Connectors Built with the Web Data Connector 3.0 SDK

Applies to: Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep, Tableau Server

The Web Data Connector 3.0 is the latest version of the web data connector, Tableau’s solution for connecting to data in web applications and services that are exposed through APIs rather than ODBC/JDBC drivers.

The Web Data Connector 3.0 SDK provides the tools that you need to build your own custom connector to web data. Additionally, partner-built connectors can be used from the Tableau Exchange.

Note: The Web Data Connector 3.0 was part of the 2022.3 Tableau release.

About Web Data Connector 3.0

In a departure from previous iterations of web data connector, and analogous to the Tableau Connector SDK, Web Data Connector 3.0 allows you to build a custom connector to web data and package the connector as a .taco file. WDC 3.0 connectors can be used like any driver-based connector built using the Tableau Connector SDK and don’t require you to host the connector on your own web server.

Like other .taco connectors, WDC 3.0 connectors are packaged and signed .jar files containing a set of XML and Javascript/TypeScript files. These files define the look and behaviour of the connector including:

A web-based connector UI
API calls to retrieve data from your application or service endpoint
Instructions to map the retrieved data into Tableau extracts

Note: Web Data Connector 3.0 remains extract-only but otherwise allows you to visualise your data and publish your analysis just like any other data source.

Important: There is a known issue with WDC 3.0-based connectors on Tableau Server. See Known issues (Tableau Server only) below.

Build your own connector

To get started building your own custom connector, refer to the official Web Data Connector 3.0 documentation.

Use a connector built with the Web Data Connector 3.0 SDK

After you build a connector with the Web Data Connector 3.0 SDK, follow these steps to use it with Tableau:

Download the connector file, [connector name].taco.

Place the .taco file in the following directory (default location):

For 2021.2 and newer:

For Tableau Desktop	For Tableau Prep Builder	For Tableau Server
Windows - C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Repository\Connectors macOS - /Users/[user]/Documents/My Tableau Repository/Connectors	Windows: C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Prep Repository\Connectors MacOS: /Users//Documents/My Tableau Prep Repository/Connectors	Windows: C:\Program Files\Tableau\Connectors Linux: /opt/tableau/connectors

For 2021.1 and older:

For Tableau Desktop	For Tableau Prep Builder	For Tableau Server, Tableau Prep Conductor, Tableau Prep Flow Authoring
Windows - C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Repository\Connectors macOS - /Users/[user]/Documents/My Tableau Repository/Connectors	Windows: C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Prep Repository\Connectors MacOS: /Users//Documents/My Tableau Prep Repository/Connectors	Tableau Server: [Tableau_Server_Installation_Directory]/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors To enable your connector for Prep, you also need to add your taco to the following locations: Tableau Prep Conductor: [Tableau_Server_Installation_Directory]/data/tabsvc/flowprocessor/Connectors Tableau Prep Flow Authoring: [Tableau_Server_Installation_Directory]/data/tabsvc/flowqueryservice/Connectors

For Tableau Desktop

For Tableau Prep Builder

For Tableau Server, Tableau Prep Conductor, Tableau Prep Flow Authoring

Windows - C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Repository\Connectors
macOS - /Users/[user]/Documents/My Tableau Repository/Connectors

Windows: C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Prep Repository\Connectors
MacOS: /Users//Documents/My Tableau Prep Repository/Connectors

Tableau Server: [Tableau_Server_Installation_Directory]/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors

To enable your connector for Prep, you also need to add your taco to the following locations:

Tableau Prep Conductor: [Tableau_Server_Installation_Directory]/data/tabsvc/flowprocessor/Connectors
Tableau Prep Flow Authoring: [Tableau_Server_Installation_Directory]/data/tabsvc/flowqueryservice/Connectors

Note: After you've installed the connector, it will appear in the list of connectors in Tableau.

If you find an issue with the WDC library, the simulator, or any of the developer samples, submit an issue on Github(Link opens in a new window).

Connect Tableau to the data

Start Tableau, and under Connect, select the name of the connector you just installed. For a complete list of data connectors, select More under To a Server.
Enter the information that you’re prompted for, and then select Sign In.
Wait while the connector retrieves your data into Tableau.
Select the sheet tab to start your analysis.

Load order for connectors

If a connector has the same class as a connector that has already been registered, the new connector will be rejected. Connectors loaded first have precedence when two connectors share class names.

Tableau loads connectors by directory in the following order:

Built-in Tableau connectors
Connectors located in C:\Program Files\Tableau\Connectors (Windows) or/opt/tableau/connectors (Linux)
Connectors located in My Tableau Repository/Connectors
(Optional) Connectors in the dev path specified by -DConnectPluginsPath

Known issues (Tableau Server only)

When trying to connect to a WDC 3.0-based connector on Tableau Server, users might see a "Tableau Server (Version <version number>) encountered an error while working with this worksheet" error message.

This error occurs because the Web Data Connector 3.0-based connector that the workbook was created with is not compatible with a multi-node Tableau Server. There is no workaround or resolution at this time. For more information, see the When web authoring using WDC 3.0-based Connectors, receiving HTTP 503 along with error "encountered an error"(Link opens in a new window) knowledge article.

Tableau Desktop and Web Authoring Help