How to Clear Action Filter in Tableau

Diving into Tableau's action filters can transform a static report into an engaging, interactive dashboard. But getting them to behave exactly as you want, specifically clearing a filter after a user makes a selection, can sometimes be a headache. This guide will walk you through several methods to clear action filters, from simple user tricks to building a dedicated reset button for a seamless user experience.

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What Are Tableau Action Filters and Why Do They "Stick"?

Before jumping into the solutions, let's quickly get on the same page. An action filter in Tableau allows you to use one chart (the source sheet) to filter the data on another chart (the target sheet). For example, you might have a map of the United States showing sales by state. When a user clicks on "California" on the map, another chart showing sales by product category automatically updates to show data for only California.

This is incredibly powerful for guiding users through your data. The problem arises after that click. The filter for "California" is now active, or "stuck." If the user wants to see the total sales by product category for the entire country again, how do they do that? It's not always obvious, and this can lead to confusion and misinterpretation of the data.

Let's fix that. Here are the most common and effective ways to clear those sticky action filters.

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Method 1: The Simple User Approach (The Escape Key)

The quickest but least obvious way to clear a selection in Tableau is by using your keyboard. This is a great tip for yourself as an analyst, but it's not a reliable solution for a published dashboard your colleagues will use, as it requires them to know the trick.

Here’s how it works:

• Apply the Action Filter: A user clicks on a data point in your source visualizations (e.g., a bar in a bar chart, a state on a map, etc.). This filters the target sheets as intended.
• Clear the Filter: Simply press the Escape (Esc) key on the keyboard. This deselects the mark in the source sheet, which in turn clears the filter from the target sheets, returning them to their default, unfiltered state.

In some cases, clicking on a blank area inside the frame of the source chart (but not on any data mark) can also deselect the mark and clear the filter. However, the Escape key is the most consistent method for direct user interaction.

When to use this: Perfect for when you are personally building or exploring a dashboard. It's not ideal for final, published versions because it's not an intuitive feature for end-users who might not know this Tableau-specific shortcut.

Method 2: Configuring The Action Filter's Behavior

This is the first and most fundamental step you should take as a dashboard creator. You can directly control what happens after a user clears a selection within the Action settings themselves. More often than not, changing one setting here solves the "sticky filter" problem without any extra work.

Follow these steps to configure your action filter:

1. Navigate to the top menu of your dashboard window and select Dashboard > Actions...
2. In the Actions dialog box that appears, select the filter action you want to adjust and click the Edit... button.
3. At the bottom of the Edit Filter Action window, you will see a section titled "Clearing the selection will:". There are three options here.

Let’s break down what each option does:

• Leave the filter: This is often the default setting and the cause of the problem. It means that after a user clicks a mark, the accompanying filter will remain in place until they click a different mark. If they simply click away, the last filter they chose remains active.
• Show all values: This is usually the setting you want. When a user clears their selection (either by pressing Escape, clicking blank space, or using a reset button as shown in the next method), the filter is removed and the target sheets revert to showing all of their data. This returns the dashboard to its original view.
• Exclude all values: This option will cause the target visualizations to go blank after a selection is cleared. This can be useful if you want to deliberately hide the target chart until a user makes a relevant selection in the source chart, reducing clutter and focusing attention.

For most use cases, changing this setting to "Show all values" is the best practice. It provides the most intuitive user experience, allowing users to drill down and then easily "zoom out" back to the full view.

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Method 3: Creating a Dedicated 'Reset' Button

While the previous method is essential backstage work, the best front-stage experience for your users is providing an explicit, clickable "Reset Filters" button on the dashboard itself. No one has to guess how to get back to the default view, they just click a button.

This technique involves creating a separate worksheet for the button and then using a separate dashboard action to make it work. It sounds complex, but it's a straightforward process.

Step 1: Create the Reset Button Worksheet

1. Create a new worksheet and name it something clear, like "Reset Button."
2. Create a new calculated field. Let's call it "Reset Label" with the following formula: "Reset Filters"
3. Drag this "Reset Label" calculated field onto the Text mark on the Marks card.
4. On the Marks card, change the dropdown menu from "Automatic" to Shape.
5. Click the Shape button and choose a shape you like for your button. Feel free to format the text and shape to make it look like a clean, clickable button.

Step 2: Add the Reset Button to the Dashboard

Now, go to your main dashboard. Drag the newly created "Reset Button" sheet from the Sheets list on the left and drop it where you want on the dashboard canvas.

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Step 3: Create the Filter Action for the Reset Button

This is the final step where we bring the button to life. We need to create a new filter action that will target the original source sheet of our primary filter. The goal is that when you click this new 'Reset' button, it deselects any marks on the sheet that drives your main filter, which in turn reverts the rest of the dashboard.

1. On your dashboard, go to Dashboard > Actions... and click Add Action > Filter....
2. A configuration window will pop up. Fill it out with the following settings:
3. Click OK twice to close both action windows.

Now, click a mark on your source chart to filter your dashboard. Then, click your new "Reset Filters" button. You should see the selection on your source chart clear out, causing your target charts to return to showing all their data. You've just created a vastly more intuitive experience for your end users!

Final Thoughts

Mastering action filters and how to clear them is a big step towards creating professional, user-friendly dashboards in Tableau. Whether you opt for simply configuring the action's behavior to "Show all values" or build a dedicated reset button, your goal is to reduce ambiguity and frustration for the person using your dashboard. It empowers them to freely explore the data without feeling stuck.

While Tableau provides a fantastic amount of granular control, it often means investing time in setup, configuration, and learning specific techniques like these. At Graphed, we're focused on removing this technical friction entirely. Graphed allows you to connect all your marketing and sales data sources in seconds and create live, real-time dashboards just by asking questions in plain English - no calculated fields, sheet swapping, or action configuration required. Instead of spending hours building drill-downs and reset buttons, you can explore your data and get answers right away.