Sensitivity Labels

Some data needs to be handled more carefully. To ensure trust and security, it's important that users know which data that is. Starting in Tableau Cloud June 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, if you have a Data Management license, Tableau offers a new category of data label: Sensitivity labels. Users can use sensitivity labels to indicate the level of care that should be taken when creating views or sharing information. Furthermore, sensitivity labels can co-exist on the same asset as other labels, such as certification and data quality warnings. And, using the label manager on the Data Labels page or the REST API, an administrator can create new sensitivity labels to suit the needs of their organization.

Note: In Tableau Cloud March 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.1 and earlier, data sensitivity was expressed using the "sensitive data" data quality warning. Because only one data quality warning could be attached to an asset, a "sensitive data" warning couldn't co-exist with other data quality warnings. With the upgrade to Tableau Cloud June 2023 and Tableau Server 2023.3, "sensitive data" data quality warnings were migrated to sensitivity labels.

Sensitivity labels can be attached to the same types of assets that other data labels can.

Attach a sensitivity label to an asset

To attach a sensitivity label to an asset:

1. Select the actions menu (. . .) next to the asset, and then select Data Labels > Sensitivity Label.
2. Turn the label on using the Show label toggle.
3. Select the sensitivity label value from the dropdown list.
4. Enter a message to display to users if desired. 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, hover over the information (i) icon above the Save button.
5. Select Save.

Remove a sensitivity label from an asset

To remove a sensitivity label from an asset:

1. Select the actions menu (. . .) next to the asset, and then select Data Labels > Sensitivity Label.
2. Depending on your need, either turn off the label or clear the settings:
• If you think you might want to save the label and its message for later, turn the label off with the Show label toggle.
• To return the label value and message to their defaults, click Clear Settings.
3. Select Save.

Where sensitivity labels appear

Sensitivity labels appear on assets when navigating Tableau Server. Like data quality warnings, sensitivity labels appear downstream from the assets on which they're attached. For example, a sensitivity label on a column appears in the columns row of the table page, again at the top of the table page, and on the database page.

Visibility

By default, the built-in sensitivity label named "Sensitive data" is high visibility and appears purple. If an administrator has changed the built-in sensitivity label to standard visibility or created other standard visibility sensitivity labels, those will appear gray.

Sensitivity labels in email subscriptions

Administrators can turn on sensitivity labels in email subscriptions so that when users subscribe to a view, the email they get includes high visibility sensitivity labels associated with that view. Emails with high visibility sensitivity labels contain:

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

Administrators can turn on sensitivity labels in email subscriptions by selecting the Data Quality Warnings in Subscriptions option on the Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud site settings page. For more information, see Data Quality Warnings in Subscriptions in the Site Settings Reference.

Who can do this

To set a sensitivity label, you must either

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

Customize sensitivity labels

There is only one built-in sensitivity label: Sensitive data. Starting in Tableau Cloud June 2023 and Tableau Server 2023, using the labels manager on the Data Labels page or the REST API, an administrator can create new sensitivity label values or change the name and description of an existing one. Typical additions (name and description) might be:

• Public: Available to the public to view.
• Internal: Restricted to company employees and contractors. This data must not be shared publicly, but it can be shared with customers, partners, and others under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
• Confidential: Available to an approved group of employees and contractors. This data isn’t restricted by law, regulation, or a company master service agreement (MSA). It can be shared with customers, partners, and others under an NDA.
• Restricted: Available only to an approved group of employees and contractors. This data is likely restricted by law, regulation, an NDA, or a company MSA.
• MissionCritical: Available only to a small group of approved employees and contractors. Third parties who are given access could be subject to heightened contractual requirements. This data is almost always restricted by law, regulation, an NDA, or a company MSA.

For information, see Manage Data Labels.