Hey there! Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to sort through endless rows of data to find insights? Want to easily create beautiful, interactive charts to share online?
Look no further than Tableau Public – a free data visualization tool used by over 2 million people.
Tableau Public makes it a breeze to visualize data, blend sources, and share dashboards on the web. As someone who relies on data-driven decisions, it‘s become an essential part of my analytics toolkit.
But as awesome as Tableau Public is, it does have some limitations to be aware of. One big constraint is that dashboards can only refresh once per day. For rapidly changing data, that might not cut it.
Not to worry – in this post, I‘ll cover everything you need to know to be a pro Tableau Public user:
- Key benefits that make Tableau Public worth using
- Workarounds to refresh your dashboards more frequently
- Tips for designing killer visualizations and dashboards
- Real-world examples and resources to get you started
Let‘s dive in!
3 Reasons I Fell in Love With Tableau Public
Here are a few of the top reasons Tableau Public won me over from spreadsheet hell:
Easy-to-use interface
Tableau makes it simple for anyone to start visualizing their data. With drag-and-drop fields and clear menus, I found it really intuitive to build charts compared to Excel‘s clunky pivot chart wizard.
Within an hour, I had my first maps, bar charts, and dashboards ready to go without any prior experience. The getting started videos on Tableau‘s website are fantastic too.
Blend and mashup data sources
One of my favorite features is Tableau‘s ability to merge together different data sources into a unified view. I can combine data from Excel, Google Sheets, and Salesforce databases into a single dashboard. It‘s like a data transformer and aggregator in one.
The data blending made it possible for me to integrate analytics across our entire organization in ways not possible before.
Interactive, polished visuals
Whether it‘s for my own analysis or presenting to executives, the dashboards I can create in Tableau Public have been a total game changer.
Features like sort, filter, and drill down allow me to answer questions on the fly during meetings. The designs are so polished my managers frequently ask if I hired someone to build them!
Limitations to Be Aware Of
As amazing as Tableau Public is, there are a few key constraints:
Daily refresh limits
This is arguably the biggest shortcoming. Out of the box, Tableau Public can only be scheduled to refresh daily. For my usage with rapidly updating Google Sheets data, I need much more frequent refreshes.
Strict data limits
In my case, the 10GB workbook size limit hasn‘t been an issue so far. But power users working with massive datasets may hit this constraint. I did run into the 1 million row limit at one point and had to sample my data.
Lack of access controls
All public dashboards and data sources are visible to anyone by default. My workaround has been maintaining sensitive data in private draft dashboards only I can access.
Refreshing Dashboards More Frequently
Despite the once daily refresh limit, there are two good workarounds:
Use Tableau Desktop
I upgraded to Tableau Desktop which offers live dashboard refreshes and custom schedules. It comes at a cost but has been worth it for me. Their cloud hosted Tableau Server has similar capabilities.
Leverage 3rd Party Automation Tools
Online automation platforms like Apify can trigger Tableau Public refreshes through its API. I walk through setup below.
Refreshing with Apify
Apify provides prepackaged automations called "Actors" to handle common tasks. Here is how I used it for Tableau Public:
Step 1: Create an Account
Register for a free Apify account at www.apify.com. It only takes a minute and you can use Google or GitHub login.
Step 2: Find the Tableau Actor
Search the Apify Store for "Tableau Dashboard Refresher". Install this ready-made actor.
Step 3: Configure the Actor
Enter your Tableau Public credentials and the URL of the dashboard you want to refresh. That‘s it for setup!
Step 4: Set a Custom Schedule
Define how frequently you want the dashboard refreshed. You can choose times ranging from every 5 minutes to once a month.
Step 5: Monitor and Review
Check the actor run history to confirm it is refreshing your dashboard properly. Adjust the schedule or credentials if needed.
And voila! Apify will now refresh your Tableau Public dashboard on the schedule you set. It‘s like having unlimited API access without the cost of Tableau Server.
Designing Better Dashboards
Now that you know how to use Tableau Public and refresh it rapidly, let‘s talk about dashboard design best practices:
Keep it simple
Resist the urge to clutter every inch with visuals. Include only the most critical 4-5 metrics needed to make decisions. Remove anything non-essential.
Use highlighting techniques
Draw attention to the key data stories you want to tell using color, text, reference lines, or annotations. Eliminate distractions.
Focus on clarity
Avoid complex charts like radial gauges with 3D effects, and stick to easy to interpret graphs. Follow principles from gurus like Stephen Few.
Optimize interactivity
Use filters and actions judiciously. Minimize the number of clicks to reveal insights. Speed up page loads by simplifying designs.
Tell a story
Sequence your visuals and layout to guide your viewer through a data narrative from start to finish. Think like a storyteller.
For more design inspiration, browse the Tableau Public Gallery for examples of great dashboards.
Time to Make Your Data Shine
As you can see, Tableau Public is an incredibly valuable free tool for bringing your data to life through visualizations. Start exploring and transforming your datasets today.
Although the daily refresh limit can be restrictive, options like Tableau Desktop or Apify make it possible to go well beyond.
Applying best practices around simplifying designs and highlighting insights will maximize the impact of your Tableau Public dashboards.
I hope these tips help you take your data analysis and presentations to the next level. Don‘t hesitate to reach out on the Tableau Community Forums if you have any other questions!
