How to Use Containers in Tableau
If you've ever tried to build a dashboard in Tableau, you've probably faced the frustration of objects jumping around, resizing unpredictably, or just refusing to line up. The secret to creating professional, pixel-perfect, and dynamic dashboards isn't another chart type - it's mastering layout containers. This guide will walk you through exactly what containers are, why they're so powerful, and how to use them to take full control of your dashboard design.
What Exactly Are Tableau Containers?
Think of containers as invisible boxes that hold and organize your dashboard items, like worksheets, images, text boxes, and filters. Instead of letting your objects "float" anywhere on the dashboard, containers group them into a structured layout that you control. This prevents items from overlapping or shifting unexpectedly when screen sizes change or when items are hidden or shown.
There are two primary types of layout containers in Tableau:
- Horizontal Containers: These arrange items side-by-side in a row. Anything you add to a horizontal container will automatically resize to fit horizontally with the other items inside it.
- Vertical Containers: These stack items on top of one another in a column. Each new item you add will appear above or below the others in the container.
By using and even nesting these containers, you move from passively dropping charts onto a canvas to actively designing a structured, intentional user experience.
Why Bother with Containers? The Benefits of an Organized Dashboard
Using containers might seem like extra work at first, but the payoff in control and professionalism is enormous. It's the difference between a dashboard that feels cobbled together and one that feels like a polished application.
Precise Layout Control
The "floating" approach allows you to place objects anywhere using X/Y coordinates, which sounds great until you need to make one small change and it throws everything off. A "tiled" layout using containers enforces order. Objects exist in relation to each other, respecting the boundaries of their container. This means no more mysterious gaps or overlapping visuals. Everything has its place, and it stays there.
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Dynamic Showing and Hiding (The "Pop-Out" Menu)
One of the most powerful uses for containers is creating dynamic dashboards. Ever seen a dashboard where you can click a button to show or hide a set of filters? That's almost always done with a vertical container.
The basic technique involves placing your filter worksheets inside a vertical container next to your main charts. You can then use a parameter action to control the visibility of a "blank" sheet that pushes the filter container in and out of view. This design trick cleans up your interface by tucking away less frequently used controls, making the dashboard feel much more interactive and user-friendly.
Consistent Sizing and Spacing
Tired of manually adjusting the height and width of ten different objects to make them align? Containers solve this instantly. When you place multiple items inside a single container, Tableau gives you a simple option: "Distribute Contents Evenly."
With one click, every chart, legend, and filter in that container will be spaced out perfectly, either horizontally or vertically. This feature is a massive time-saver and guarantees a clean, symmetrical layout that is nearly impossible to achieve by dragging and dropping objects manually.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Containers in Tableau
Ready to build a more structured dashboard? Let’s walk through the process of using containers, starting from a blank canvas.
Step 1: Start with a Tiled Layout
By default, new dashboard objects in Tableau are set to "Tiled." This is what you want. If you’ve been using "Floating," make sure to switch this setting in the "Objects" panel on the left. A tiled layout forces objects to fit within a grid system, which is the entire point of using containers.
Step 2: Add Your First Container
From the "Objects" panel, find the "Horizontal" and "Vertical" container options. Drag one onto your empty dashboard canvas. It will automatically fill the entire space, which is exactly what should happen. This will be your primary or "parent" container that holds everything else.
For example, let's start with a Horizontal container. This means we're planning a layout with major sections placed side-by-side.
Step 3: Place Worksheets and Objects Inside the Container
Now, drag a worksheet from your list of sheets on the left. As you hover over the container, you’ll see a dark gray shaded area. This preview shows you where the object will land once you let go. Release the worksheet, and it will snap into place inside the container.
Next, drag a second worksheet into the same container. This time, as you hover, you'll see the gray shading appear either to the left or right of your first worksheet (because it's a horizontal container). Find the spot you want and release. You’ll now see both worksheets sitting perfectly side-by-side, each taking up half of the container's space.
Pro Tip: A thick blue border will appear around the container when you are successfully hovering inside it. If you don’t see that blue border, you are likely placing the object next to the container instead of in it. Watch for the blue border to confirm you're adding it correctly.
Step 4: Nest Containers for Complex Layouts
This is where the real power comes in. You can place containers inside of other containers. Let's build a common dashboard layout:
- We already have a main horizontal container with two charts side-by-side.
- Now, let's say you want to place a set of filters on the left side, stacked vertically. Drag a Vertical container from the "Objects" panel.
- Drag this new Vertical container and drop it on the left side of your main horizontal container, replacing where your first chart was. The first chart will shift to the right.
- Now you can drag your filters, one by one, into this new Vertical container. They will automatically stack on top of each other.
- Finally, you can drag that first chart back and place it within the vertical container, perhaps underneath your stack of filters.
Your layout hierarchy now looks like: a main Horizontal container holding a Vertical container (which contains filters and a chart) and a second chart next to it.
Step 5: Select and Format Your Container
Once you have objects in a container, you may need to adjust the container itself. This can be tricky, as clicking often selects the worksheet inside, not the container.
- To select a container: Single-click one of the worksheets inside it. You'll see a gray border appear around the worksheet. At the top of this border, there is a small tab. Double-click that tab to select the parent container it's sitting in. The border will now turn blue, indicating the container is selected.
- Find the menu: Once the container is selected (blue border), click the small downward arrow (caret) in its top corner to bring up the formatting menu. Here you'll find options like "Distribute Contents Evenly," "Edit Height/Width," set border and background colors, and adjust padding.
Pro Tips for Mastering Tableau Containers
Getting comfortable with containers takes a bit of practice. Here are a few tricks seasoned Tableau developers use to make the process easier.
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Use the Layout Tab
On the left-hand Dashboard pane, there is a "Layout" tab. This view is your best friend. It shows you a hierarchical tree of your dashboard objects. You can see which items are inside which containers and easily select any item — even ones that are hard to click on directly. Use this to confirm your layout structure and quickly select a hidden or stubborn container.
Color Your Borders (Temporarily!)
When you're building a complex, nested layout, it's easy to lose track of which container is which. Select a container, go to its menu, and give it a temporary, bright-colored border (e.g., bright red). This lets you instantly see its exact size and boundaries, confirming what's inside it and what isn't. Once your layout is finalized, you can just set all the borders back to "None."
Start with Blank Objects
Sometimes it's hard to visualize the space before you’ve built your charts. Drag "Blank" objects from the object panel into your containers as placeholders. This helps you build the structural frame of your dashboard first. Once you're happy with the layout of the blank boxes, you can replace each one with your actual worksheets by dragging a sheet directly on top of the blank box you want to replace.
Final Thoughts
Mastering containers in Tableau is a fundamental step toward building truly professional dashboards. It's the skill that elevates your work from a simple collection of charts to a guided, intuitive analytical application that users can navigate easily and efficiently.
Of course, becoming proficient in a tool like Tableau takes time. Spending hours arranging containers, formatting objects, and perfecting layouts is an often slow and manual part of the data analysis process. We've spent countless days clicking, dragging, and nesting objects just right and realized there had to be an easier way to get insights. That’s why we created Graphed - to eliminate the manual drudgery. Our platform allows you to just describe the dashboard you want in plain English and our AI creates it in seconds, connecting directly to your live sales and marketing data.
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