Quick Start: Use Login-based License Management with Tableau Server


You can use the following steps to get up and running quickly with login-based license management.

Step 1: Install Tableau Server

To use login-based license management to activate Tableau, you must install Tableau Server version 2021.1 or later, and activate it with a product key that is enabled for login-based license management. Login-based license management enables Tableau Creator users to sign-in and activate Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder.

Note: If your Tableau Server product key is not enabled for login-based license management in the Tableau Customer Portal, contact your Tableau account representative.

The following topics provide additional information about installing Tableau Server and using login-based license management to activate Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder:

To change login-based license management configuration settings, or to disable login-based license management on Tableau Server, see Change login-based license management settings(Link opens in a new window).

Step 2: Add authorized users to Tableau Server

After you activate Tableau Server, you can add authorized users(Link opens in a new window). When adding users, you’ll need to select the site role for that user, for example Creator, Explorer, or Site Administrator. Users who will activate Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder must be assigned to a Creator site role (Creator or Site Administrator Creator). For more information on site roles, see Set Users’ Site Roles(Link opens in a new window).

Step 3: Activate Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder

A Creator user must download and install Tableau Desktop and/or Tableau Prep Builder on their computer before they can be activated using login-based license management. For more information, see Install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder from the User Interface(Link opens in a new window).

  1. Launch Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder.

    If this is the first time you've launched Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder, you have the option of starting a 14-day free trial or activating Tableau.

  2. Click Activate Tableau to skip the free trial.

  3. On the Activate Tableau screen, click Activate by signing in to a server, to sign-in and activate Tableau using login-based license management.

  4. When prompted, specify the URL for Tableau Server to sign-in using your credentials.

  5. After you are authenticated by Tableau Server, Tableau Desktop and/or Tableau Prep Builder are activated and ready to use.

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