One of the key skills you need to know in Tableau is how to save a Tableau Workbook.

When Tableau is installed on your computer, it creates a folder with everything associated with the software. This includes the fonts, the shapes, and the color palettes, as well as data sources and workbooks. By default, all workbooks will be saved to the Workbooks folder in your Tableau Repository. 

Steps on How to Save a Tableau Workbook

  1. Go up to the File menu and click Save. This will open up a Save As window.  You’ll see the path is Tableau > My Tableau Repository > Workbooks, or something very similar. 
  1. When the Save As window pops up, it will prompt you to Save As Type. The default will probably be a Tableau Workbook (.twb). If you click the down arrow next to that, you’ll see that you have another option to save it as a Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx).  This is the file type you want. 
How to Save a Tableau Workbook
  1. Name the file and save as a Tableau Packaged Workbook. 
  • What’s the difference between the two? A Tableau Workbook tends to be small. It’s simply a file that contains the views you’ve created, no data is included. Packaged workbooks contain a workbook along with any supporting local file data sources and background images. It’s basically a zip file of everything in your workbook. This format is the best way to package your work for sharing with others who don’t have access to the data. 
  • What if you just wanted to save the data that you are using and not the actual views you’ve created? In that case, at the top left, you’ll see Data, and underneath that, you’ll see the data sources in your workbook – in this case, Superstore.   
How to Save Workbook in Tableau Public
  • If you right click on that data source in the top left and select Add to Saved Data Sources, this will open up a similar window to the one above and will allow you to just save the data without the supporting visuals. You can save this to your Tableau Repository as a .tds file. This is useful when someone else wants to play with the data or you aren’t ready to share your analysis yet. 

Now that you’ve learned how to save a Tableau workbook, read our guide on Tableau Show Me. Or better yet, enroll in our individual and corporate Tableau training.