Set a Data Quality Warning

Applies to: Tableau Cloud, Tableau Data Management, Tableau Server

Data quality warnings are a feature of Tableau Catalog, part of the Data Management offering for Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud. For more information about Tableau Catalog, see "About Tableau Catalog" in the Tableau Server(Link opens in a new window) or Tableau Cloud(Link opens in a new window) Help.

When Tableau Catalog is enabled in your environment, you can set data quality warnings on data assets so that users of that data are aware of issues. For example, you might want to let users know that a data source has been deprecated, or that a refresh has failed for an extract data source.

You can set data quality warnings on data sources, databases, tables, flows, virtual connections, virtual connection tables, and columns.

Data quality warnings for data sources, databases, tables, and flows were introduced in version 2019.3 for Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server. Data quality warnings for virtual connections and virtual connection tables were added in Tableau Cloud March 2022 and Tableau Server 2022.1, and for columns in Tableau Cloud October 2022 and Tableau Server 2022.3.

About data quality warnings

There are two kinds of data quality warnings: Quality warnings that you set, and quality warnings that Tableau sets when an extract refresh or flow run fails, also known as monitoring quality warnings.

  • Quality warnings that you set: A quality warning that you set is visible to users until you or another user removes it.
  • Monitoring quality warning: If you enable a monitoring quality warning for an extract or flow asset, Tableau automatically adds a quality warning to the asset when an extract refresh or flow run fails. Later, if the extract refresh or flow run succeeds, Tableau automatically removes the quality warning.

Starting with Tableau Cloud October 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, in addition to setting monitoring warnings at the asset level, you can also turn extract refresh and flow run monitoring on or off for the entire site at once. For information about site-wide monitoring, see Site-wide monitoring for extract refresh and flow run failures.

Note: You can enable and modify both kinds of data quality warnings using the REST API. For more information, see the Label and Data Quality Warning Metadata Methods in the Tableau REST API Help.

Where data quality warnings appear

In Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server, when you set a warning on a data source, flow, database, table, column, virtual connection, or virtual connection table, the warning is visible to users of the asset and any assets downstream from it. For example, a warning set on a table is visible to users looking at a dashboard that depends on that table. The users see a warning icon on the dashboard's Data Details tab and can open the pane to see more information.

Data quality warning on Data Details pane

Data quality warnings appear when exploring some types of content in a list view:

Data quality warning column in list view

Note: If you see a data quality warning column, but don't have a license that includes Data Management, selecting the column header displays a promotion for Data Management. The promotion can be turned off in your Account Settings.

Data quality warnings also appear at the top of asset pages:

Data quality warning on asset page

In Tableau Desktop, users see an icon next to the data source in the Data pane when

  • there's a warning on a data source used in the workbook, or
  • there's a warning upstream from the data source used in the workbook

Note: Data quality warnings for columns and virtual connections don't appear in Tableau Desktop.

To see the details of the warning, select the warning icon.

Data quality warning in the Data Pane

In Tableau Cloud web authoring, you can look at all label properties for an object in the data pane (data connection or field) by selecting Catalog Details on the data connection or field.

Visibility

Data quality warnings can be classified as high visibility. High visibility quality warnings appear more urgent and appear in more places. For example, a high visibility warning on a data source generates a notification when anyone opens a view that depends on it.

Published view with data quality warning info toast

The icon and badge for high visibility quality warnings is yellow or orange, while standard visibility quality warnings are blue.

If more than one quality warning applies to an asset (because the asset has more than one quality warning or is inheriting upstream ones), the badge includes a number, and the color is determined by the highest visibility label. For example, if two quality warnings apply to an asset, one of which is standard visibility and one of which is high visibility, the badge is yellow or orange.

Data quality warnings in subscriptions

Administrators can turn on data quality warnings in email subscriptions. If this feature is turned on, emails the users receive include high visibility data quality warnings for that view, with links to:

  • Relevant views or workbooks with their Data Details pane open.
  • Relevant upstream assets, such as data sources, tables, or databases.

Administrators can turn on data quality warnings in email subscriptions by selecting the High-Visibility Data Labels in View and Workbook Subscriptions option (previously the Data Quality Warnings in Subscriptions option) on the Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud site settings page. For more information, see High-Visibility Data Labels in View and Workbook Subscriptions in the Site Settings Reference.

How to set a quality warning

You can set several different data quality warnings on an asset. Starting with Tableau Cloud June 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, an administrator can add to the list of available data quality warnings by customizing data labels.

Starting with Tableau Cloud June 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, "Sensitive data" is no longer a data quality warning, but is a sensitivity label instead. For more information, see Sensitivity Labels. In Tableau Server 2023.1 and earlier, "Sensitive data" remains a data quality warning.

The following data quality warnings are built in:

  • Warning
  • Deprecated
  • Stale data
  • Under maintenance

To attach a data quality warning to an asset:

Note: Starting with Tableau Cloud February 2024 and Tableau Server 2024.2, you add and remove quality warnings using the consolidated Data Labels dialog instead of separate dialogs for each type of label. For information on the Data Labels dialog, see The Data Labels dialog.

  1. Search for or navigate to the asset. The steps to navigate depend on the type of asset you want to add the quality warning to:
    • Data source or virtual connection - on the Explore page, select All Data Sources or All Virtual Connections.
    • Virtual connection table - on the Explore page, select All Virtual Connections, and select the virtual connection that contains the virtual connection table you want to certify. Then select the virtual connection table.
    • Database or table - on the Explore page, navigate to the database or table. Or on the External Assets page, select Databases and Files or Tables and Objects.
    • Column - on the Explore page, navigate to the table. Or on the External Assets page, select Tables and Objects and navigate to the table. Then find the column in the list.
  2. Select the actions menu (. . .) next to the asset, and then select Data Labels > Data Quality Warning. (For columns in Tableau Server 2022.3 and earlier, instead select the column, and then click the actions dropdown and select Quality Warning.)
    Quality Warning menu
  3. Select the checkbox beside quality warnings you want attached to the asset. Optionally, if you know the name of a quality warning, you can search for it at the top of the dialog, and then select the checkbox beside it. (In Tableau Server 2023.3 and earlier, you can only attach one quality warning to each asset. Use the Show warning switch or Enable warning checkbox to turn on a quality warning for that asset, then select the desired warning from the dropdown list.)
  4. Set the visibility level.
  5. If desired, enter a message to display to users. (In Tableau Server 2023.3 and earlier, a message is required.)You can format the text in a message with bold, underline, and italics, and include a link or an image. To see text formatting tips, click the information (i) icon above the Save button.
    Data Labels dialog with Quality Warning tab selected
  6. Select Save.

Remove a data quality warning

When a warning no longer applies, you can remove it by navigating to the data asset with the warning.

Note: Starting with Tableau Cloud February 2024 and Tableau Server 2024.2, you add and remove quality warnings using the consolidated Data Labels dialog instead of separate dialogs for each type of label. For information on the Data Labels dialog, see The Data Labels dialog.

  1. Select the actions menu (. . .) next to the asset, and then select Quality Warning. (For columns in Tableau Server 2022.3 and earlier, instead select the column, and then click the actions dropdown and select Quality Warning.)
  2. Uncheck the boxes beside quality warnings you want to remove from the asset. (In Tableau Server 2023.3 and earlier, use the Show warning switch or Enable warning checkbox to turn off a quality warning for that asset.)
  3. Turn off the warning.
  4. Select Save.

How to turn on a monitoring quality warning

You can set Tableau to monitor for two events: extract data source refresh failure and flow run failure. When the event occurs, Tableau generates a quality warning that appears in the same places that a manual quality warning appears.

You can turn on monitoring explicitly on the extract or flow, or, starting with Tableau Cloud October 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, you can enable site-wide monitoring for all extract refresh and flow run failures. For information on site-wide monitoring, see Site-wide monitoring for extract refresh and flow run failures.

To explicitly monitor for either an extract refresh or flow run failure:

  1. Select the actions menu (. . .) next to the extract data source or flow you want to create a warning for, and then select the appropriate option:
    • In Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server 2023.3 and later:
      • Data Labels > Extract Refresh Monitoring
      • Data labels > Flow Run Monitoring
    • In Tableau Server 2023.1 and earlier:
      • Quality Warning > Extract Refresh Monitoring
      • Quality Warning > Flow Run Monitoring
  2. Enable the warning.
  3. Set the visibility level. (Older versions of the dialogs have a checkbox for high visibility.)
  4. If desired, enter a message for users to see in the warning details if the extract refresh or flow run fails. You can format the text in a message with bold, underline, and italics, and include a link or an image. To see text formatting tips, click the information (i) icon above the Save button.
  5. Click Save.

Flow Run Monitoring Dialog

How to turn off a monitoring quality warning

To turn off monitoring for either an extract refresh or flow run failure:

  1. Select the actions menu (. . .) next to the extract data source or flow you want to create a warning for, and then select the appropriate option:
    • In Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server 2023.3 and later:
      • Data Labels > Extract Refresh Monitoring
      • Data labels > Flow Run Monitoring
    • In Tableau Server 2023.1 and earlier:
      • Quality Warning > Extract Refresh Monitoring
      • Quality Warning > Flow Run Monitoring
  2. Turn off the warning.
  3. Click Save.

Site-wide monitoring for extract refresh and flow run failures

Starting with Tableau Cloud October 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, an administrator can turn on site-wide monitoring to add or remove data quality warnings for extract refresh failures and flow run failures. You can control this feature through the Settings page, under the Extract Refresh and Flow Run Monitoring section:

Extract Refresh and Flow Run Monitoring Setting

These settings are turned on by default for all new sites. Sites that existed before the change will have the settings turned off, but an administrator can turn them on.

Note: Data quality warning notifications aren't displayed for extract refreshes that use Tableau Bridge.

Interaction of site-wide monitoring and explicit monitoring

The interaction of explicit monitoring on assets and site-wide monitoring of all assets is as follows:

  • If monitoring is explicitly turned on for an asset and site-wide monitoring is turned on, explicit settings on the asset take precedence over the site-wide settings. Settings include properties like visibility level and message.
  • When you turn off site-wide monitoring:
    • Assets with monitoring explicitly turned on aren't changed.
    • Assets without monitoring explicitly turned on stop monitoring for extract refresh or flow run failures, and warnings that previously arose from extract refresh or flow run failures on those assets are removed.
    • Catalog ingestion performance might be temporarily reduced as Catalog re-ingests assets that may no longer have warning labels.

Site-wide monitoring was released in Tableau Cloud October 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3. There's no interaction of explicit monitoring and site-wide monitoring in earlier versions.

Who can set quality warnings

To set a data quality warning, you must either

  • be a server or site administrator, or
  • have the Overwrite capability for the asset.

Customize data quality warnings

Starting with Tableau Cloud June 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, using the label manager on the Data Labels page or the REST API, an administrator can change the data quality warnings that users see in the data quality warning dialog, or create new ones. For more information, see Manage Data Labels.

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