How to Add Action Filter in Tableau

Building a static dashboard is one thing, but creating one that allows users to truly explore the data is where the real power of Tableau lies. Action Filters are the engine behind that interactivity, turning a simple visual report into a dynamic analytical tool. This article will guide you step-by-step through setting up and using Action Filters to make your dashboards more intuitive, engaging, and insightful.

So, What Exactly is a Tableau Action Filter?

An Action Filter is a feature in Tableau that sends information between worksheets on a dashboard. Think of it as a user-driven instruction. When a user clicks, hovers over, or selects a mark (like a bar on a bar chart or a state on a map) on one sheet, the Action Filter takes information from that selection and uses it to filter the data displayed on other sheets within the same dashboard.

For example, you could have a dashboard with two visuals:

• A map showing total sales by state.
• A bar chart showing sales by product category.

Without an Action Filter, these are just two separate charts sitting side-by-side. The bar chart shows the total product category sales across all states. But with an Action Filter, you can set it up so that when a user clicks on "California" on the map, the product category bar chart instantly updates to show sales only for California. This simple interaction lets users drill down into the data and answer their own questions without needing dozens of predefined charts or text-based filters.

The goal is to move from presenting data to creating a conversation with it. Action Filters allow users to ask "what about here?" or "how does this segment look?" just by clicking around.

Before You Begin: The Different Types of Dashboard Actions

While we're focusing on Filter Actions, it's good to know they are part of a broader family of "Actions" in Tableau that enable dashboard interactivity. The three most common types are:

• Filter: The most common type, which is what we're covering in detail. It uses data from one sheet to filter data on another.
• Highlight: This action highlights related marks on other worksheets instead of filtering them. For instance, clicking "California" on the map might dim all other states and highlight the "California" marks on other charts, showing its contribution to the whole.
• Go to URL: This powerful action lets you use data from your visualization to create and open a dynamic URL. You could click on a product name in a chart and have it open that product's page on your Shopify store, or click on a customer's location to open it in Google Maps.

Understanding these options helps you see the full creative potential of interactive dashboards, but for today, we'll master the foundational Filter Action.

Step-by-Step Guide: Building Your First Action Filter

The best way to learn is by doing. Let’s build the "Sales by State" scenario we described earlier. We will create an action that filters a product category bar chart when we click on a state in a map visual.

Step 1: Build Your Source and Target Worksheets

Before you can add an action, you need the worksheets that will interact with each other. For this example, you'll need two separate worksheets created in Tableau:

1. The Source Sheet (The Map): This is the sheet users will interact with. Let's call it "Sales Map." Using Tableau's sample Superstore dataset, you can create this by placing the State dimension on Detail in the Marks card and the Sales measure on Color. This will generate a choropleth map where states are colored based on their sales volume.
2. The Target Sheet (The Bar Chart): This is the sheet that will get filtered. Let's name this one "Sales by Category." Create a simple bar chart by putting the Category dimension on Rows and the SUM(Sales) measure on Columns.

At this point, you have two independent worksheets. One shows sales across states, and the other shows sales across all categories.

Step 2: Assemble Your Dashboard

Actions only work at the Dashboard level, where multiple worksheets can "talk" to each other.

• Create a new Dashboard.
• Drag both of your worksheets ("Sales Map" and "Sales by Category") onto the dashboard canvas. Arrange them however you like – perhaps with the map on top and the bar chart below it.

Step 3: Open the 'Actions' Menu

With your dashboard view open, it’s time to create the connection. Navigate to the top menu bar and click:

Dashboard > Actions...

A new window called "Actions" will pop up. This is where you manage all the interactive elements for your dashboard. Since we haven't created any yet, it will be empty.

Step 4: Configure the Filter Action

Now, let's configure the action that will link our two visuals.

1. In the "Actions" window, click the Add Action > button and select Filter... from the dropdown menu. This opens the "Add Filter Action" configuration dialog. This screen might look intimidating at first, but each section serves a specific and logical purpose.
2. Name the Action: The first text box lets you name your action. It’s a good practice to give it a descriptive name, like "Filter Categories by State." This is especially helpful when you have multiple actions on a single dashboard, as it makes them easier to manage and debug.
3. Configure the Source Sheets: This section tells Tableau which sheet will trigger the action.
4. Set the 'Run Action on': This crucial setting defines how the user's interaction triggers the filter. You have three choices:
5. Define the Target Sheets: Here, you specify which sheet(s) will be affected (i.e., filtered) by the action.
6. Choose 'Clearing the selection will': This option dictates what happens when the user clicks away from their selection on the source sheet. This is very important for user experience.
7. Specify the Filter: Lastly, you can fine-tune which fields are being used to filter. By default, it’s set to “All Fields.” This means Tableau will try to match all common dimensions between the source and target sheets. Usually, this works fine. But for more control, you could choose "Selected Fields" and explicitly tell Tableau to filter only on the State field. For our example, "All Fields" is perfect.

Click OK to close the "Add Filter Action" dialog, and then click OK again to close the "Actions" window.

Step 5: Test and Refine Your Interactive Filter

Your action is now live! It's time to test it out on the dashboard.

• Click on a state on your "Sales Map," like "Texas."
• Watch the "Sales by Category" bar chart. It should immediately update, showing only the sales figures for Technology, Office Supplies, and Furniture within Texas.
• Now, click on the empty white space on the map or click 'Esc' on your keyboard. Because you chose "Show all values" for clearing the selection, the bar chart should revert to showing the total sales across all states.

Congratulations! You’ve just built an interactive dashboard component. You can continue this process by adding more charts and more actions to guide your audience through a rich data story.

Pro Tips for Better Dashboard Actions

Building an action is a great first step. Creating an intuitive user experience with that action is the next level.

Think About Usability

Always put yourself in the shoes of your end-user. Does running the action on Hover feel snappy, or is it distracting? Is it obvious how to get back to the main view? Little details, like using "Show all values" when clearing the selection, can make a huge difference in how user-friendly your dashboard feels.

Use Actions for Guided Analytics

Action Filters don't have to be limited to a single level. You can create a "cascade" where one action leads to another. For instance:

A user clicks a Region > the States within that region are shown > the user clicks a State > the Cities within that state are shown > user clicks a City > the individual orders for that city are listed.

This creates a powerful "drill-down" path that guides users from a high-level overview to granular details, all within one dashboard.

Create a "Reset Filter" Button

Sometimes, leaving the filter active after deselection is necessary, but users get stuck. To solve this, you can create a simple "Reset" button. This is done by creating a new worksheet with a single calculated field (e.g., a field containing the string "Reset All Filters") placed on Text. Add this small worksheet to your dashboard. Then, create a new Filter Action where this "Reset" worksheet is the source and ALL other sheets are the targets. In the "Target Filters" section, select a field that doesn't exist in the source sheet, which effectively sends a null filter and resets all views to their defaults.

Final Thoughts

Tableau Action Filters are the key to unlocking true interactivity and creating dashboards that feel more like applications than static reports. By carefully linking worksheets, you empower users to follow their curiosity, discover their own insights, and engage with data on a much deeper level than a simple chart could ever allow.

While mastering the intricacies of tools like Tableau can take time, the ability to create dynamic reports is essential. We built Graphed because we believe getting answers from your data shouldn't require a steep learning curve. Instead of manually configuring complex actions, you can simply connect your data sources and ask questions in plain English - like "create a dashboard comparing sales by state and product category." Graphed instantly builds the interactive visual for you, turning hours of configuration into a 30-second conversation and letting you focus on the insights, not just the setup.