Top 20 Tableau Server Interview Questions & Answers [For Freshers & Experienced]

Tableau is amongst the most used BI tools across the world. It is used to connect to data and visualize and create interactive dashboards.

In this blog, you will find some of the most essential Tableau server interview questions and answers to brush up your Tableau skills and crack the job interview to land in your dream company. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Let us look at some of the top Tableau Server interview questions that can be asked in the Tableau Admin Interview:

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Tableau Server Interview Questions & Answers

1.  What is data visualization?

Data Visualization is the conversion of data into a graphical format that everyone can easily understand. It can be done through various formats such as charts, maps, and graphs. Data visualization is used to identify the trends, outliers, and patterns in the data.

2.  List the file extensions in Tableau.

We have different kinds of file types and extensions in Table. A few of these are:

• Tableau Workbook (.twb)
• Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx)
• Tableau Data Source (.tds)
• Tableau Packaged Datasource (.tdsx)
• Tableau Data extract (.tde)
• Tableau Bookmark (.tdm)
• Tableau Map Source (.tms)
• Tableau Preferences (.tps)

3.  What are the different site roles present in a Tableau server? Can the interactor publish the visualizations?

The different types of roles available in the Tableau server are as follows:

• Interactor
• Viewer
• Un Licensed
• Un Licensed (Can Publish)
• Viewer (Can Publish)
• Publisher (Interactor + Can Publish)
• Server Admin
• Site Admin

No, an interactor cannot be able to publish the visualizations.

4.  What is the disadvantage of context filters?

The user does not frequently change the Context Filter. In case the Filter is changed, the database must be recomputed, and the temporary table has to be rewritten. This process slows down the performance.

When we set a dimension to context, Tableau creates a temporary table that needs a reload each time the view is initiated.

5.  How many maximum tables can you join in Tableau?

In Tableau, we can join a maximum of 32 tables.

Read: Tableau Interview Questions

6.  What is an Alert, and how do you configure Alerts in the Tableau server?

Alert is a process of automatically knowing the Tableau server-status in the form of an email if the server gets down. If we wish to configure the Alerts in the Tableau server, we need an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server.

7.  What is a Choropleth Map?

A choropleth map is used to show divided geographic areas that are colored, shaded, or patterned concerning a data variable. It is used to visualize values over a geographical area to find out patterns across the displayed location.

8.  What is SSL, and how do we configure SSL?

SSL is the short form for Secured Socket Layer. SSL secures the information while transforming over the network – by converting it into an encrypted format. Once the information reaches the target, SSL will automatically decrypt it.

To configure the SSL, we need an SSL certificate file. We can get this certificate file from a 3rd-party hosting company such as NORTON.

9.  Explain the limitations of the parameters of Tableau.

The Tableau’s parameters can only be represented in four ways on a dashboard. Also, these parameters do not allow any further multiple selections in a filter.

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10.How can you view the underlying SQL queries in Tableau?

We have two methods to view the underlying SQL queries in Tableau. They are:

• We can create a Performance recording to store the performance information regarding the main events we interact with the workbook. To do so, we go to:

Help> Settings and Performance > Start Performance Recording

• We can also review the Tableau Desktop Logs at C:/Users/My Documents/My Tableau Repository. For a live connection to the data source, we can access the log.txt and tabprotosrv.txt files. For an extract, open the tdeserver.txt file.

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11.How do you handle null and other special values in Tableau?

When we have null values, zeroes, or negative values on a logarithmic axis, Tableau cannot plot them. It displays an indicator at the lower right corner of the view, and we can click on the indicator to choose one of the following options:

• Filter data: It will exclude all the null values from our data while visualizing. The null values are also excluded from any calculations used in the view.
• Show data at default position: This option will show the data at a default location on the axis.

12.How to get the current date in Tableau?

We can get the current date and time in Tableau using the NOW() function.

13.What are the shelves?

A shelve is an area of the visualization display where parts of information can be dropped to make sure that Tableau acts on them. When we place a dimension on the rows or columns’ shelves, headers are generated for the members.

In Tableau, we have four kinds of shelves:

• Columns
• Rows
• Pages
• Filters

Read: 6 Types of Filters in Tableau: How You Should Use Them

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14.What is the difference between data blending and join?

In SQL terms, Join is used to combine two data sources into a single data source. While Blending is a Tableau term used to refer to combining two data sources into an available chart.

A significant difference between these terms is that a join is applied once at the data source and used for every chart, while a blend is done individually for every chart.

15.What is the Tableau Data Engine?

The Tableau data engine is one of the fantastic features of Tableau. It is an analytical database designed to achieve instant query response, predictive performance and integrate seamlessly into existing data infrastructure.

When dealing with a massive amount of data, it takes some time to create indexes, import, and sort data, but after that, the process speeds up. The data is stored on disk once it is imported, and the RAM is hardly utilized.

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16.What are the advantages associated with Tableau?

Some of the top benefits of using Tableau are:

• Speed
• Ease of use without programming or technical knowledge
• Ease of publishing and sharing
• Highly interactive dashboard
• Direct connection

17.What is Assume Referential Integrity?

In database terms, each row in the certainty table has a combination row in the measurement table. Using this strategy, we create primary and foreign keys to join the tables.

By using Assume Referential Integrity, we tell Tableau that the joined tables have referential integrity. We confirm that the table will dependably have a coordinating row in the Dimension table in simpler terms.

18.Why do we use the mark card in Tableau?

The Mark card is an essential element for the visual inspection in Tableau. When we drag fields to different Marks card properties, we add setting and details to the view marks.

Later, we can use the Marks Card to set the mark as write and encode our information with size, color, text, shape, and details.

19.Does Tableau allows the automation of reports?

Yes, Tableau allows the automation of reports. To automate any report, we need to publish the concerned report to the Tableau server. 

20.What are the two ways to connect with the dataset?

We have two methods to make a connection with the dataset:

• Live: We can connect live to the dataset.
• Extract: Make a static snapshot of the data to be used.

21.What are the various user roles in Tableau?

Tableau offers various user roles to manage and control access to the tool. Some of the common user roles in Tableau are:

• Server Administrator: This role has control over Tableau Server and can manage aspects of the server.
• Site Administrator: A site administrator can manage a specific site within Tableau Server, including user access and permissions.
• Publisher: Publishers can publish workbooks and data sources to Tableau Server.
• Interactor: This role can interact with published content, such as viewing dashboards and exploring data.
• Viewer: A viewer can only view dashboards and reports but cannot interact with the data.

22.What are the file extensions associated with Tableau?

Tableau uses different file extensions for various purposes. Here are some of the common file extensions you will come across while working with Tableau:

• .twb: This is a Tableau Workbook file, which contains visualizations, dashboards, and worksheets.
• .twbx: A Tableau Packaged Workbook file, which includes data sources and any external files used in the workbook.
• .tds: Tableau Data Source file, which contains the connection details and metadata for a data source.
• .tde: Tableau Data Extract file, compressed and optimized form of Tableau data.
• .tdsx: Similar to .twbx, it is a Tableau Packaged Data Source file that includes data sources and external files.

23.What is a Tableau Reader?
Tableau Reader is a free application that allows users to open and view Tableau workbooks without the Tableau license needed. It enables users to interact with the visualizations and explore the data, but they cannot modify or create new visualizations.

24.What distinguishes Tableau from other business intelligence tools?
The key distinction between Tableau and standard BI is the level of expertise necessary to utilize both. Tableau does not require any coding or BI experience to examine data.

25.What are Tiled and Floating Dashboards?

When creating dashboards in Tableau, you can choose between two layout options: Tiled and Floating.

• Tiled Dashboards: In a tiled layout, the objects on the dashboard are arranged in a grid-like structure. Each object takes up a specific portion of the available space, and the size of the objects remains fixed.
• Floating Dashboards: In a floating layout, the objects on the dashboard can be freely placed and resized. It gives more flexibility in designing the dashboard but requires careful positioning and resizing of the objects.

Also Read: How To Pick The Right Tableau Product For Your Requirement?

Tableau Scenario-based Interview Questions and Answers

Following are the top tableau scenario based interview questions for experienced professionals:

1. Can You Optimize the Performance of a Dashboard?

Yes, to optimize the performance of a Tableau dashboard, i perform these best practices:

• Data Source Optimization: Use data extracts instead of live connections for better performance. Limit the data to only what is necessary for the dashboard.
• Filters and Aggregations: Apply filters to limit the data displayed in the dashboard. Use aggregations to reduce the amount of data being processed.
• Optimize Calculations: Minimize complex calculations and use Tableau’s built-in functions for better performance.
• Dashboard Design: Avoid using unnecessary visualizations and keep the dashboard layout clean and simple. Optimize the use of colors and labels to improve readability.

2. If my license expires today, would users be able to see dashboards or workbooks that I previously put on the server?

Yes, even if your Tableau license expires, users will still be able to see the dashboards and workbooks you published on the server earlier. However, they won’t be able to make any changes or create new visualizations without an active Tableau license.

Wrapping up

Tableau has garnered interest among the people from all sectors such as business, researchers, different industries, etc. If you have been aspiring to make a career ahead in Tableau, you need to prepare well to crack the interview process.

We hope that these Tableau server interview questions and answers are helpful to you.

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