Tableau Sets and Combined Sets

Sets divide your Dimension members into two groups: In and Out. Members inside the set meet conditions you define. Members outside do not. Sets let you compare a selected group against everyone else, combine conditions from different fields, and create complex segmentation without modifying your data.

What Is a Set

Think of a set as a label you apply to specific items in your data. You define the rule — items matching the rule are "In," everything else is "Out." Drag the set to any chart and Tableau splits the data into the two groups instantly.

Analogy: VIP Customer List

All Customers: 500 customers in the database

Set: "High Value Customers"
  Rule: Total lifetime purchases > $10,000

In (VIP):   87 customers who spent over $10,000
Out (Rest): 413 customers who spent $10,000 or less

Drag this set to a chart → 
  Compare VIP vs non-VIP behavior, purchase frequency, or regions

Creating a Set: Fixed Set

A Fixed Set contains specific members you manually select. Right-click any Dimension in the Data Pane, select "Create Set." The set editor opens. Check the members you want to include. Click OK. The set appears in the Data Pane with a Venn diagram icon.

When to Use Fixed Sets

Use fixed sets when the group is well-defined and does not change — for example, a list of flagship store locations, key account customers, or strategic product lines you always want to highlight separately.

Creating a Set: Condition-Based Set

Condition-based sets include members that meet a formula or threshold. In the Set editor, click the "Condition" tab. Choose "By field" and set rules — for example, SUM(Sales) > $50,000 or AVG(Profit) > 0. The set membership updates automatically as the underlying data changes.

Condition Set Example

Set: "Profitable Products"
  Condition: SUM([Profit]) > 0

Result:
  In:  All products where total profit is positive
  Out: All products running at a net loss

Next month when data refreshes:
  If a previously unprofitable product turns profitable → 
  it automatically moves into the "In" group

Creating a Set: Top N Set

In the Set editor, click the "Top" tab. Select "By field" and choose Top N items by a Measure. For example, Top 10 customers by SUM(Sales). The set always contains exactly 10 members — whichever 10 have the highest sales in the current data.

Using Sets in a Chart

Drag a set from the Data Pane to the Color box in the Marks Card. Tableau automatically colors data points as "In" (typically blue) and "Out" (typically gray). The chart now visually segments your selected group from the rest. Drag the set to Rows or Columns to create a split bar chart comparing In vs Out totals side by side.

Diagram: Set in a Bar Chart

Sales by Customer — Set: "Top 10 Customers" applied to Color

Alice    | [================] In (Top 10)
Bob      | [==========]       In (Top 10)
Carol    | [=======]          Out
David    | [======]           Out
Eve      | [================] In (Top 10)
...

Blue bars = Inside the set (Top 10 customers)
Gray bars = Outside the set (all other customers)

Set Actions

Set Actions update set membership when a viewer clicks or hovers over a mark. The viewer's selection becomes the set definition dynamically. For example, clicking a region on a map updates a set of selected regions, which then filters another chart to show only those regions' product details.

Creating a Set Action

1. Create a set (it can start empty or with any default members)
2. Go to Dashboard menu → Actions → Add Action → Change Set Values
3. Set Source Sheet and Target Set
4. Choose Trigger: Select, Hover, or Menu
5. Set behavior when selection is cleared: Keep set values / Remove all values / Assign all values

Combined Sets

You can combine two sets using set logic — similar to database joins. Combine sets from the same Dimension to create new segmentation.

Combining Two Sets

1. Create Set A and Set B on the same Dimension
2. Hold Ctrl and select both sets in the Data Pane
3. Right-click → "Create Combined Set"
4. Choose a combination rule

Diagram: Set Combination Rules

Set A: Customers who bought in 2023
Set B: Customers who bought in 2024

+----Set A----+  +----Set B--------------+
|  2023 only  |  | Overlap |  2024 only  |
|  (Lapsed)   |  | (Loyal) |  (New)      |
+-------------+  +---------+-------------+

Union (A + B):    All customers who bought in either year
Intersection:     Only customers who bought in BOTH years (Loyal)
A minus B:        Customers who bought in 2023 but NOT 2024 (Lapsed)
B minus A:        Customers who bought in 2024 but NOT 2023 (New)

Practical Combined Set Use Case

Find customers who were in your top 10 last year but dropped out of the top 10 this year. Create "Top 10 2023" set and "Top 10 2024" set. Combine them using "2023 minus 2024." The result set contains only customers who were top buyers last year but fell off this year — a clear list for your sales team to re-engage.

Summary

Sets divide a Dimension into In and Out groups based on manual selection, conditions, or top N ranking. Apply sets to Color, Rows, or Columns in any chart for instant segmentation. Set Actions make set membership respond to viewer clicks for dynamic filtering. Combined Sets merge two sets using Union, Intersection, or Difference logic — perfect for cohort analysis, customer lifecycle segmentation, and before-versus-after comparisons.