Are you as efficient as you
could be in Tableau when it comes to finding functionality?
Contributor
& Author: Tiffany Spaulding
Most of Tableau's functionality is designed for access with
Drop-Down Menus, Right Click Menus and Toolbar Buttons, but the software also
has over 250 keyboard shortcuts. Coming in from the world of architecture and
design, most of my previous software programs (AutoCAD, Illustrator, and Revit)
were heavily dependent on Keyboard Shortcuts and Hot Keys. For me, there was a
huge shift in thinking as I transitioned into the tool, having to focus heavily
on menu actions instead of coding in commands from my keyboard.
In my time working with Tableau and training new users, I have
found some really helpful keyboard shortcuts. I've honestly been surprised at
the interest level in my classes. I always poll my students to find out what
their favorite part of training was. When one of my students last week said
"CTRL + SHIFT + B," I ran over and gave them a High Five ... then decided
it was time to publish this post of my favorite efficiency increasing hot
keys.
Tableau
Specific Hot Keys/Keyboard Shortcuts:
CTRL + SHIFT +
B
In any view in Tableau, this combination allows you to increase
your row size one level at a time instead of trying to hover over the bottom of
a row, trying to align your mouse to the perfect location where you see the
double up/down arrow. Huge timesaver.To make rows skinnier, use CTRL + B.
CTRL + W
Swap all fields from columns to rows and rows to columns.
To
Windows Hot Keys/Keyboard Shortcuts That Carry Over to Tableau:
CTRL + S
Saving is a manual process as there is no auto-save or recovery
feature in Tableau.
Best practice: Anytime you have the "Wow that looks kind of cool" or
"Yes! I figured it out" moment let your fingers celebrate your
success with a CTRL + S, "Happy Dance."
CTRL + CLICK
Selects multiple fields and adds them to grouped
selections.
(Left click on Discount, then while holding CTRL on your
keyboard, click Sales. Individual fields can be selected in any order.)
SHIFT + CLICK
Select multiple fields including any members between the two
clicks.
(Left click on Discount, then while holding shift on your
keyboard, click Sales. All fields in between first and last value will be
selected.)
ALL Tableau keyboard shortcuts are listed below:
|
Description
|
Keyboard
Shortcut
|
|
|
|
Windows
|
Mac
|
|
Select
all data
|
Ctrl+A
|
Command-A
|
|
Use
Rectangular Selection tool
|
A
|
A
|
|
Lock
and Unlock Rectangular Selection tool
|
Shift+A
|
Shift-A
|
|
Smaller
cell size
|
Ctrl+B
|
Command-B
|
|
Bigger
cell size
|
Ctrl+Shift+B
|
Command-Shift-B
|
|
Copy
selected data
|
Ctrl+C
|
Command-C
|
|
Place
selected field on Columns shelf
|
Alt+Shift+C
|
Option-Shift-C
|
|
Connect
to data source
|
Ctrl+D
|
Command-D
|
|
Use
Lasso Selection Tool
|
D
|
D
|
|
Lock
and Unlock Lasso Selection Tool
|
Shift+D
|
Shift-D
|
|
Describe
sheet
|
Ctrl+E
|
Command-E
|
|
Makes
the find command in the Data pane active
|
Ctrl+F
|
Command-F
|
|
Place
selected field on Filters shelf
|
Alt+Shift+F
|
Option-Shift-F
|
|
Enter/Exit
Full Screen
|
|
Control-Command-F
|
|
Switch
in and out of Presentation Mode
|
F7 , Ctrl+H
|
Option-Return
|
|
Place
selected field on Size
|
Alt+Shift+I
|
Option-Shift-I
|
|
Flip orientation
of column labels at bottom of view
|
Ctrl+L
|
|
|
Place
selected field on Detail
|
Alt+Shift+L
|
Option-Shift-L
|
|
New
worksheet
|
Ctrl+M
|
Command-T
|
|
Turn
off and on pan and zoom in a map
|
Ctrl + M + A
|
|
|
New
workbook
|
Ctrl+N
|
Command-N
|
|
Open
file
|
Ctrl+O
|
Command-O
|
|
Place
selected field on Color
|
Alt+Shift+O
|
Option-Shift-O
|
|
Print
|
Ctrl+P
|
Command-P
|
|
Place
selected field on Pages shelf
|
Alt+Shift+P
|
Option-Shift-P
|
|
Place
selected field on Rows shelf
|
Alt+Shift+R
|
Option-Shift-R
|
|
Save
file
|
Ctrl+S
|
Command-S
|
|
Use Radial
Selection Tool
|
S
|
S
|
|
Lock
and Unlock Radial Selection Tool
|
Shift+S
|
Shift-S
|
|
Place
selected field on Shape
|
Alt+Shift+S
|
Option-Shift-S
|
|
Place
selected field on Text/Label
|
Alt+Shift+T
|
Option-Shift-T
|
|
Paste
clipboard
|
Ctrl+V
|
Command-V
|
|
Swap
rows and columns
|
Ctrl+W
|
Control-Command-W
|
|
Cut
text selection (e.g., in captions, titles, formulas, etc.)
|
Ctrl+X
|
Command-X
|
|
Place
selected field on Rows shelf
|
Alt+Shift+X
|
Option-Shift-X
|
|
Redo
|
Ctrl+Y
|
Command-Shift-Z
|
|
Place
selected field on Columns shelf
|
Alt+Shift+Y
|
Option-Shift-Y
|
|
Undo
|
Ctrl+Z
|
Command-Z
|
|
Clear
the current worksheet
|
Alt+Shift+Backspace
|
Option-Shift-Delete
|
|
Make
rows narrower
|
Ctrl+Left Arrow
|
Control-Command-Left Arrow
|
|
Make
rows wider
|
Ctrl+Right Arrow
|
Control-Command-Right Arrow
|
|
Make
columns shorter
|
Ctrl+Down Arrow
|
Control-Command-Down Arrow
|
|
Make
columns taller
|
Ctrl+Up Arrow
|
Control-Command-Up Arrow
|
|
Show
Me!
|
Ctrl+1 , Ctrl+Shift+1
|
Command-1
|
|
Add
the selected field to the sheet. Only works with a single field
|
Enter
|
Return
|
|
Opens
the Help
|
F1
|
Shift-Command-Question
Mark
|
|
Deletes
the selected sheet (on a dashboard)
|
Ctrl+F4
|
|
|
Closes
the current workbook
|
Alt+F4
|
Command-W
|
|
Starts
and stops forward playback on the pages shelf
|
F4
|
|
|
Starts
and stops backward playback on the pages shelf
|
Shift+F4
|
|
|
Refreshes
the data source
|
F5
|
Command-R
|
|
Skip
forward one page
|
Ctrl+Period
|
Command-Period
|
|
Skip
backward one page
|
Ctrl+Comma
|
Command-Comma
|
|
Cycle
forward through open worksheets
|
Ctrl+Tab , Ctrl+F6
|
Shift-Command-Close
Brace
|
|
Cycle
backward through open worksheets
|
Ctrl+Shift+Tab , Ctrl+Shift+F6
|
Shift-Command-Open
Brace
|
|
Run
update
|
F9
|
Shift-Command-0
|
|
Toggles
Automatic Updates on and off
|
F10
|
Option-Command-0
|
|
Reverts
workbook to last saved state
|
F12
|
Option-Command-E
|
|
Clears
the selection (Desktop and Reader only)
|
Esc
|
Esc
|
Navigation
and Selection Shortcuts:
In addition to the
standard keyboard shortcuts there are several key combinations that can make
navigating and selecting marks fast and easy.
|
Description
|
Keyboard/Mouse Action
|
|
|
|
Windows
|
Mac
|
|
Selects the mark
|
Click
|
Click
|
|
Selects a group of marks
|
Drag
|
Drag
|
|
Adds individual marks to the selection
|
Ctrl+Click
|
Command-Click
|
|
Adds a group of marks to the selection
|
Ctrl+Drag
|
Command-Drag
|
|
Pans around the view
|
Shift+Drag , Click and Hold+Drag
|
Shift-Drag , Click and
Hold-Drag
|
|
Zooms into a point in the view (requires zoom mode if not map)
|
Double-click , Ctrl+Shift+Click
|
Double-click , Shift-Command-Click
|
|
Zooms out from a point on a map (requires zoom mode if not
map)
|
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Click
|
Shift-Option-Command-Click
|
|
Zooms out
|
Shift+Double-click
|
Shift–Double-click
|
|
Zooms into an area in the view (requires zoom mode if not map)
|
Ctrl+Shift+Drag
|
Shift-Command-Drag
|
|
Zooms in and out on a map (Desktop and Reader only)
|
Ctrl+Scroll
|
Command-Scroll
|
|
Drags a row and scrolls through a long list simultaneously
|
Click+Drag to bottom of pane+Hold
|
Click-Scroll, Command-Hold
|
Field
Selection Shortcuts:
There are several key
and mouse combinations that can make creating a view and selecting fields fast
and easy.
|
Description
|
Keyboard/Mouse Action
|
|
|
|
Windows
|
Mac
|
|
Opens the Drop Field menu
|
Right-click+Drag to shelf
|
Option-Drag to shelf
|
|
Copies a field in the view to be placed on another shelf or
card
|
Ctrl+Drag
|
Command-Drag
|
|
Adds a field to the view
|
Double-click
|
Double-click
|