How to Export Tableau to Excel

Getting your detailed Tableau dashboard report into Excel doesn't have to be a complicated, multi-step process. In fact, Tableau provides a few simple ways to export your data so you can perform ad-hoc analysis, share it with colleagues, or combine it with other datasets. This guide will walk you through the three easiest methods for exporting your visuals and data from Tableau into Excel.

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Why Export Tableau Data to Excel in the First Place?

Tableau is incredibly powerful for interactive data visualization, but sometimes you just need a spreadsheet. There are plenty of practical reasons why you might want to export your work into Excel:

• Sharing with Colleagues: Not everyone on your team or in your company will have a Tableau license. Exporting to a universal format like Excel makes your data accessible to anyone.
• Ad-Hoc Data Manipulation: Sometimes it's simply faster to run a quick calculation, sort, or filter a small dataset in Excel - especially if you’re already a spreadsheet pro.
• Combining Data Sources Manually: You might need to merge your Tableau export with data from another source that isn't connected to your Tableau workbook. An Excel export serves as a perfect go-between.
• Legacy Reporting Requirements: Many organizations still rely on standardized Excel-based reports. Exporting allows you to fit your Tableau data into these existing reporting structures.
• Creating Static Backups: Having a daily or weekly snapshot of your dashboard in Excel can be useful for historical tracking and comparison.

Whatever your reason, the process is straightforward once you know which option to choose.

The Top 3 Ways to Get Your Tableau Dashboard into Excel

Tableau doesn't have a single "Export dashboard to perfectly formatted multi-tab Excel file" button. It would be nice, but the reality is that Tableau dashboards are complex, interactive documents, while Excel is a grid-based spreadsheet. The translation isn't always direct.

Instead, Tableau gives you a few more granular options that work very well. We’ll cover how to export a single chart, the raw data behind a chart, and a workaround for getting all your dashboard data packaged up.

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Method 1: Export a Single Worksheet as a Crosstab

This is the fastest and most common method. Use this when you only need the data from one specific chart or view on your dashboard, presented in the same summary format you see on screen.

A "crosstab" is just another name for a text-based table with rows and columns, like a pivot table. It exports the aggregated data that makes up your chart, keeping the structure intact.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Select the chart (worksheet) you want to export. Click anywhere inside the specific chart on your dashboard. You’ll see a faint gray border appear around it, indicating it’s selected.
2. Navigate to the Worksheet Menu. At the top of your Tableau Desktop window, click on the Worksheet menu item.
3. Choose the Export Option. From the dropdown menu, select Export, and from the sub-menu that appears, click Crosstab to Excel.
4. Save your file. Tableau will immediately prompt you to save the file. Give it a name, choose a location on your computer, and click Save.

Excel will then open with your data perfectly laid out in a new worksheet. The columns and rows will match what you saw in the Tableau chart. It’s a clean and quick way to get a specific data summary out of your dashboard.

Pro Tip: You can often perform the same action by simply copying and pasting. Select the worksheet in your dashboard, go to Worksheet > Copy > Crosstab, and then paste it directly into an open Excel sheet.

Method 2: Export the Unfiltered, Underlying Data from Your Dashboard

What if you don't want the summarized data from your chart? What if you need the raw, unaggregated data — all the individual rows that Tableau uses to create that visual summary? That’s where exporting the underlying data comes in handy.

This method gives you a much more detailed dataset. For instance, if your chart shows total sales per month, exporting the crosstab gives you just those 12 monthly sales totals. Exporting the underlying data gives you every single sales transaction that was used to calculate those totals.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Select the Relevant Worksheet. Just as before, click on the specific chart inside your dashboard that contains the data you want to export.
2. Navigate to Export Data. From the top menu, click Worksheet > Export > Data....
3. View and Export the Data. A new window will pop up showing you a preview of the data. At the top, you'll see a summary view, but you’ll also see a tab or link that says View Underlying Data.
4. Export the Data File. Click the Export All button. Tableau will prompt you to save the file as a Comma Separated Values (.csv) file. CSVs are plain text files that open perfectly in Excel. The name of the saved file will usually be “Export.csv”.

Once you open this CSV file in Excel, you’ll have all the detailed source data that powered that single chart. We recommend you get a preview of the source data so you ensure your filter criteria are set up correctly.

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Method 3: A Smart Workaround to Export the Entire Dashboard

As mentioned, Tableau lacks a one-click solution to export an entire interactive, complex dashboard with all its charts and visuals into one neat comprehensive Excel file that can be used offline. But with a little preparation (and a couple of extra steps), here's the best manual workaround so you can export a report from your full dashboard in Tableau Desktop and turn it into a multi-tab Excel document.

Part A: Export Each Datasource Individually

This is the most straightforward, though manual method to save Tableau as a more comprehensive report as an Excel file. You’ll simply repeat the process from Method 1 or Method 2 for every single worksheet on your dashboard.

To switch from your dashboard to an embedded worksheet, first deselect any charts or worksheets by clicking outside any specific chart on the Dashboard grid. Then simply navigate to the workbook icon in the top left of the dashboard on the main menu bar, which allows you to click and go to any sheet one at a time to repeat the export to crosstab file process.

1. Go through each chart on your dashboard one by one.
2. Follow the steps in Method 1 (Crosstab to Excel) or Method 2 (Export Data as a CSV File) for each one depending on if you want the visual or full report data table for each Tableau report tab.
3. You'll end up with a folder full of Excel (.xlsx) and CSV (.csv) files — one for each chart.

Part B: Consolidate Your Exports into a Single Excel Workbook

Now that you've exported each Tableau visualization as a new worksheet tab, your job is to pull a comprehensive Excel workbook together. You can even bring your charts by exporting the dashboard as an image and copying it to one of the Excel worksheets.

1. Open a new, blank workbook in Excel.
2. Open each file format (CSV or Excel) one at a time.
3. Copy the existing data sheets.
4. Paste each one into its own dedicated worksheet within your new "master" workbook.
5. Rename Excel worksheet tabs from ‘Sheet 1’ and ‘Sheet 2’ to something clearer using good labels that will make you look like a hero to your coworkers.

Although it takes some extra preparation, by the time you're done, you'll have one well-organized workbook that contains all the information you need to share and use as a comprehensive report offline.

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Final Thoughts

While Tableau doesn't provide a direct 'dashboard-to-Excel' function, exporting worksheets individually as crosstabs or as underlying data files are practical and comprehensive solutions. These methods quickly give you a complete file, so no information is skipped in report mode. They don’t require complex button combinations, and the final documents retain the existing formats, even for images.

Constantly moving data between tools can indicate unnecessary complexity. Manually exporting and consolidating data is time-consuming, and by the time you share it, the information might be outdated. However, tools like Graphed can automate much of this process. By connecting your data, whether it's in Excel or a comprehensive interactive visual, you can use human-friendly commands to build a live dashboard with fewer steps, without requiring a developer. Instead of exporting a CSV file for manual reporting work, you can invite your team to a shared live dashboard.

To learn more about using simpler report creation steps for collaboration and analysis, check us out here: Graphed！