What is a Set in Tableau?

If you're looking to level up your Tableau skills, you need to get comfortable with sets. Far more than a simple filter or a group, sets are a dynamic and powerful way to isolate, compare, and analyze specific segments of your data. This article guides you through what sets are, why they’re so useful, and how you can start using them to uncover deeper insights.

What Exactly is a Tableau Set?

Think of a Tableau set as a custom field that you create to hold a specific subset of your data. Based on a dimension, a set separates the members of that dimension into two categories: those that are IN the set and those that are OUT of the set. This simple binary distinction is the source of their analytical power.

For example, you could create a set from your "Customer Name" dimension that only includes your top 10 customers by sales. Every customer is then tagged as either IN this set (one of the top 10) or OUT of the set (everyone else). You can then use this IN/OUT grouping to compare behaviors, filter views, or color charts.

Sets vs. Groups: What's the Difference?

New Tableau users often mix up sets and groups. While both are used for combining dimension members, they serve very different purposes:

• Groups are static and used for simplification. If you have multiple product names that all belong to the "Widgets" category, you can group them together. This combines them into a single "Widgets" item within that dimension. They are best for manually combining related items that don't change often.
• Sets are more dynamic and condition-based. They create an IN/OUT binary condition rather than a new dimension member. A set of "Top Customers" can automatically update every month as sales figures change, while a group of "Top Customers from Q1" would have to be manually recreated for Q2.

In short: use groups to combine static, similar members. Use sets to segment them based on quantitative conditions or for comparative analysis.

Two Types of Sets: Static and Dynamic

Tableau offers two ways to define the members of your set:

1. Static Sets

A static set is a fixed collection of members that you choose manually. The members of a static set do not change unless you go in and edit the set yourself. This is useful when you want to isolate a specific cohort that should not change, regardless of how the underlying data gets updated.

Example: Creating a set of "Campaign Focus Regions" by manually selecting five specific sales regions from a list. Even if sales in other regions surpass them later, your "Campaign Focus Regions" set will still contain only those original five.

2. Dynamic Sets

A dynamic set is where the real power lies. Here, the members are chosen automatically based on a condition or rule you define. As your data updates, the members in the set will change to reflect who or what meets that condition.

Example: Creating a set for "High-Risk Orders" where the condition is any order with a shipping delay of more than three days. Every time your data refreshes, any new orders meeting this criteria are automatically added to the set, and any that are resolved are removed.

Why Should You Use Sets in Tableau?

Creating sets gives you a flexible way to ask more sophisticated questions of your data. Instead of just looking at overall performance, you can isolate and analyze specific segments in a way that basic filters can't match.

Compare Subsets of Data (IN vs. OUT)

The IN/OUT nature of sets is perfect for comparative analysis. You can easily drag a set onto your view to compare the performance of members inside the set against those outside it. This allows you to answer questions like:

• How does sales growth from my top-performing products compare to all other products?
• Do customers acquired through Facebook ads have a higher average order value than customers from all other channels?
• Is our website's conversion rate different for mobile users versus desktop users?

Build Dynamic Visualizations and Filters

When you use a dynamic set as a filter, your dashboard automatically stays up-to-date with the latest data. A "Top 10 Products" filter based on a dynamic set will always show the current top ten, saving you from having to manually adjust a static filter every week or month.

Combine Sets to Create Complex Segments

This is one of the most powerful features. You can combine two existing sets to create a third, more specific set. There are three primary ways to combine them:

• Union: Includes all members from both Set A AND Set B.
• Intersection: Includes only the members that exist in BOTH Set A and Set B.
• Difference: Includes members from Set A that are NOT in Set B.

Imagine you have one set of "Customers who bought Product X" and another set of "Customers who used a Discount Code." By finding the intersection, you can instantly see which customers bought Product X and also used a discount - a perfect audience for a follow-up marketing campaign.

How to Create a Set in Tableau (Step-by-Step)

Getting started with sets is straightforward. Here’s a quick guide to creating both static and dynamic sets.

Method 1: Creating a Static Set

Use this method when you want to hand-pick the members of your set.

1. In the Data Pane on the left, right-click the dimension you want to build a set from (e.g., 'Product Name').
2. Select Create > Set.... This will open the Create Set dialog box.
3. A dialog box will open. Give your set a descriptive name (e.g., "End-of-Season Sale Items").
4. On the General tab, simply click on the members from the list that you want to include in your set. You can select multiple by holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac).
5. Click OK. Your new set will now appear at the bottom of the Data pane in the "Sets" section, marked with a set icon (intersecting circles).

Quick Tip: You can also create a static set directly from a visualization. Just select the marks (e.g., bars in a bar chart, dots in a scatter plot) you want to include, hover over a mark, and select the set icon in the tooltip to create a new set with those members.

Method 2: Creating a Dynamic Set

Follow these steps to create a set that updates automatically based on a rule.

1. Right-click the dimension in the Data Pane and choose Create > Set....
2. Name your set (e.g., "Customers with High Purchase Frequency").
3. Skip the "General" tab and go to either the Condition or Top tab.
4. Click OK. This set will now self-populate with any dimension members that meet your specified rule, and it will update every time your data source refreshes.

Practical Examples of Using Sets in Tableau

Let's move from theory to practice. Here are a couple of common scenarios where sets can provide valuable insights.

Example 1: Highlighting and Comparing Your Top Customers

Goal: You want to see how much revenue comes from your Top 20 customers compared to the rest of your entire customer base.

1. Create the Set: Create a dynamic set on the 'Customer Name' dimension called "Top 20 Customers by Sales" using the 'Top' tab, configured to find the top 20 by 'SUM(Sales)'.
2. Build the View:

In just a few clicks, you have a powerful visualization that might reveal your business follows the 80/20 rule - that a small group of top customers drives a huge percentage of revenue.

Example 2: Finding a Hyper-Targeted Audience with Combined Sets

Goal: A marketing team wants to launch a new luxury product and needs to target customers who have A) a high lifetime value and B) have made a purchase in the last six months.

1. Create Set #1 ("High-Value Customers"): Create a dynamic set on 'Customer Name', using the 'Top' tab to get the Top 10% of customers by SUM(Sales).
2. Create Set #2 ("Recent Customers"): Create another dynamic set on 'Customer Name', using the 'Condition' tab. The condition could be: MAX([Order Date]) >= TODAY() - 180, which finds customers whose last order date is within the last 180 days.
3. Combine the Sets:

You now have a new set, "VIP Target Audience," containing only those customers who are both high-value and recent purchasers. You can now use this set as a filter on a customer list to export it for your email campaign or analyze their unique buying habits.

Final Thoughts

Tableau sets unlock a much deeper level of data analysis, moving you beyond simple reporting into true data exploration. By learning to properly segment, compare, and combine subsets of your data, you can build dashboards that are not only more interactive but also far more insightful. Mastering them is a key step in transforming your raw data into strategic business decisions.

The goal of all data analysis is to get clear answers that drive your business forward. While learning the ins and outs of tools like Tableau is invaluable, sometimes you just need an answer fast. At Graphed, we created a way to get those answers in seconds. Instead of building sets and combining them manually, you can simply ask your question in plain English, like "Compare sales from my top 20 customers versus all other customers," and get an automated dashboard built for you instantly.