How to Group Measure Names in Tableau

Cleaning up a crowded chart in Tableau often comes down to one simple task: grouping related measures. Instead of showing ten separate bars for every metric, grouping allows you to create high-level categories like "Financial Metrics" or "Marketing Costs" for easier comparison and storytelling. This article walks you through the most practical methods for grouping Measure Names in Tableau, from simple filters to more flexible calculated fields.

Why Group Measure Names in Tableau?

Before jumping into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Grouping your measures isn't just a technical exercise, it's a strategic choice to improve your dashboards. Here are the main benefits:

• Improved Readability: A chart with a few well-defined groups is infinitely easier to read than one with a dozen individual, competing metrics. It reduces visual clutter and helps your audience focus on what's important.
• Better Comparisons: Grouping lets you perform high-level comparisons that aren't possible otherwise. You can pit "Revenue Metrics" directly against "Cost Metrics" or analyze the performance of different product categories side-by-side.
• Enhanced Storytelling: Data visualization is about telling a story. Groups create a clearer narrative. Instead of getting lost in the details of ten different ad spend numbers, your audience can quickly grasp the overall "Total Ad Spend" and how it trends over time.

Simply put, grouping turns raw data into structured information, making your visualizations more impactful and easier to understand.

Method 1: The Simple Filter Approach with ‘Measure Names’

The fastest way to create a basic "grouping" is by using Tableau’s default Measure Names and Measure Values fields. These are special, Tableau-generated fields that allow you to work with multiple measures at once. This method doesn’t create a formal group but lets a user display a curated selection of measures together.

This is perfect when you just want to isolate a few key metrics for a specific chart without creating new fields.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let's say you have a superstore dataset and you want to create a bar chart that only shows Sales, Profit, and Quantity.

1. Add Measure Names and Values to the View: In a new sheet, drag the Measure Names field from the Dimensions pane to the Columns shelf. Then, drag the Measure Values field from the Measures pane to the Rows shelf. Tableau will instantly generate a bar chart showing all the measures in your data source.
2. Filter the Measures: Your chart is likely very crowded. To fix this, find the Measure Names filter card that automatically appeared on the right side of your workspace (or drag Measure Names to the Filters shelf yourself).
3. Select Your Metrics: In the filter pop-up, click "None" to deselect all measures. Then, check the boxes only for the metrics you want to see — in this case, Sales, Profit, and Quantity. Click OK.

You now have a clean bar chart showing just your selected metrics. While you haven’t created a formal “Sales Metrics” group, you’ve effectively grouped them for this specific visualization. It's a quick and dirty way to focus your analysis.

Method 2: Creating Formal Groups with a Calculated Field

For more control and reusability, a calculated field is the best method. This approach allows you to create a brand new, permanent dimension that defines your groups. You can then use this dimension across multiple worksheets just like any other field.

We'll use a CASE statement, which is a clean and efficient way to assign measures to different categories.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let's expand on our superstore example. We want to create two distinct groups: "Financials" (containing Sales and Profit) and "Operations" (containing Quantity and Shipping Cost).

1. Create the Calculated Field

• Navigate to the top menu and select Analysis > Create Calculated Field....
• Name your new field something intuitive, like "Metric Group".
• In the formula editor, enter the following CASE statement:

CASE [Measure Names]
WHEN "Sales" THEN "Financials"
WHEN "Profit" THEN "Financials"
WHEN "Quantity" THEN "Operations"
WHEN "Shipping Cost" THEN "Operations"
ELSE "Other"
END

• This formula tells Tableau: "Look at the name of each measure. If it's 'Sales' or 'Profit', label it 'Financials'. If it's 'Quantity' or 'Shipping Cost', label it 'Operations'. Label anything else 'Other'."
• Click OK to save the calculated field. You will see "Metric Group" appear in your Dimensions pane.

2. Build the Visualization

• Now, let's use your new grouping dimension to build a chart.
• Drag Measure Names and Measure Values into the view as you did in the first method. Drag Measure Values to the Rows shelf.
• Drag your newly created "Metric Group" dimension to the Columns shelf. You'll see two columns appear: "Financials" and "Operations".
• Next, drag the Measure Names field onto the Color tile in the Marks card. This will assign a different color to each measure within your groups, making the chart easier to read.
• Crucially, you must filter your Measure Names to include only the measures you defined in your calculation (Sales, Profit, Quantity, and Shipping Cost). Otherwise, anything categorized as "Other" will clutter your chart. Drag Measure Names to the Filters shelf and select those four measures.

You should now have a stacked or grouped bar chart showing the breakdown of measures within each high-level category. This calculated field is now a permanent part of your workbook and can be reused in any sheet for consistent reporting.

Method 3: Using the 'Group' Feature Directly on Measure Names

If you prefer a more visual, less formula-driven approach, you can create a group directly from the Measure Names field. This method is intuitive and achieves a similar result to the calculated field, creating a new group field in your sidebar.

This is a great middle-ground for those who don’t want to write calculations but need a reusable group.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Once again, let's create our "Financials" and "Operations" groups.

1. Start the View: Add any dimension, like Category, to the Rows shelf. Now drag Measure Names onto the Filters shelf.
2. Select Members to Group: A dialog box will appear with a list of all measures. In this list, select Sales and Profit by holding down the Ctrl key (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking them.
3. Create the First Group: With "Sales" and "Profit" highlighted, click the Group button (it looks like a little paperclip). Tableau will bundle them together and ask you to name the group. Type "Financials".
4. Create the Second Group: Now, do the same for the other measures. Select Quantity and Shipping Cost, click Group, and name it "Operations".
5. Finalize the Group Field: Your dialog box should now show the new groups you’ve created. You can rename the field at the top if desired (e.g., to "Measure Names (Groups)"). Click OK.

After clicking OK, a new grouped dimension appears in your Data pane, named something like Measure Names (group). You can now drag this new field into your visualizations just like the calculated field you created in the previous method. For example, drag it to the Columns shelf and Measure Values to the Rows shelf to see your newly created groups compared against each other.

Tips for Better Grouping

Once you are comfortable with the mechanics, keep these best practices in mind:

• Think Logically: Create groups that make business sense. Don't just lump measures together randomly. Groupings like "Acquisition Metrics," "Conversion Metrics," and "Retention Metrics" are far more useful than "Group 1" and "Group 2".
• Use Aliases for Clarity: After creating a group, you can right-click it in the Data pane and select "Aliases" to give them more user-friendly names that will appear on your chart’s axis labels. For example, you could change "Financials" to "Key Financials ($)".
• Don't Overdo It: The purpose of grouping is simplification. If your groups are too granular or you have too many of them, you undermine the goal of creating a clean, easy-to-read visualization. Stick to a few high-level categories per chart.
• Combine with Hierarchies: For even more powerful analysis, you can place your new grouping field into a hierarchy. For instance, you could create a hierarchy where "Metric Group" is at the top level and "Measure Names" is at the second level. This would allow users to drill down from the "Financials" group to see the individual "Sales" and "Profit" figures.

Final Thoughts

Grouping measures in Tableau is an essential skill for cleaning up your dashboards and presenting data in a logical, story-driven way. By using simple filters, calculated fields with CASE statements, or the direct grouping feature, you can transform a cluttered chart into a powerful and clear visual that communicates insights effectively.

While mastering these techniques in Tableau is a great way to improve your reports, we know the learning curve and manual setup can slow you down when you need a quick answer. That’s why we built Graphed. Our platform automates this whole process. Forget writing CASE statements — just connect your data and ask in plain English, "create a chart comparing my sales and profit against quantity and shipping costs," and get a live, interactive dashboard built for you in seconds. This allows you to spend more time finding insights and less time wrestling with configurations.