Tableau Actions and Interactivity
Actions make dashboards respond to viewer clicks. When a viewer clicks a bar, selects a region on a map, or hovers over a data point, an action fires — filtering other charts, highlighting related data, or navigating to another page. Actions turn a static dashboard into an interactive exploration tool.
Types of Actions
Tableau offers five types of actions. Each type triggers a different response.
| Action Type | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Filter Action | Clicking one chart filters other charts on the same dashboard |
| Highlight Action | Clicking one chart highlights matching marks in other charts |
| URL Action | Clicking a data point opens a web page in a browser |
| Go to Sheet Action | Clicking a mark navigates to a different sheet or dashboard |
| Change Parameter Action | Clicking a mark changes the value of a Parameter |
Filter Actions
A filter action is the most common type. Clicking a bar in one chart filters all other charts to show only data related to that bar. For example, clicking "East" in a Sales by Region bar chart updates a monthly trend line, a product table, and a map — all to show only Eastern region data.
Diagram: Filter Action Flow
Dashboard with 3 charts: +--------------------+ Click "East" bar | Sales by Region | ─────────────────────────────+ | [East] [West] ... | | +--------------------+ v +--------------------+ +--------------------+ Filter fires | Monthly Trend | ←── | Filter Action | on all sheets | (East only now) | | Source: Region Bar| +--------------------+ | Target: All sheets| +--------------------+ +--------------------+ | Product Table | ←── Both sheets now show | (East only now) | only East region data +--------------------+
Creating a Filter Action
- Open your dashboard
- Go to Dashboard menu → Actions
- Click "Add Action" → "Filter"
- Set Source Sheet (where the viewer clicks)
- Set Target Sheet (which sheets update)
- Set Trigger: Select (click), Hover, or Menu
- Click OK
Clearing a Filter Action
After clicking a bar to filter, viewers need a way to clear the filter and see all data again. Set the "Clearing the selection will" option to "Show all values." Then clicking somewhere empty on the chart — or clicking the same bar again — removes the filter.
Highlight Actions
A highlight action dims all other data points and emphasizes the related ones in matching charts. Unlike filter actions, highlight actions do not remove data — they fade non-matching marks. This lets viewers compare the selected item against everything else simultaneously.
Filter vs Highlight: Visual Difference
Filter Action — clicking "East": Other regions (West, South, Central) DISAPPEAR from all charts Highlight Action — clicking "East": Other regions remain visible but appear FADED (gray) East bars/dots stay at full color → You can see East's share relative to the whole
URL Actions
A URL action opens a web page when a viewer clicks a data point. Set up a URL action to open a product page, a detailed report, or a support article relevant to the clicked data.
Dynamic URL Example
Action URL: https://www.yourcompany.com/products/<[Product ID]> When viewer clicks Product ID 4521: → Browser opens https://www.yourcompany.com/products/4521 When viewer clicks Product ID 8834: → Browser opens https://www.yourcompany.com/products/8834
Field values in angle brackets are replaced automatically with the actual value from the clicked data point. This creates unique URLs for each item.
Go to Sheet Actions
A Go to Sheet action navigates from one dashboard to another when the viewer clicks a data point. Use this for drill-down dashboards — a summary dashboard shows totals, and clicking a region bar navigates to a detailed regional dashboard showing all orders in that region.
Hover vs Click vs Menu Triggers
Each action fires based on a trigger you set.
Hover — the action fires as the mouse moves over a mark. Best for tooltips and highlighting that should update constantly as users explore.
Select — the action fires when the viewer clicks a mark. Best for filter actions where a deliberate click should change the entire dashboard.
Menu — the action appears as a clickable link inside the tooltip popup. Viewers must first hover to see the tooltip, then click the link. Best for URL actions where the viewer might not want to navigate every time they click.
Use Case Diagram: Drill-Down Dashboard
Summary Dashboard (Level 1): +---------------------------------------+ | Total Sales by Region (bar chart) | | Click a bar to drill down | +---------------------------------------+ ↓ Viewer clicks "East" Go to Sheet Action fires Detail Dashboard (Level 2): +---------------------------------------+ | East Region — All Orders (table) | | East Region — Monthly Trend (line) | | East Region — Top Customers (bar) | +---------------------------------------+ ↓ Back button on dashboard navigates back to Level 1
Summary
Actions transform dashboards from static displays into interactive exploration tools. Filter actions remove non-selected data from all connected charts. Highlight actions keep all data visible but dim non-selected marks. URL actions open relevant web pages. Go to Sheet actions enable drill-down navigation between dashboards. Set triggers to Select, Hover, or Menu based on how much control you want to give viewers. Actions require no code — configure them entirely through the Dashboard → Actions menu.