Share a Tableau workbook

Sharing Tableau Workbooks Without Sensitive Data

When collaborating with external parties or colleagues without Tallyfy access, you may need to share Tableau workbooks without exposing sensitive data. This guide explains how to safely share Tableau visualizations while protecting your data source credentials and connection details.

Methods for Secure Workbook Sharing

Method	Best For	Data Protection Level
Data Source Disconnection	One-time sharing	Medium - Structure remains visible
Data Extraction with Filtering	Recurring sharing	High - Only selected data visible
Published Data Source	Team collaboration	High - Centralized permission control

Requirements

• Tableau Desktop installed
• Working Tallyfy Analytics connection in Tableau
• Visualizations and dashboards already created

Method 1: Disconnect Data Sources

This method allows you to share the workbook structure while requiring recipients to connect their own data sources.

Step 1: Prepare Your Workbook

Start with your fully functioning Tableau workbook containing all visualizations and dashboards.

Step 2: Disconnect Data Sources

1. Navigate to Data > Data Source
2. For each data source, right-click and select Close

Alternatively, you can:

1. Go to the Data Source tab

2. Click the dropdown menu for each data source

3. Select Edit Connection

   

4. Change the connection path to a non-existent location

   

Step 3: Save and Share the Workbook

1. Save the workbook with a new name to preserve your original
2. Select File > Save As
3. Choose an appropriate location and filename
4. Share the saved file with your intended recipients

Step 4: Recipient Reconnection Process

When recipients open the workbook, they will see connection error messages:

They can view error details for more information:

To reconnect to data sources:

1. Click Yes when prompted to connect to data

   

2. Select Edit Connection to enter their own connection details

   

3. If Edit Connection doesn’t work, they may need to remove the existing connection and create a new one:

   

4. After successful connection, the dashboard will populate with their data

Data Type Configuration

After reconnection, recipients may need to adjust data types for proper visualization functionality:

1. Navigate to the Data Source tab.

2. Locate date fields like “due_by” and “completed_on”.

3. Right-click the date field.

4. Select Change Data Type > Date & Time.

   

5. Repeat for other necessary date fields.

6. Verify that date comparisons and calculations now work correctly.

Alternative Sharing Methods

Method 2: Create a Data Extract with Filtering

For more control over shared data:

1. Create a Tableau Data Extract (.tde or .hyper file)
2. Apply filters to limit exposed data
3. Save and share the workbook with the extract

Method 3: Use Tableau Server or Tableau Online

For enterprise sharing:

1. Publish the workbook to Tableau Server/Online
2. Set appropriate user permissions
3. Allow recipients to access through a browser
4. Enable or disable download capabilities as needed

Method 4: Export Dashboards as PDF/PNG

For sharing insights without any data connectivity:

1. Select Dashboard > Export
2. Choose PDF or Image format
3. Share the static file with recipients

Best Practices for Workbook Sharing

• Remove unnecessary sheets and dashboards before sharing
• Document required data sources and connection steps
• Test the reconnection process before sharing
• Consider creating a template with sample data for demonstration
• Remove any sensitive calculations or parameters

By following these methods, you can safely share your Tableau visualizations while maintaining data security and allowing recipients to connect to their own data sources.

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