Connect Tableau Desktop to the Salesforce Data Cloud

Applies to: Data Cloud, Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep

As of release 2021.1, Tableau Desktop supports connecting to and refreshing data from the Salesforce Data Cloud. Complete the following steps to connect Tableau Desktop to the Salesforce Data Cloud.

Note: As of February 14, 2023, Customer Data Platform is now called Salesforce Data Cloud. During this transition, you may see references to Customer Data Platform, along with names: Customer Data Cloud, Customer 360 Audiences, and Salesforce CDP. We wish we could magically update the name everywhere, but you can expect to see the previous name in a few places as we evolve.

Step 1: Install the Salesforce Data Cloud .taco file

Note: This step applies to versions 2021.1-2021.3. Starting in version 2021.4, the Salesforce_CDP.taco file is automatically installed.

Remove or rename any Salesforce_CDP.taco files that have been previously installed to avoid conflicts. The Tableau Desktop.taco files are installed in the following locations:
- MacOS: /Applications/Tableau Desktop <VERSION>.app/Contents/Resources/connectors/Salesforce_CDP.taco
- Windows: C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau 2022.3\bin\connectors
Download the latest Salesforce Data Cloud connector (Salesforce_CDP.taco file) from the Tableau Exchange Connectors site: Customer Data Platform Connector.
Move the .taco file to the Tableau connector directory:

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

Step 2: Install the Salesforce Data Cloud JDBC driver

Note: Tableau version 2023.1 for Desktop is only compatible with JDBC driver version 18 and above.

Download the latest JDBC driver (Salesforce-CDP-jdbc-[version].jar file) from the Salesforce CDP GitHub site: Salesforce-CDP-jdbc.
Move the downloaded Salesforce-CDP-jdbc-[version].jar file to the following location:

Windows: C:\Program Files\Tableau\Drivers
macOS: /Users/[user]/Library/Tableau/Drivers

Note: Unhide the folders to view them.

Step 3: Set up a connected app in the Salesforce Data Cloud

Log in your Salesforce Data Cloud organization as the admin user.
To install Salesforce CDP Tableau connection as a connection in your connected app, paste the following URL in the web browser:

https://login.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/authorize?response_type=token&client_id=3MVG9VeAQy5y3BQVJqaUbFmV5jd8imcck2K5idmrTTGocSu9qZZ6qkbuEkxECKVYwmzm3WgvxkujqsxZDcBpL&redirect_uri=http://localhost:55555/Callback
Select Allow.

After access is allowed, the Salesforce Data Cloud Tableau Connection is added to Connected Apps.
Go to Setup and search for Connected Apps OAuth Usage.
Select Install next to the Salesforce Data Cloud Connector Tableau Connection.
Select Install to confirm.
After the connected app is installed, go to Setup, App Manager, Salesforce CDP, Manage OAuth Custom Scopes.

Step 4: Enable a High Assurance Session

You can enable a High Assurance session in to ensure that your connected app is secure. This session policy requires users to verify their identity with multi-factor authentication when they log into the connected app.

Login to Salesforce as a CDP Admin.
In the Salesforce Data Cloud, search for App Manager.
In the Setup's Quick Find, search for Salesforce CDP Tableau Connection in the list.
Select Manage .

IMPORTANT: Make sure you are clicking on the drop down for Salesforce CDP Tableau Connection only!

Select Edit Policies.

Under Session Policies, select the High assurance session required check box.

Select Save. High assurance config is now enabled.

Step 5: Connect to the Salesforce Data Cloud in Tableau Desktop

Launch Tableau Desktop (2021.1 or later).
Go to Connect,To a Server, and select Salesforce CDP.
In the Salesforce CDP dialog, confirm that OAuth is selected in the Authentication section and https://login.salesforce.com is selected in the OAuth instance URL section.
Select Sign In to open a pane in a web browser.
Sign in to Salesforce with your username and password.
Select Allow.
Close the browser pane.

Tableau Desktop is now connected to the Salesforce Data Cloud and you can perform Tableau operations.

Next Steps

Use Accelerators for Quick Data Insights

You can quickly visualize your data using accelerators. Tableau Accelerators are pre-built dashboards designed to help you get a jumpstart on data analysis. Tailored to specific industries and enterprise applications. Accelerators are built with sample data that you can swap out for your own data, allowing you to discover insights with minimal setup. Accelerators are available on the Tableau Exchange. For more information about accelerators, see Use Accelerators to Quickly Visualize Data. You may want to try some of the following Salesforce Data Cloud accelerators.

Salesforce Data Cloud Identity Resolution Accelerator

You can use the Identity Resolution Accelerator to explore how identity resolution in Salesforce Data Cloud is working for your business. You can view your ingested sources, how they contribute to unified individuals, and their composition. For more information, see Salesforce Data Cloud Identity Resolution.

Salesforce Data Cloud Email Marketing Campaign Accelerator

With the CDP Email Marketing Campaign Accelerator you can monitor the efficiency of your email campaigns end to end. You can explore campaigns that have the highest conversion, email trends over time, and more. For more information, see Salesforce Data Cloud Email Marketing Campaigns.

Salesforce Data Cloud Customer Engagement Accelerator

This accelerator is an exploratory dashboard that gives marketing and sales teams a comprehensive view of the engagement levels of customers across the following channels.

Sales
Email
Messages (SMS)
Website
Push Notifications

The accelerator helps these teams to select the best channels to interact with the customer, develop relevant messaging, and create positive customer experiences to increase loyalty and retention. For more information, see Salesforce Data Cloud Customer Engagement.

Tableau Desktop and Web Authoring Help