Add a Tableau Data Story to a Dashboard

Applies to: Tableau Cloud, Tableau Desktop

Important changes for Tableau Data Stories

Tableau Data Stories will be retired in Tableau Desktop, Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server in January of 2025 (2025.1). With advances in natural language technologies, we're developing an improved interface that will make it easier to ask questions of your data and stay on top of changes. For more information, see How Tableau Pulse powered by Tableau AI is Reimagining the Data Experience(Link opens in a new window).

After you Create a Dashboard, you can add the Data Story object to your dashboard to display insights about your viz that are written in natural language. Today, Tableau Data Stories are written in English only and are available in Tableau Cloud, Tableau Server (version 2023.1 and later), and Tableau Desktop. There is no data size limit when creating Data Stories. However, story generation times out after 45 seconds if it’s trying to analyse a lot of data. We recommend using Data Stories with visualisations that have 1,000 or fewer data points.

Note: Tableau Data Stories opens in a pop-up window, so make sure you allow pop-ups. If you're using full screen mode, Data Stories can open in a new tab.

  1. Drag the Data Story object into your Tableau dashboard. If you haven’t already, add a sheet to your dashboard to use Tableau Data Stories.
    Data Story object with open book icon found in the dashboard editing pane
  2. In the Data Story dialog box, configure your story by first choosing the worksheet to write about. When you click Next, Tableau sends all associated workbook data to the Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server instance that you are logged in to.
    Configure pane with options to choose which sheet you want to write about
  3. Choose the dimensions and measures to include in your story.
    Configure pane with the option to drag and drop dimensions and measures that you want included in your story
  4. Choose the type of story that best describes your data:
    Configure pane with options to choose the type of story that best fits your data: Discrete, Continuous, Percent of Whole or Scatter Plot
    Discrete is best for qualitative values such as names or dates, such as in bar or column charts.
    Continuous is best for quantitative values over time, such as a plotted-in-a-line chart.
    Percent of Whole is best for proportions of a whole, such as a pie chart.
    Scatter Plot is best for relationships between numerical values, such as a scatter plot chart.
  5. Click Done.

To filter your Data Story by clicking different sections on your visualisation, open the menu on your visualisation and click Use as filter.

After your story is generated, click Settings at the top of your Data Story object for a guided experience that helps you personalise and contextualise your story. For more information, see Configure Settings for a Tableau Data Story.

Note: If you experience a discrepancy in your Tableau Data Story (for example, if the numbers in your story are different from your visualisation), it may be caused by way your visualisation is set up. Try creating a new visualisation on a different sheet, and then add a new Data Story with the Use a hidden sheet technique to uncover the underlying issue.

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