How to Authenticate

There are two primary ways you can use the Tableau Metadata API:

• Interactively through GraphiQL. GraphiQL is an in-browser query tool. For more information, see Explore the GraphQL schema using GraphiQL.
• Programmatically through the GraphQL endpoint: For this, you need to get an authentication token, as described in the Authenticate using Tableau REST API method.

To access and use the Metadata API in one of the two ways described above, it’s important to know if your Tableau Cloud site or Tableau Server is licensed with Data Management.

• If licensed with Data Management: You can start using the GraphiQL tool immediately or review the section below to learn how to get an authentication token so you can programmatically use the Metadata API.
• If not licensed with Data Management: After the Metadata API has been enabled, review the section below to learn how to get an authentication token so you can programmatically use the Metadata API.

In this section

• Authenticate through Sign In method
  • Sign in using a personal access token (PAT)
  • Sign in using a JSON web token (JWT)
  • Sign in using username and password

Authenticate through Sign In method

The Metadata API requires that you send an authentication token with each query sent. The token lets Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server verify your identity and makes sure that you’re signed in. To get a token, you can call the Sign In method, in one of three ways, using the Tableau REST API versions 3.6 or later.

Sign in using a personal access token (PAT)

Refer to Make a Sign In Request with a Personal Access Token in the Tableau REST API Help for more information.

Sign in using a JSON web token (JWT)

Starting in Tableau Cloud October 2023 / Server 2023.3, the Metadata API respects credentials tokens that were obtained via a JSON web token (JWT) and Tableau connected apps.

Set scope (scp) in the JWT to “tableau:content:read”. The permissions of the user in the JWT determine query results.

Refer to Make a Sign In Request with a JWT in the Tableau REST API Help for more information on using a JWT to create a credentials token that you can use with the Metadata API.

Sign in using username and password

Refer to Make a Sign In Request with Username and Password in the Tableau REST API Help for more information.

For more information about token expiration, changing the token timeout value, and more, see Using the Authentication Token In Subsequent Calls topic in the Tableau REST API Help.