each post expands upon one item listed in the master Tableau Performance Checklist.

The Tableau Performance Checklist

Ask Tableau users what they love most about Tableau, and they’ll likely say it’s the ability to create stunning data visualizations quickly and easily. Tableau was designed with usability in mind, apparent in its approachable interface, yet behind that interface lies a powerful collection of components capable of cranking out complex data visualizations at lightning speed.

Of course, excited users inevitably find ways to bog things down. It’s easy to do. The good news is that we learned from these mistakes and took the time to jot down a few ways to maintain peak performance. So whether your Tableau Server is running slow or Tableau Workbooks seem sluggish, our Tableau Performance Checklist is here to help with performance-saving best practices. We hope it helps you as much as it’s helped us.

The List

The Tableau Performance Checklist is divided into seven main categories. You’ll find those categories with their subsequent best practices in the master list below:

Data

  • Keep analysis simple. Work with a subset of your data. Extract a sample if needed.
  • Bring in only the data needed for analysis. Consider adding a data source filter or using an extract. If using a join, minimize the number of joined tables.
  • Use “Describe” to explore dimensions in new data sets without having to load them into a viz (keyboard shortcut CTRL+E).
  • Remove unused columns (measures/dimensions) in order to minimize extract refresh time or custom SQL query time.
  • Create a published TDS file for your business team to use rather than each analyst creating their own data source. This includes all metadata associated with dimensions, measures, calculated fields, hierarchies, sets, parameters and naming conventions.
  • Use extracts wherever possible to accelerate performance. Hide unused and confidential fields. Roll up data granularity by pre-aggregating or filtering. Break hierarchies to only visible dimensions.

 

Filtering

 

Custom SQL

 

Calculations

 

Rendering

 

Local Computations

 

Dashboard Layout

 

Dive Deeper with the Tableau Performance Checklist Series

There you have it. That’s the Tableau Performance Checklist in its entirety – at least for now. Still, what if you wanted to know more about each of the specific items listed above? Maybe you want more of a walkthrough?

You’re in luck!

We’ve begun breaking down this checklist into a Tableau Performance Checklist blog series. Each post in the series will provide an in-depth overview of one specific point found on the list. We’ll link to these posts here as they develop, so check back regularly.

Want to skip the reading? You can just as easily talk to one of our Tableau performance experts today! Simply drop us a line, and we’ll get in touch. You can also download Workbook Tools for Tableau to start getting instant performance feedback with features like Performance Analyzer.

Contact Us!

Want to Share with Others?

A PDF version of our Tableau Performance Checklist is attached below for easy sharing!

Want More The Tableau Performance Checklist

  1. The Tableau Performance Checklist
  2. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Data – Keep Analysis Simple
  3. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Data – Bring in Only Needed Data
  4. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Data – Use ‘Describe’ to Explore
  5. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Data – Remove Unused Columns from Extracts
  6. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Data – Use One TDS File
  7. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Data – Use Extracts
  8. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Minimize Quick Filters
  9. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Avoid ‘Only Relevant Values’ in Quick Filters
  10. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Avoid High-Cardinality Quick Filters
  11. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Avoid Quick Filters That Drive Context Filters
  12. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Keep Range Quick Filters Simple
  13. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Use Dashboard Filter Actions
  14. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Filtering – Don’t Be Lazy with User Filters
  15. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Custom SQL – Limit in Live Connections
  16. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Custom SQL – Avoid Parameters
  17. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Custom SQL – Watch for Useless Clauses
  18. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Calculations – Use Calculated Fields Carefully
  19. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Calculations – Limit Blended Calculations
  20. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Calculations – Avoid Row-Level Calculations Involving Parameters
  21. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Rendering – Avoid High Mark Counts
  22. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Rendering – Limit Text Tables With Lots of Marks
  23. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Rendering – Minimize Image & Shape File Sizes
  24. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Rendering – Use Transparent Background PNGs
  25. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Local Computations – Server Performance
  26. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Local Computations – Table Calculations
  27. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Dashboard Layout – Limit Number of Worksheets
  28. The Tableau Performance Checklist: Dashboard Layout – Fix Dashboard Size

More About the Author

Brad Fair

Solutions Architect
Webcast Friday: Tableau Server Performance Monitoring On the second ever Webcast Friday that InterWorks has produced, I had the honor of speaking to our web audience about Tableau Server ...
The Desktop User’s Guide to Tableau Server Are you a Tableau Desktop user who is new to Tableau Server? Do you find yourself confounded by all of the thingamajigs and whatsits, ...

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