Applies to: Tableau Cloud, Tableau Server

Beginning in June 2022, using Tableau connected apps, you can programmatically call and access the Tableau REST API through your custom application on behalf of Tableau Cloud users. Access to the REST API is enabled by a JSON Web Token (JWT) defined as part of the initial Sign In request. The JWT must contain scopes that define the REST API methods that are available to your custom application and its users through the connected app.

Authorize access to the REST API using connected apps to:

  • Enhance efficiency—using a JWT as a bearer token enables a simplified impersonation with one request to the Sign In endpoint instead of two requests
  • Extend and automate complex Tableau integrations and backend queries—such as dynamic content retrieval and advanced filtering

Scope actions

Connected apps use scopes that grant access to content or administrative actions through the REST API methods that support JWT authorization (below). A scope is a colon-separated string that starts with the namespace tableau, followed by the Tableau resource that access is being granted to, such as datasources, and ends with the action that is allowed on the resource, such as update.

The action a scope can take include:

  • create
  • read
  • run
  • update
  • download
  • delete

For example, a scope that allows your custom application to call the Update Data Source(Link opens in a new window) method looks like:

tableau:datasources:update

Scope types

The type of scope you use depends on the content or administrative action that you want to enable. Scopes generally fall into one of the following types: content read, individual, wildcard, and cross-category.

  • Content read scope: The content read scope, tableau:content:read, enables supported GET methods for Tableau content. When you use this scope, you enable actions across REST API categories. More specifically, using this scope you enable GET methods for data sources, metrics, views, workbooks, projects, and sites.

    Note: To enable GET methods for administrative actions, like users and groups, you can use their individual scopes.

  • Individual scopes: To enable supported content and administrative actions, you can use their individual scopes. An individual scope is generally associated with a single method and REST API category.

    Examples:

    • To enable publish or update a data source action, you can use the individual tableau:datasources:create or tableau:datasources:update scope, respectively.
    • For administrative actions like add or remove users, you can use the individual tableau:users:create or tableau:users:delete scope, respectively.

    Note: There are some individual scopes that can enable actions across REST API categories. For example, tableau:views:download enables actions in the view data and workbooks REST API categories.

  • Wildcard scopes: For certain scopes, you can replace the action with the wildcard character (*) to enable supported actions within a specific REST API category.

    Examples:

    • You can use the tableau:projects:* wildcard scope to enable the create, delete, update actions in the projects REST API category.
    • You can use the tableau:users:* wildcard scope to enable the query, add, delete, update actions in the users REST API category.

  • Cross-category scopes: In addition to the content read scope, there are a few additional scopes that, if used, enable supported actions across different REST API categories.

    Examples:

    • If using the tableau:tasks:run scope, you enable actions in the data sources and workbooks REST API categories.
    • Again, if using the tableau:views:download scope, you enable actions in the view data and workbook REST API categories.
    • If using permissions scopes like tableau:permissions:update or tableau:permissions:delete, you enable actions in the data sources, workbooks, and projects REST API categories.

Summary of how to authorize REST API access

The following list summarizes the steps to request access to the REST API through a JWT:

  1. Create a connected app using one of the following methods:
  2. Generate a valid JWT—at runtime your custom application will generate a valid JWT, configured with the scopes you have included
  3. Make a Sign In(Link opens in a new window) request—your custom application will make a Sign In request using the JWT to return a Tableau access token and site ID (LUID)
  4. Use the Tableau access token in subsequent requests—in subsequent REST API calls, use 1) the Tableau access token as the X-Tableau-Auth(Link opens in a new window) header value and 2) the site ID (LUID) in the request URI

Example

For example, suppose you create a connected app using direct trust. Using direct trust, your custom application that calls the REST API generates a valid JWT using the client ID and client secret generated by the connected app.

Scopes in the JWT

To successfully authorize access to the REST API, the JWT must also contain the scopes that define the REST API capabilities. For example, to enable various data source-related methods, you might include the following scopes in the JWT:

"tableau:content:read","tableau:datasources:create","tableau:datasources:update","tableau:datasources:download","tableau:tasks:run"

Or

"tableau:content:read","tableau:datasources:*","tableau:tasks:run"

Note: Scope values must be passed as a list type.

Sign In Request URI

To make a call to the REST API, your custom application must first make a Sign In request to generate a Tableau access token.

                    POST https://us-west-2b.online.tableau.com/api/3.16/auth/signin

Request body

To authorize REST API access using a JWT, the Sign In request body must contain the valid JWT like the example below.

                    <tsRequest>
   <credentials jwt="eyJpc3MiOiI4ZTFiNzE3Mi0zOWMzLTRhMzItODg3ZS1mYzJiNDExOWY1NmQiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6ImIwMTE1YmY5LTNhNGItNGM5MS1iMDA5LWNmMGMxNzBiMWE1NiJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ0YWJsZWF1Iiwic3ViIjoicm1vaGFuQHRhYmxlYXUuY29tIiwic2NwIjpbInRhYmxlYXU6c2l0ZXM6cmVhZCJdLCJpc3MiOiI4ZTFiNzE3Mi0zOWMzLTRhMzItODg3ZS1mYzJiNDExOWY1NmQiLCJleHAiOjE2NDg2Njg0MzksImp0aSI6IjY1ZWFmMmYxLTNmZTgtNDc5Ny1hZmRiLTMyODMzZDVmZGJkYSJ9.mUv2o4gtBTrMVLEXY5XTpzDQTGvfE2LGi-3O2vdGfT8">
	<site contentUrl="mycodotcom"/>
   </credentials>
</tsRequest>

Response body

The Sign In request produces the following response body, which includes the Tableau access token.

                    <tsResponse>
   <credentials token="12ab34cd56ef78ab90cd12ef34ab56cd">
	<site id="9a8b7c6d5-e4f3-a2b1-c0d9-e8f7a6b5c4d" contentUrl=""/>
	<user id="9f9e9d9c-8b8a-8f8e-7d7c-7b7a6f6d6e6d" />
   </credentials>
</tsResponse>

After the Tableau access token is generated, add the Tableau access token to the header of all subsequent REST API requests.

Header 

X-Tableau-Auth:12ab34cd56ef78ab90cd12ef34ab56cd

All subsequent REST API requests using the Tableau access token are then bounded by the scopes in the JWT.

REST API methods that support JWT authorization

The following scopes can be associated with the connected app to define access and methods your custom application can have to the REST API(Link opens in a new window) on users' behalf.

Notes:

Method Scope Description
No scope (No scope) When no scopes are defined in the JWT, access to the REST API is denied.
(Content read scope) tableau:content:read Enables query actions for Tableau content: data sources, metrics, views, workbooks, and projects.

Data sources

    
Publish data source tableau:datasources:create Publish a data source to a site or append data to an existing published data source.
Query data source tableau:content:read Get information about a published data source.

Query data sources

 tableau:content:read Get information about all published data source on a site.
Query data source connections tableau:content:read Get server address, port, user name, or password information about a published data source.
Update data source tableau:datasources:update Update owner, project or certification status of the data source.
Update data source connection tableau:datasources:update Update server address, port, user name, or password of the data source connection.
Update data source now tableau:tasks:run Run extract refresh.
(Data source methods) tableau:datasources:* Enables publish and update data source actions.

Flows

    
Publish flow tableau:flows:create Publish a flow.

Metrics

    
Get metric tableau:content:read Get a metric.
Delete metric tableau:metrics:delete Delete a metric.
List metrics tableau:content:read Get list of metrics for a site.
Query metrics data tableau:metrics:download Get underlying data of a metric in comma-separated value (.csv) format.
Update metric tableau:metrics:update Update owner, project, suspend status, and name of the metric.
(Metrics methods) tableau:metrics:* Enables query, update, and delete metrics actions.

Views

    
Get view tableau:content:read Get details about a view.
Get view by path tableau:content:read Get details for all views on a site using the specified name.
Query view data tableau:views:download Get a view rendered in comma-separated value (.csv) format.
Query view PDF tableau:views:download Get a view as a PDF (.pdf) file.
Query view image tableau:views:download Get a view as an image (.png) file.
Query views for site tableau:content:read Get all views for a site.
Query views for workbook tableau:content:read Get all views for the specified workbook.
Query view preview image tableau:views:download Get the thumbnail image (.png) of the view.

Workbooks

    
Publish workbook tableau:workbooks:create Publish a workbook (.twb or .twbx).
Query workbook tableau:content:read Get a specified workbook and its details.
Query workbook for site tableau:content:read Get a list of workbooks published to a site.
Query workbook preview image tableau:workbooks:download Get the thumbnail image (.png) of the workbook.
Update workbook tableau:workbooks:update Modify an existing workbook.
Update workbook connection tableau:workbooks:update Update the connection information.
Update workbook now tableau:tasks:run Initiate a workbook refresh outside of a scheduled task.
(Workbooks methods) tableau:workbooks:* Enables publish, update, download, and preview image workbook actions.

Publish

    
Append to file upload tableau:file_uploads:create Upload a block of data and append it to the data that is already uploaded - to be used after an upload has been initiated using the "initiate file upload" method.
Initiate file upload tableau:file_uploads:create Initiate the upload process of a file.

Download

    
Download data source tableau:datasources:download Download the data source (.tdsx).
Download view crosstab Excel tableau:views:download Download an Excel (.xlsx) file containing crosstab data from the view.
Download workbook tableau:workbooks:download Download a workbook (.twb or .twbx).
Download workbook revision tableau:workbooks:download Download a specific version of the workbook (.twb or .twbx).
Download workbook PDF tableau:views:download Download a PDF (.pdf) file containing images of the sheets in the workbook.
Download workbook Power Point tableau:views:download Download a Power Point (.pptx) file containing slides of the sheets in the workbook.

Users

    
Add user to group tableau:groups:update Add a user to a group.
Add user to site tableau:users:create Add a user and assign the user to a site.
Get users in group tableau:groups:read Get a list of users in a group.
Get users on site tableau:users:read Get all users on a site.
Query user on site tableau:users:read Get a user on a site.
Remove users from group tableau:groups:update Remove a user from a group.
Remove user from site tableau:users:delete Remove the user from a site.
Update user tableau:users:update Update information about a user.
(Users methods) tableau:users:* Enables add, query, update, and remove users actions.

Groups

    
Create group tableau:groups:create Create a group.
Delete group tableau:groups:delete Delete a group.
Get groups for user tableau:users:read Get a list of groups that a user belongs to.
Query groups tableau:groups:read Get a list of groups on a site.
Update group tableau:groups:update Update a group.
(Groups methods) tableau:groups:* Enables create, query, update, and delete groups actions.

Projects

    
Create project tableau:projects:create Create a project.
Delete project tableau:projects:delete Delete a project.
Query project tableau:content:read Get a list of projects.
Update project tableau:projects:update Update the name, description, or project hierarchy of the project.
(Projects methods) tableau:projects:* Enables create, update, and delete projects actions.

Permissions

    
Add data source permissions tableau:permissions:update Add permissions to a data source for a Tableau Server user or group.
Add default permissions tableau:permissions:update Add default permission capabilities to a user or group, for metric, flow, workbook, data source, data role, or lens resources in a project.
Add project permissions tableau:permissions:update Add permissions to a project for a user or group
Add view permissions tableau:permissions:update Add permissions to a view for a user or group.
Add workbook permissions tableau:permissions:update Add permissions to a specified workbook for a user or group.
Delete data source permissions tableau:permissions:delete Delete default permission capabilities of a user or group, for metric, flow, workbook, data source, data role, or lens resources in a project.
Delete default permissions tableau:permissions:delete Delete default permission capabilities of a user or group, for metric, flow, workbook, data source, data role, or lens resources in a project.
Delete project permissions tableau:permissions:delete Delete the project permission for a user or group.
Delete view permissions tableau:permissions:delete Delete the view permission for a user or group.
Delete workbook permissions tableau:permissions:delete Delete the workbook permission for a user or group.
Query data source permissions tableau:permissions:read Get a list of permissions for the data source.
Query default permissions tableau:permissions:read Get default permission capabilities of users and groups for metric, flow, workbook, data source, data role, or lens resources in a project.
Query project permissions tableau:permissions:read Get a list of permissions for the project.
Query view permissions tableau:permissions:read Get a list of permissions for the view.
Query workbook permissions tableau:permissions:read Get a list of permissions for the workbook.
(Permissions methods) tableau:permissions:* Enables add, query, update, delete permissions actions.

Site

    
Get recently viewed site tableau:content:read Get views and workbooks details on the most recently created, updated, or accessed by the signed in user.
Query views for site tableau:content:read List all views on a site.
Update site tableau:sites:update Update a site.
(Sites methods) tableau:sites:* Enables create, query, update, and delete sites actions.
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