How to export your data from Tableau
Tableau lets you download individual views/dashboards as Image (PNG), Data (CSV), Crosstab (CSV/Excel), PDF, or PowerPoint from Tableau Cloud/Server, or download the full workbook (.twb/.twbx) to open in Tableau Desktop. In Tableau Desktop you can also export a data source directly to CSV, Access, Excel, or a .hyper extract.
✓ Verified against Tableau's official documentation, September 2026
Step by step
- 1In Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server, open the view, dashboard, or workbook and click Download (or the download icon) at the top of the page.
- 2Select a download format: Image, Data, Crosstab, PDF, PowerPoint, or Tableau Workbook. Note that available formats depend on permissions granted by the content owner or site admin.
- 3For 'Data', Tableau opens a new browser tab with the view's summary/detail data; download it there as a .csv file. If downloading from a dashboard, first click the specific sheet you want data from.
- 4For 'Crosstab', pick which sheet(s) to export (dashboards list all sheets, including hidden ones) and choose .csv or Microsoft Excel .xlsx as the format.
- 5To get the entire workbook file, choose 'Tableau Workbook' and select which Tableau version to save it in; this produces a .twb/.twbx file you can open in Tableau Desktop.
- 6In Tableau Desktop, to export a full data source instead of one view: go to the Data Source page and select Data > Export Data to CSV.
- 7For view-level exports from Desktop, use Worksheet > Export > Data (CSV/Access) or Worksheet > Export > Crosstab to Excel.
- 8To create a portable, independent copy of all or part of the underlying data, use Extract Your Data to generate a .hyper extract file.
What the export includes
- ✓View/dashboard data as CSV, reflecting currently applied filters, parameters, and selections
- ✓Crosstab exports (CSV/Excel) of the data used to generate the view, with filters/parameters applied
- ✓Full workbook contents (.twb/.twbx) including sheets, calculations, and formatting, stored in plain text
- ✓Static PDF and PowerPoint snapshots of sheets, dashboards, or stories
- ✓A .hyper data extract that functions as an independent dataset from a Tableau data source
- ✓A .tds data source file that stores the connection shortcut to remote data
What it doesn't include
- ✗Fields that appear only on the Filters shelf (external filters) are excluded from view-data and crosstab exports unless also placed on the Detail shelf
- ✗Some table calculations and level-of-detail expressions may be excluded when exporting data from a Tableau Desktop data source
- ✗Viz Extensions, Dashboard Extensions, and Pulse dashboard objects are not rendered in PDF or PowerPoint exports (they appear blank)
- ✗Web page objects are not included when downloading a dashboard to PDF
- ✗Site/server administration settings, user accounts, and permission configurations are not part of a workbook or data download
Before you start
- ⚠The download formats you see depend on permissions granted by the content owner and site administrators — not every user gets every option
- ⚠Downloading extremely large amounts of data can affect server performance and might not complete successfully; if this happens, export directly from the underlying data source instead
- ⚠Crosstab-to-Excel export can be slow on large views because it copies and formats data simultaneously; excluding formatting can improve performance
- ⚠Copying a crosstab to the clipboard only works on aggregated views (Aggregate Measures must be selected) and fails on views with continuous dimensions like continuous dates/times
- ⚠Downloaded .twb/.twbx workbook files store their content in plain text, so anyone who opens the file can read all data, including filter values
- ⚠Only Tableau Trusted Extensions and Pulse objects (governed by Tableau/Salesforce) are included in image exports starting Tableau 2026.1; Network-Enabled extensions are never rendered in exports
- ⚠In Web Authoring, you must save the workbook before extensions or Pulse objects will show up correctly in a download
Where to take your data
Free and cheaper tools that can take a Tableau export. See all Tableau alternatives →
Apache Superset
Use Superset's Upload a CSV feature (Data > Upload CSV to database) to load an exported Tableau CSV or crosstab as a new dataset, then rebuild charts on top of it.
Metabase
Upload the exported CSV/crosstab file using Metabase's CSV upload feature, or skip the export entirely and connect Metabase directly to the same underlying database Tableau was querying.
Google Looker Studio
Import the exported CSV into a Google Sheet, then add that Sheet as a data source in Looker Studio to recreate charts and dashboards.
Exporting from Tableau: common questions
Can I export my entire Tableau site or all workbooks in one click?+
No. Downloads are done per view, sheet, or workbook using the Download button — there is no single 'export entire site' action in the documented workflow.
Why is a field missing from my CSV or crosstab export?+
Fields that exist only on the Filters shelf (external filters) are excluded from the exported data. Move the field to the Detail shelf if you need it included in the export.
What format do I need to move a full workbook to another machine with Tableau Desktop?+
Use the 'Tableau Workbook' download option, which lets you choose a target Tableau version and saves a .twb/.twbx file you can open directly in Tableau Desktop.
My data export is stuck or failing on a large dashboard — what should I do?+
Very large downloads can affect server performance and may not complete. Tableau's documentation recommends exporting the data directly from the underlying data source instead.
Why do parts of my PDF or PowerPoint export look blank?+
PDF and PowerPoint exports don't support Viz Extensions, Dashboard Extensions, or Pulse dashboard objects, so any area using those will render blank.
Is the data in a downloaded Tableau workbook secure?+
No — .twb/.twbx files store their content in plain text, so all data and filter values are readable by anyone who opens the file.
Sources
This guide was written from Tableau's own documentation and checked against it in September 2026. If a step has changed, the official page wins.
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