How to Add Multiple Measure Values in Tableau

When you're building a view in Tableau, one of the most common goals is to show several different metrics side-by-side. You might want to compare sales against profit, or view traffic, conversions, and cost per acquisition all in one table. This article will show you exactly how to display multiple measure values in Tableau, from creating a simple text table to building more advanced combination charts.

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First, The Basics: Understanding Measure Names and Measure Values

Before diving into the steps, it's essential to understand two special fields that Tableau generates automatically: Measure Names and Measure Values. These fields are your keys to working with multiple measures in a single view.

• Measures: These are the quantitative, numerical fields in your data source - the things you can count, sum up, or average. Common examples include Sales, Profit, Quantity, and Website Sessions.
• Measure Values: Think of this as a special container field that holds all the measures in your data set. When you use it in a view, it displays the values of every measure.
• Measure Names: This is a related dimension that contains the names of all your measures (e.g., "Sales", "Profit", "Quantity"). It acts as a label, and you can use it to filter which measures appear in the Measure Values container.

These two fields always work together. You'll use them to tell Tableau which measures you want to show (with Measure Names) and how you want to show their values (with Measure Values).

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Method 1: Create a Text Table to Compare Multiple Measures

The most straightforward way to show multiple metrics is in a text table, also known as a crosstab. This view is perfect for providing stakeholders with a clean, at-a-glance summary of key performance indicators.

Let's use the sample "Super-Store" dataset included with Tableau to create a table that shows a breakdown of Sales, Profit, and Quantity for each product Category.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Drag a dimension to the Rows shelf. For this example, drag Category from the Data pane over to the Rows shelf.
2. Drag the Measure Values field onto the Text mark on the Marks Card. You'll notice Tableau immediately brings a list of all your measures into the view and creates a Measure Names filter on the Filters card.
3. Filter the measures you want to see. The Measure Names filter initially includes every measure. To clean this up, drag Measure Names from the Data pane directly onto the Filters card. A dialog box will appear. Deselect "All" and then check only the boxes for Sales, Profit, and Quantity. Click "OK."
4. Place Measure Names onto the Columns shelf. This final step turns your vertical list into a proper table with headers for each measure.

That's it! You should now have a simple, clean table showing your product categories in rows and the Sales, Profit, and Quantity metrics in distinct columns. You can easily re-order the columns by clicking and dragging the labels in the Measure Names filter card.

Method 2: Visualizing with a Combined-Axis Chart

Text tables are useful, but charts are better for instantly identifying trends and patterns. A combined-axis chart lets you put multiple measures onto one shared axis. This is ideal when your measures are on a similar scale (e.g., Sales and Profit, both measured in dollars).

Let's build a line chart showing how Sales and Profit trend over time.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Drag a date dimension to the Columns shelf. Let's use Order Date. Right-click the pill and change it to "Month (Continuous)" (the second month option with a green calendar icon).
2. Drag your first measure to the Rows shelf. Drag Sales up to the Rows shelf. This will create a simple line chart.
3. Drag your second measure directly onto the existing axis in the view. Grab the Profit measure and hover it over the Y-axis (the Sales axis) until you see two faint green bars appear. This tells Tableau you want to combine them. Release your mouse.
4. Tableau automatically works its magic. It replaces your SUM(Sales) pill in the Rows shelf with the Measure Values pill. It also places Measure Names onto the Color tile on the Marks Card, giving both Sales and Profit their own distinct lines. The Measure Names filter appears on the right so you can add or remove measures from this view.

Now you have a single chart showing two measures trending together, easily comparable thanks to their shared axis.

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Refining Your Combined-Axis Chart

Once you combine the axes, Tableau opens up a powerful new customization option. On the Marks Card, you'll see that Measure Values is selected and has its own individual mark type settings. You can now control the chart type for all measures at once, or control them individually.

For example, what if you wanted to see Sales as an area chart and the Profit as a line on top of it?

• On the Marks Card, under the "Measure Values" section, you currently see one card for customizing all your marks together.
• Right-click on the Measure Values pill on the Rows shelf and select "Use Separate Legends". This is the key.
• Now, back on the Marks Card, you'll see two separate mark controls: one for SUM(Sales) and one for SUM(Profit).
• Click on the SUM(Sales) card, and change its Mark Type from "Automatic (Line)" to "Area."
• Let's reorder them so the Line chart is in front. On the Rows shelf, you see the Measure Value pill. Below it you can order your Measures. Just drag Profit on top of Sales.

This level of granular control is incredibly useful for creating sophisticated, easy-to-read combo charts.

Method 3: Creating a Dual-Axis Chart for Measures with Different Scales

What if you want to compare two measures with completely different scales? For example, trying to plot Sales (in tens of thousands of dollars) on the same axis as Quantity (in single digits) would render the Quantity line almost invisibly flat. The solution is a dual-axis chart, which gives each measure its own independent axis.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Start with a simple line chart. Place Order Date (as a Continuous Month) on the Columns shelf and Sales on the Rows shelf.
2. Add the second measure to the opposite side. Drag Quantity to the right side of the canvas, opposite your existing Sales axis. When a dotted line appears, release your mouse. Tableau now creates two separate charts, one on top of the other.
3. Create the dual axis. Find the SUM(Quantity) pill on the Rows shelf, right-click it, and select Dual Axis from the dropdown menu.
4. Sync your axes (this is important!). Your two measures are now overlaid, but their 0 points might not line up, which can be misleading. Right-click on either of the Y-axes and select Synchronize Axis.

You can now customize each chart independently using the two separate cards that have appeared on your Marks Card - one for Sales, the other for Quantity. Try changing Sales to use bar charts and keeping Quantity as a line graph to get a really insightful view.

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Method 4: Building Side-by-Side Bar Charts

Finally, another common request is to create side-by-side bar charts to compare measures across a single dimension. For example, how does Sales compare against Profit for each product Sub-Category?

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Place a dimension on the Columns shelf. Drag Sub-Category to the Columns shelf.
2. Place Measure Values on the Rows shelf.
3. Change the chart type to "Bar" on the Marks Card. It should default to this, but double-check.
4. Place Measure Names onto the Color mark. This is the crucial step. It tells Tableau to create a different colored bar for each measure.
5. Filter your measures. Just as before, a Measure Names filter has been created. Drag Measure Names onto your Filters card, then select just the two you want to compare - let's pick Sales and Profit.

You now have a clustered bar chart that makes it extremely easy to compare the two metrics for each sub-category at a single glance.

Best Practices When Using Multiple Measures

• Don't Be a Vending Machine: Resist the urge to show ten different measures just because you can. Overcrowded charts are confusing and ineffective. Focus on the 2-3 key metrics that tell a story.
• Check Your Axis: Always consciously choose between a combined and dual axis. Using a dual axis for two metrics with a similar scale (like Sales and Profit) can distort the story. Use combined for similar scales, dual for disparate ones.
• Label Clearly: Use colors, tooltips, and axis titles to make it absolutely clear which line, bar, or dot represents which measure. Don't make your audience guess.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, visualizing multiple measures in Tableau is powerful once you master the use of the special Measure Names and Measure Values fields. Whether you're building a simple text table or a sophisticated dual-axis combination chart, these concepts provide the foundation for telling a comprehensive data story in a single view.

It's a foundational skill for any Tableau user, but it definitely involves multiple clicks, dragging fields to specific shelves, and configuring axes. It’s exactly this manual process of report building we set out to eliminate with Graphed. Our platform lets you connect your live data sources and creates real-time dashboards with simple, natural language prompts. Instead of thinking in terms of shelves and pills, you can just ask, "Show me a chart comparing sales and profit by product category for this quarter." If you want to spend less time building and more time analyzing, give Graphed a try and see how quickly you can get the answers you need.