Top 15 Tableau Features You Should Know

Tableau is a popular tool used by many businesses for data visualization. Using its powerful tableau features, people can derive valuable insights from their data.

This blog lists the top 15 Tableau features that you can use to convert raw data into business intelligence.

From fundamentals to advanced AI features, we will explore how you can use Tableau to make data analysis easier. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

Data can only be as powerful as your understanding of what it represents.

Merely storing raw data in spreadsheets does not mean you can gain any valuable insights from it.

This is why understanding Tableau’s powerful features is essential for using your data more effectively.

Using key Tableau features, you can turn complex data points into interactive showcases.

It will also help you save time by automating various steps in your workflow.

To help you better understand, I will walk you through the best Tableau features you can use today.

Let’s begin! 

Read our dedicated blog on various Tableau dashboard examples to better understand how its features are implemented. 

1. Explain Data

Confused about what a particular data point means in your table?

Clear your doubts by using Explain Data. It is precisely what it sounds like.

Using AI, this feature explains the relationship between a particular data point and the rest of the table.

Explain Data also allows you to create visual representations of data trends from the table.

This will help you understand the data in a more engaging manner.

So how do you use it? Right-click on any data point and select the option “Explain Data”.

Tableau then automatically analyzes the data point (or points) you selected and shows why they are significant within the table.

Benefit: Provides AI-driven answers that can save you hours of manual investigation. 

Example: A retailer clicks on a sudden spike in a store’s sales. Using Explain Data, they can identify the specific promotion in a particular region that led to the spike.

2. Tableau Accelerators

Accelerators are ready-to-use dashboard templates that can help you reduce your work considerably.

Think of them like pre-built worksheets in Google Sheets that let users quickly start logging their work.

These accelerators are a great way to save time. They enable you to access the format you need, ready for immediate use.

Benefit: Accelerators can significantly shorten your time-to-insight.

Example: A marketing team uses the ‘Web Traffic Accelerator’ to immediately start monitoring the performance of their campaign without building a new dashboard.

3. Data Stories

Confused about what the insights stand for on your dashboard?

Data stories can help you generate helpful narrative insights in plain English.

Data stories are summaries that explain what the boring numbers on your worksheet actually represent.

This can help other non-technical team members to realize what your data indicates.

Benefit: Makes insights generated from data easier to understand for everyone.

Example: An executive uses Data Story to generate an automated summary of their insights. They then use it to make other team members understand what the data represents.

4. LOD Expressions 

Level of Detail (LOD) is a term that enables you to perform complex calculations based on different demographics.

Using LOD Expressions in Tableau, you can fine-tune how specific your analysis is and what details are included in the output.

This is an advanced feature that can help you perform calculations at the source level of your data.

Benefit: Can solve sophisticated analytical questions, like calculating a customer’s lifetime value on a Tableau view showing your monthly sales.

Example: An analyst uses LOD Expressions to calculate average sales per customer while the view is on product categories.

5. Hyper 

Hyper is Tableau's high-performance data engine technology.

This is what powers quick queries and fast dataset loads in your Tableau project.

It also enables rapid analysis of millions of rows of data.

Benefit: Powers real-time insights from extensive, complex data sets with minimal lags.

Example: An analyst connects their dashboard to a billion-row dataset, and Tableau remains responsive due to Hyper.

6. Data Bins

Bins allow you to group collective measures, such as age or revenue, into discrete time intervals.

This allows you to create eye-catching histograms and analyse data patterns.

Benefit: Simplifies how you analyse continuous data by creating helpful groups.

Example: A retail manager groups their customer data into specific age ranges (20-30, 30-36, etc.) for easier categorising.

7. Image Role

Using Image Role, you can directly import and use your images in your visualisations.

It lets you map your images as data points in the Table. This makes your visualisations seem more attractive and descriptive.

The best part?

Since the actual image file is still stored externally, your workbooks remain ultra-responsive.

Benefit: Creates a more visually engaging dashboard.

Example: An e-commerce dashboard can display actual product thumbnails next to annual sales figures using this feature.

8. Keep Only 

Keep Only might seem like a simple filter tool.

But when used correctly, it can change the way you analyse specific data points.

Using Keep Only, you can target a particular data point (mark) and zoom into the view to show only the marks you selected.

It can help you filter the entire dashboard to show only the specific marks you selected.

Benefit: Allows intuitive exploration of data points across the dashboard.

Example: A logistics manager clicks on the top-performing product in a chart and uses “Keep Only” to check its performance across both logistics and marketing data.

9. Tableau Catalog 

Catalog is a very integral data management feature in Tableau.

It automatically documents multiple data assets, such as tables, columns, and workbooks, in a central inventory.

This can help you show exactly where the data you are showcasing came from and how trustworthy its source is.

Benefit: Used to build trust in the validity of your data by providing a visual representation of its source and quality.

Example: A user can use the Catalog to track a data source and whether it was flagged for quality before using it in a critical report.

10. Tableau Prep Conductor

Using this tool, you can schedule, run, and monitor your Tableau Prep data cleaning.

This can help you automate workflows in both Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud.

Benefit: Ensure your reports are based on the most recent data points.

Example: A quality officer uses an automated flow to clean the previous day’s data every night.

11. Dynamic Parameters

Dynamic Parameters are continuously updating values that can change automatically.

Using a dynamic parameter, you can designate numbers or values that change depending on other external values.

For example, you can create a parameter that automatically updates the current date in your visualisation.

This allows you to enter values, such as data or numbers, that can change the visualisation on its own.

Recent updates to the Tableau platform have made these parameters even more powerful. For example, they have introduced dynamic spatial parameters for maps.

Benefit: Creates interactive scenarios that can change depending on user-based conditioning.

Example: A sales manager uses this feature to adjust a “Target Revenue” parameter. This lets them see which sales reps are above the required threshold to meet the target figure in real time.

12. Custom Themes

Brand consistency is very important to maintain in any organisation.

Tableau’s custom theme features let companies apply a specific color and font to all workbooks.

Benefit: Apply corporate branding and formatting to all workbooks for added uniformity.

Example: A brand manager applies the company’s official brand theme to all Tableau reports for added workbook consistency.

13. Resource Monitoring Tool (RMT)

RMT is mainly used as an administrative tool.

It allows collecting data from your dedicated Tableau server to check its health and performance.

Using RMT, you can diagnose common issues and errors, such as slow loading times and visual irregularities.

Benefit: Ensures a smooth, reliable experience across all Tableau dashboards.

Use Case: An IT admin uses RMT to troubleshoot why a server process is slowing down dashboards for all users.

14. Slack Integration 

Looking for a better workflow? Tableau offers its own handy integration with Slack.

This allows you to send automated data alerts and share your dashboards directly in Slack channels.

Benefit: Allows you to put your insights directly into your current Slack workflow for better team collaboration.

Use Case: An account manager uses this integration to automatically post a daily KPI summary on the company’s Slack channel.

15. Ask Data 

Your data in Tableau can sometimes be quite confusing to understand.

Have questions? Why not ask your data directly!

Ask Data lets you get easy-to-understand answers by creating inquiries for your data.

Think of it like doing a Google Search, but on the data present inside your workbook visualisation.

Benefit: Makes data exploration very easy and less technical for uninitiated users.

Example: A business manager uses Ask Data to search for targeted sales for a particular area.

Tableau has amazing undiscovered features that can make your data more dynamic and easier to visualise.

Such Tableau features can help you gain deeper insights from your data.

It can also reduce the time it takes to visualise your data by automating your slower manual methods.

However, implementing these features effectively will require expert assistance.

This is where working with a data visualization consultant from Augmented Tech Labs can prove valuable.

Partnering up with a dedicated data visualization consultant can help you tailor Tableau features to your needs.

Consult our experts today and use advanced visualization to draw meaningful insights from your data.

1. What are the most important Tableau features for a beginner?

Beginners should start with Ask Data, basic dashboard interactivity (filters and highlighting), and the drag-and-drop interface. These core tableau features provide immediate value with a low learning curve.

2. How do I stay updated on new Tableau features?

Follow the official Tableau blog and product announcements to learn about the latest Tableau features. The "What's New" section in the product and community forums is also a great resource.

3. What is the best way to learn these Tableau features?

Practice with your own data is the best method. Tableau Public offers a free platform to explore how others use these Tableau key features.

4. When should my company consider hiring a data visualization consultant?

A data visualization consultant is helpful when you need to scale your analytics, build complex data models, or train your team to use advanced Tableau features like LODs and data modeling effectively.

5. Are Tableau AI features available to all users?

Advanced Tableau AI features, like Tableau Agent, are often part of newer offerings and may require specific licensing. Check Tableau's website for the latest details.