I have a live data source connected to Tableau Desktop. This source overwrites as it is updated. Is there a way to automatically save off monthly data from Tableau? Preferably, save the charts I have built.
There are a few options to consider if you are using Tableau Server:
- REST API Export View: If you don't need interactivity, then you can automate exporting the image using the REST API. This is analogous to using the Worksheet -> Export -> Image feature in the front-end. There are other export options such as PDF and CSV. I would recommend using the Python client library over the raw REST API, but both are valid methods to export content.
- If you need interactivity, then you will need to use an extract instead of a live data source. With this, you can automate exporting the workbook using the REST API. If you want a live query for normal use, then you can duplicate the workbook, covert the data source to extract, schedule the extract refresh, and download the workbook.
- Scheduled Subscription: If you don't want to code, then you can schedule emailing an image of the view and manually save the images as needed. You could setup a dedicated shared resource mailbox and subscribe a user, typically a service account, to the schedule. This would allow you to consolidate all the subscriptions to a dedicated mailbox for future use.
- TabCmd: If you are comfortable with tabcmd, you can automate exporting to CSV, Image, and PDF.
If you are only using Tableau Desktop, then the best option may be to convert the data source to an extract, automate refreshing the extract locally with tabcmd, and save a copy of the workbook to a folder while renaming the file to include a YYYY_MM_DD in the name. This will give you a fully functional copy of the workbook.