The Tableau dashboard typically contains several worksheets sourced from the same data. A common question that arises is: can one filter control everything, or does each chart need its own filter? The answer involves two different mechanisms, and choosing the wrong one can cause the chart to "not respond" without any error message.
Two mechanisms, two tasks
Apply to Worksheets is a way to make a filter applicable across multiple worksheets. The filter remains as a filter card selected by the user from a list of values.
Filter action (created via Use as Filter or the Dashboard > Actions menu) works the opposite way: the user clicks or hovers over a mark on one chart, and then another chart adjusts accordingly. There is no filter card at all.
If your goal is "one dropdown controls all charts," what you are looking for is Apply to Worksheets. If the goal is "click one bar, and another chart displays the details," what you need is filter action.
Four options for Apply to Worksheets
The path is: right-click the field on the Filters shelf, then select Apply to Worksheets. Tableau documentation lists four options:
| Option | Applies to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All Using Related Data Sources | Worksheets whose primary data sources are related | Global in nature; also applies to new worksheets that meet the criteria |
| All Using This Data Source | Worksheets with the same primary data source as the active sheet | Global in nature; also applies to new worksheets |
| Selected Worksheets | Worksheets you check in the dialog | Only the selected sheets; existing filters on that sheet will be overridden |
| Only This Worksheet | Only the active sheet | Default for new filters |
There is a shortcut to set the entire dashboard: on the filter card menu in the dashboard, select Apply to Worksheets > Selected Worksheets, then click All on dashboard in the dialog.
Why some charts do not get filtered
The main requirement, according to Tableau documentation, is that the worksheets use the same or related data sources. Two consequences arise:
- Worksheets with unrelated data sources will not be affected. For cross-data source filtering, relationships must be defined via Data > Edit Relationships by mapping fields that share data. The field names do not have to be the same.
- Data that does not match the source field is excluded from the target worksheet, which can make the chart appear empty. This is expected behavior, not a malfunction.
Another trap: changing a global filter to local does not remove it from other worksheets. The filter becomes disconnected and local to each sheet, so you must delete or modify it one by one.
When to use filter action
Filter action offers options that filter cards do not have. The triggers can be Hover, Select, or Menu. When the selection is canceled, you determine what happens to the target chart: Leave the filter, Show all values, or Exclude all values. The last option is useful for hiding detail charts until the user selects something. If the dashboard has multiple controlling charts, add Ignore Actions to each chart to prevent them from filtering each other.
Order of selection
- One list of values for all charts with the same data: Apply to Worksheets, option All Using This Data Source.
- Only some charts should be affected: Selected Worksheets.
- Different data sources but have connecting fields: All Using Related Data Sources after relationships are defined.
- Click on a chart to detail another chart: filter action.
If you find it easier to follow the steps while watching the screen, there is a clip here.
Sources
- Tableau Help, Apply Filters to Multiple Worksheets
- Tableau Help, Filter Actions
- Tableau Help, Filter Data Across Multiple Data Sources
- Tableau Help, Actions and Dashboards