Tableau Cloud Integration

This integration is ideal for organisations that use Tableau as their primary data visualization platform and want to automate data sharing with ClearGrid without manual exports.

Overview

With Tableau Cloud integration, ClearGrid can:

  • Automatically extract data from Tableau Cloud views and workbooks

  • Access published data sources and dashboards

  • Authenticate securely using Personal Access Tokens (PATs)

  • Maintain continuous data synchronization

  • Preserve your existing Tableau workflows and permissions


Prerequisites

Technical Requirements

  • Active Tableau Cloud subscription

  • Administrative access to your Tableau Cloud site

  • Published views and workbooks containing the required data

  • Knowledge of your Tableau data structure

Organizational Requirements

  • Approval for creating Personal Access Tokens (PATs)

  • Alignment with internal compliance and data-sharing policies

  • Coordination with IT security teams for token management


Setup Process

Step 1: Verify Data Availability

  • Ensure all required data is published and accessible in Tableau Cloud

  • Confirm data refresh schedules and validate data quality

Step 2: Create a Personal Access Token (PAT)

  • Navigate to your Tableau Cloud account settings → Personal Access Tokens

  • Create a new token:

    • Name: “ClearGrid Integration Token”

    • Expiration: Recommended 1 year

    • Scope: Read access to required content only

  • Copy and securely store the token (it cannot be viewed again)

Step 3: Configure Site Access

  • Gather required site details: Site URL, Site ID, Content URL

  • Ensure the PAT user has read access to all required views and workbooks

Step 4: Identify Content for Integration

  • Locate View IDs, Workbook IDs, and Project locations

  • Map Tableau fields to ClearGrid’s required fields

  • Confirm data types and formats


Technical Implementation

Authentication

  • Uses Tableau REST API v3.21

  • Secure token-based authentication with automatic session handling

  • Endpoint: POST /api/{api-version}/auth/signin

Data Extraction

  • Content discovery: list available views/workbooks

  • Data retrieval via Crosstab Excel download

    • Endpoint: GET /api/{api-version}/sites/{site-id}/views/{view-id}/crosstab/excel

  • Data validation and processing through ClearGrid ingestion pipelines

Required Data Fields

Minimum:

  • Account ID

  • Customer name

  • Outstanding balance

  • Contact details (email/phone)

Optional:

  • Date of birth, National ID, Loan type, Due dates, Payment history, Address


Security

ClearGrid ensures enterprise-grade security throughout integration:

  • Authentication: PAT encryption, TLS 1.2+, rotation policies

  • Access Control: Read-only scope, least privilege principle

  • Data Protection: Encrypted transfer, no intermediate storage

  • Compliance: GDPR alignment, audit logging, secure credential management


Scheduling & Processing

  • Daily, weekly, on-demand, or custom schedules

  • Incremental updates are supported for efficiency

  • Automatic retries for failed extractions

  • Error notifications and validation checks


Monitoring & Maintenance

  • Real-time health checks for connectivity and data freshness

  • Alerts for authentication failures, token expiry, and extraction errors

  • Proactive monitoring of extraction times and volumes

  • Regular PAT rotation and permissions review


Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Authentication: Check PAT validity and user permissions

  • Extraction: Confirm views are published and accessible

  • Performance: Optimize large dataset extraction, manage concurrent usage

Escalation

  • Gather error messages, PAT status, and view/workbook IDs

  • Contact ClearGrid support for integration issues

  • Contact Tableau support if the issue is platform-related


Best Practices

Security

  • Store PATs securely and rotate regularly

  • Use minimal permissions for integration accounts

Performance

  • Schedule extraction in line with Tableau refresh cycles

  • Use incremental updates where possible

Data Quality

  • Validate source data before extraction

  • Maintain consistent formatting (dates in DD/MM/YYYY, UTF-8 text, phone numbers with country codes)


Tableau Resources

  • REST API Reference

  • PAT management guide

  • Security and performance best practices

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