How to Extract Tableau Data into Excel

Need to get your Tableau data into an Excel spreadsheet? You're not alone. This is one of the most common tasks for data analysts, marketers, and business users who need to perform ad-hoc analysis, share insights with colleagues who don't have Tableau, or simply prefer working in a familiar spreadsheet environment. This guide will walk you through the different ways to export data from Tableau into Excel, from simple one-click views to the detailed underlying data.

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Why Export Tableau Data to Excel?

While Tableau is a phenomenal tool for interactive data visualization, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to pull that data back out into a spreadsheet. Understanding your goal will help you choose the right export method.

• Sharing with Non-Tableau Users: The most common reason. Your boss, a client, or a team member in another department might not have a Tableau license or know how to use it. Sending them an Excel file is a universally understood way to share data.
• Custom Calculations and Modeling: Sometimes, you need to perform complex calculations, create a forecast model, or run specific business logic that’s just easier or faster to implement in Excel.
• Ad-Hoc Analysis: You may want to quickly manipulate, sort, or pivot the data in a way that would be cumbersome to build out as a new visualization in Tableau, especially for a one-off request.
• Creating Static Reports: Tableau dashboards are dynamic, but sometimes you need a static snapshot of the data for a specific point in time - for example, for a monthly or quarterly report.
• Integrating with Other Systems: Many other applications, particularly finance or legacy systems, use .csv or .xlsx files as a primary way to import data.

Method 1: Exporting a Worksheet View Using Crosstab to Excel

This is the fastest and most common method. The "Crosstab to Excel" feature exports the data exactly as you see it in your Tableau worksheet view. Think of it as a You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) export. If your view is a table of "Sales by Region," you’ll get an Excel file with that exact table. This is perfect for creating quick, summary-level reports.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Navigate to the Desired Worksheet: Open your Tableau workbook and go to the specific sheet containing the data visualization or table you want to export.
2. Go to the Export Menu: At the top menu bar, click on Worksheet.
3. Select Export > Crosstab to Excel: In the dropdown menu, hover over Export and then click on Crosstab to Excel. Tip: The keyboard shortcut for this in Windows is CTRL + C on the worksheet and CTRL + V on Excel.
4. Save the File: Tableau will immediately prompt you to save the file. Choose a location, give it a name, and click Save. The file will be saved as an .xlsx file and will likely open automatically in Excel.

When to Use This Method:

Use "Crosstab to Excel" when the aggregated view in your Tableau worksheet is exactly what the end-user needs. For example, if your manager asks for a simple pivot table showing website traffic by source for the last month, and you already have that view built in Tableau, this method is ideal.

Method 2: Exporting the Underlying Data

What if you don't want the summary table? What if you want the raw, row-level data that makes up a mark on your chart? For example, if a bar chart shows you have 5,000 visitors from California, exporting the underlying data will give you the 5,000 individual rows that represent each of those visitors (depending on your data's level of detail). This is incredibly powerful for deep-dive analysis.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Select a Worksheet or Marks: Open the worksheet you're interested in. You can either export the data for the entire sheet or click on a specific data point (like a single bar in a bar chart or a point on a line graph) to export the data just for that selection.
2. Open the View Data Window: There are two easy ways to do this:
3. Explore the View Data Window: A new window will pop up. At the top of this window, you will see two tabs:
4. Export All Data: Click the Export All button. Tableau will prompt you to save the file. Give it a name and an easy-to-find location. This file will be saved as a .csv (Comma Separated Values) file, which opens flawlessly in Excel.

When to Use This Method:

Use this method when you need to audit your numbers, perform a detailed analysis on the raw transactions, or provide a dataset for someone else to analyze. It's the best way to get from a high-level visual insight to the granular details behind it.

Method 3: Exporting Data from a Dashboard

Exporting data from a dashboard is slightly different because a dashboard is simply a collection of individual worksheets. You cannot export the data from all worksheets at once. Instead, you must select the specific sheet within the dashboard you want data from.

How it Works in Tableau Desktop and Server

The process differs slightly depending on whether you are using Tableau Desktop or accessing a dashboard published on Tableau Server/Cloud.

Actionable advice for Tableau Desktop:

1. Click on the Target Worksheet: On your dashboard, click once on the specific chart or table you want to get data from. This will select it, often showing a grey border around it.
2. Use the Top Menu: Once the worksheet object is selected, go to the top menu and click Worksheet > Export. You will see the same familiar options: Crosstab to Excel or Data...
3. Choose Your Method: Select the export method that fits your needs and follow the steps outlined in Method 1 or Method 2.

In Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud:

1. Select the Worksheet Again: Click the specific worksheet within the published dashboard that you want to export.
2. Click the "Download" Button: Look for the Download button, which is usually located in the top-right toolbar of the dashboard view.
3. Select Your Format: After clicking Download, a drop-down menu will appear with several options. Choose either Data or Crosstab.

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Best Practices for a Smooth Export

Exporting data is usually simple, but a few tips can save you headaches, especially when dealing with large or complex datasets.

• Check Your Filters First: Exports are only as good as the data being displayed. Tableau will only export the data that matches your current filter settings. Before you export, double-check all your filters (on the worksheet, in the dashboard, or applied as context filters) to ensure you are pulling the slice of data you actually need.
• Be Mindful of an Export’s Size: Trying to export millions of rows of "full data" can be very slow and may cause Tableau Desktop to become unresponsive. If you need to perform analysis on a massive dataset, using Tableau as an export tool may not be the most efficient method. Consider connecting Excel or another tool directly to the original data source (e.g., your SQL database).
• Understand the Difference: Remember the core difference between the two main methods. Use Crosstab to Excel for a WYSIWYG, presentation-ready summary. Use Export Data for the granular, raw records needed for deep-dive analysis.
• Note the Stripped Analytics Formatting: The beautiful colors, custom fonts, and conditional formatting you have in Tableau will not transfer to Excel. Exports are purely about the data, not the design. You'll need to re-apply any necessary formatting within Excel itself.

Final Thoughts

Getting your data out of Tableau and into Excel is a critical skill for sharing and extending data analysis capabilities. Mastering the different export methods, like using Crosstab for a quick summary or viewing full data for detailed records, ensures you can deliver the right information in the right format for any colleague or task.

Of course, this regular, manual routine of exporting data from various platforms just to wrangle it in a spreadsheet is a massive time-sink. We understand this well, which is why we built Graphed to streamline this entire reporting process. Instead of constant CSV exports, you can connect your data sources directly to create live, interactive dashboards using simple, natural language. If you find yourself in a recurring cycle of exporting from platforms every week, you should try Graphed. Graphed may just automate the work away so you get precious hours back into your day.