Tableau VizQL Data Service: What is it and how is it a game changer?
Tableau is a powerful data visualization tool that helps users turn raw data into interactive visuals. With its user-friendly interface, both technical and non-technical users can easily create attractive reports and insights without needing extensive coding skills.
But how does it create the visuals? That’s where VizQL comes into play. VizQL (a visual query language for databases) is a key component of Tableau that transforms visualizations into queries. It combines the power of SQL for data querying with a focus on visual representation, enabling users to manipulate data using drag-and-drop functionality.
To learn more, refer to Tableau’s article - “What is VizQL?”
What is VizQL Data Service (VDS)?
VizQL Data Service is a newly introduced API from Tableau that allows you to access published data directly without relying on visualizations. This data is not tied to any specific view in Tableau, instead it is based on the published data source itself.
How to use it?
First, make sure that API access is enabled on your data source, as outlined in Tableau’s documentation.
You can make API requests in various ways. Tableau has documented the process and provided sample requests to help you get started.
How is it a Game Changer?
Tableau has always advocated for a single source of truth, and this is where Published Data Sources come into play. This approach ensures proper data governance, enabling consistent visualizations within Tableau and building trust in the data. With the introduction of VizQL Data Service, the possibilities for utilizing published data have expanded even further.
When I first saw this demonstrated at Tableau Conference 2023, I was reminded of the many times I’ve been asked to share data as an Excel or CSV file. I’m sure you’ve experienced this too! With VizQL Data Service, you can now automate the data export process. How cool is that?
This is just one use case, Kyle Massey (Tableau DataDev Ambassador) covers many other interesting examples in his blog.
I hope this has inspired you to try out VDS for yourself! The good news is that Tableau offers a Developer Program where you can register for free and gain access to a sandbox environment with a Tableau Cloud site. You can use this to follow along with Tableau’s documentation and test it out.
I’ll leave you with some of my favorite content on VDS:
- VizQL Data Service from Tableau: Use Your Data, Your Way by Kyle Massey
- Infuse Data Everywhere with VizQL Data Service | Tableau DataDev Day, June 2024
- Register for the DataDev October 2024 event to learn more about VDS: https://www.tableau.com/learn/webinars/datadev-day-october-2024-10-29
