A static dashboard is just a pretty picture. An interactive dashboard is a decision-making tool that lets users explore data at their own pace. This lesson covers everything that makes Tableau dashboards truly interactive: layout and containers, the five action types, parameters for dynamic control, viz-in-tooltip for context-on-demand, and sheet swapping for multi-page navigation without leaving the dashboard.
Module 10 of 15 · Phase 2 Progress44%
🏗️ Section 1
Dashboard Layout — Tiled vs. Floating
Every Tableau dashboard starts with a layout decision: Tiled or Floating. This choice affects how you arrange sheets and objects, and how your dashboard responds when resized.
Aspect
Tiled Layout
Floating Layout
How it works
Sheets snap into a grid-like structure using containers
Objects placed at absolute pixel positions, can overlap
Responsiveness
Scales proportionally across screen sizes
Fixed positions — may break on different screens
Best for
Published dashboards, Tableau Server/Cloud, executive reports
Pixel-perfect designs, overlaying text/images on charts
Containers
Horizontal and Vertical containers organize the layout
No containers needed — drag anywhere
Layout Containers — The Key to Tiled Mastery
Layout containers are invisible boxes that organize your dashboard objects. A Horizontal Container places objects side by side. A Vertical Container stacks objects top to bottom. You can nest containers inside containers for complex layouts — e.g., a horizontal container at the top for KPI tiles, and a vertical container below for charts.
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Dashboard Sizing Best Practices
Fixed size: Use 1366×768 for standard laptop displays. Use 1200×800 for presentations. Automatic: Fills any screen — best for Tableau Server. Range: Set min/max dimensions for flexible responsive behavior. Always preview at your target size before publishing.
⚡ Section 2
Dashboard Actions — The Five Types
Dashboard Actions connect sheets to each other. When a user interacts with one chart, actions trigger changes in other charts, filters, or external URLs. Actions are what transform a collection of charts into a unified analytical experience.
🔍
Filter Action
Clicking a mark in one chart filters the data shown in other charts. The most common action type. User clicks a region on a map → the bar chart shows only that region's data.
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Highlight Action
Marks in source sheet highlight matching marks in target sheets — without hiding non-matching data. All data stays visible, but related marks are emphasized. Great for comparisons.
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URL Action
Opens a web page when a mark is clicked. Pass field values as URL parameters — e.g., click a customer name to open their CRM profile, or click a product to open its Amazon page.
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Set Action
Updates set membership based on user selection. The most powerful action type — enables focus+context comparisons and dynamic segmentation (covered in depth in Lesson 8).
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Parameter Action
Updates a parameter value when a user clicks a mark. Enables dynamic what-if analysis and user-controlled calculations — click a product to set it as the "benchmark" for comparison.
Setting Up a Filter Action (Step by Step)
1
Open Dashboard Actions
With your dashboard open, go to Dashboard menu → Actions → Add Action → Filter. The Filter Action dialog opens.
2
Configure Source and Target
Name your action descriptively (e.g., "Map → Bar Chart Filter"). Source sheets: select the map sheet. Target sheets: select the bar chart sheet.
3
Choose Trigger
Select: fires when user clicks a mark (most common). Hover: fires on mouse-over (great for previews). Menu: adds a right-click option (keeps charts clean).
4
Set Clearing Behavior
When selection is cleared: Show all values (no filter applied), Exclude all values (empty chart), or Keep filtered values (last filter persists). "Show all values" is most user-friendly.
5
Field Mapping (Optional)
By default, Tableau matches on related fields. Expand "Selected Fields" to manually map source field → target field if your sheets use different field names for the same concept.
🎛️ Section 3
Parameters — User-Controlled Dynamic Values
A Parameter is a workbook variable that can hold a single value — a number, string, date, or Boolean — that users can change through a control (slider, dropdown, type-in box, or button). Parameters integrate with calculated fields, filters, reference lines, and parameter actions to make virtually anything in a dashboard user-configurable.
🎛️
Parameters vs. Filters: Key Difference
Filters show/hide rows of data. Parameters are values that get plugged into formulas. A filter for "Top N" is rigid. A parameter lets the user type "15" to see the Top 15, then change it to "5" to see Top 5 — all without touching the workbook.
Creating a "Top N" Parameter
1
Create the Parameter
Right-click in the Data pane → Create Parameter. Name it Top N Customers. Data type: Integer. Current value: 10. Allowable values: Range, Minimum 1, Maximum 50, Step size 1.
2
Show the Parameter Control
Right-click the parameter in the Data pane → Show Parameter Control. A slider appears on the sheet/dashboard. Users can drag it to choose any number from 1–50.
3
Create a Calculated Field Using It
Create: Is Top N? = RANK(SUM([Sales])) <= [Top N Customers]. This is a table calculation that returns TRUE for the top N customers by sales.
4
Use in a Filter
Drag Is Top N? to the Filters shelf. Check only "True". Now only the top N customers appear — and when the user moves the slider, the view updates instantly.
Parameter in a Calculated Field for Dynamic Metrics
Create a string parameter Metric Selector with allowed values: "Sales", "Profit", "Quantity". Then create a calculated field: Selected Metric = CASE [Metric Selector] WHEN "Sales" THEN SUM([Sales]) WHEN "Profit" THEN SUM([Profit]) WHEN "Quantity" THEN SUM([Quantity]) END. Use Selected Metric on the axis of your chart. Now users can switch the entire chart's metric with a dropdown — one chart replaces three.
🔎 Section 4
Dynamic Tooltips & Viz in Tooltip
Standard tooltips show text — field values and calculations when you hover over a mark. But Tableau's Viz in Tooltip feature lets you embed a fully interactive mini-chart inside the tooltip that appears on hover. This provides extraordinary depth without cluttering the main dashboard view.
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Powerful Use Case: Sparklines in Tooltip
Your dashboard shows a category sales bar chart. Hovering over "Technology" shows a tooltip with a mini line chart showing Technology's sales trend over the last 24 months. The user gets the trend context without leaving the main view. This turns a simple bar chart into a deeply informative experience.
Setting Up Viz in Tooltip
1
Create the "Tooltip Sheet"
Build a separate sheet with the mini-chart you want to show — e.g., a line chart of monthly sales. Keep it simple: no borders, no sheet title, light background. Size it small (300×200px range).
2
Go to the Source Sheet's Tooltip
In the main chart sheet, click Tooltip in the Marks card. The tooltip editor opens.
3
Insert Sheet Reference
In the tooltip editor, click Insert → Sheets → [Your Tooltip Sheet Name]. A reference like <Sheet name="Monthly Trend" maxwidth="300" maxheight="200"> is inserted.
4
Enable Context Filtering
Check "Show tooltips" and optionally "Responsive — Show tooltips instantly". The tooltip sheet automatically filters to the context of the hovered mark (e.g., only shows Technology's trend when hovering over the Technology bar).
Custom Tooltip Text Formatting
The tooltip editor supports rich text formatting. Use <b> for bold, change font sizes, add emojis, insert calculated field values with <AGG(Calculated Field)> syntax, and add custom labels. A well-designed tooltip can tell a complete mini-story about each data point without opening a new sheet.
🔀 Section 5
Navigation Buttons & Sheet Swapping
Sheet Swapping (also called Sheet Show/Hide) lets you build multi-page dashboards where clicking a button shows one chart and hides another — all without leaving the dashboard. This is how you build tabbed dashboards that feel like a polished application, not a collection of Tableau sheets.
Method 1 — Show/Hide Container Button
1
Put Charts in a Layout Container
Arrange your alternate charts inside a Vertical or Horizontal layout container. Each chart occupies the same space — they'll swap in and out.
2
Add a Show/Hide Button
Select the container. In the container's dropdown (gray header), click Add Show/Hide Button. A toggle button appears on the dashboard that shows or hides the entire container.
3
Customize the Button
Click the button → format it. Change text from "Show/Hide" to something meaningful like "▶ Show Trend" / "◀ Hide Trend". Change button colors to match your dashboard theme.
Method 2 — Navigation Button with Parameter Action
Create a string parameter Active Tab with values "Overview", "Trends", "Details". Use parameter actions (button clicks) to change its value. Then use IF [Active Tab] = "Overview" THEN [Metric1] END-style logic in each sheet to control what appears. This is the most flexible approach for complex tabbed navigation, though it requires more setup.
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Navigation Button Objects
Since Tableau 2019.4, you can add Navigation Button objects to dashboards (from the Objects panel). Configure them to navigate to a different dashboard tab or a URL. Perfect for multi-tab workbooks where you want clean back/forward navigation without the Tableau tab bar showing.
🧠 Knowledge Check
1. Which dashboard action type opens an external website when a mark is clicked?
2. What is the key difference between a Filter Action and a Highlight Action?
3. How does Tableau's "Viz in Tooltip" feature work?
4. In dashboard layout, which container type places objects SIDE BY SIDE (left to right)?
5. What type of Tableau object allows users to change a parameter value by clicking on a mark in a chart?
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✅ Lesson Summary
What You Learned
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Lesson 10 — Key Takeaways
✅ Tiled layout uses containers and scales responsively — use for published dashboards
✅ Floating layout uses absolute positions — use for pixel-perfect overlays
✅ Five action types: Filter, Highlight, URL, Set, Parameter — each serves a distinct purpose
✅ Filter Actions hide non-matching data; Highlight Actions keep all data visible
✅ Parameters are workbook variables users can change — integrates with calcs, filters, reference lines
✅ Parameter + CASE calculated field enables one chart to show multiple switchable metrics
✅ Viz in Tooltip embeds mini-charts inside hover tooltips — massive information density gain
✅ Sheet swapping creates tabbed navigation using Show/Hide containers or parameter actions
You now command the full suite of Tableau interactivity tools. Up next: Phase 2 Project — build a complete Executive Dashboard from scratch applying everything from Lessons 6–10.