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Analytics

Tableau

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Tableau is a Salesforce owned business intelligence platform that embeds dashboards and visualisations via JavaScript and iframes.

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Overview

What does Tableau do?

What is Tableau

Tableau is a leading business intelligence (BI) and data visualisation platform acquired by Salesforce in 2019. It exists in three flavours: Tableau Cloud (the SaaS option, formerly Tableau Online), Tableau Server (self hosted) and Tableau Public (the free public showcase). Dashboards are typically embedded via the Tableau Embedding API or an iframe.

What cookies and data Tableau processes

An embedded Tableau view typically writes session cookies such as workgroup_session_id, hid, tab.workgroup.preferences, an XSRF TOKEN cookie and tableau locale and accessibility preferences. Tableau receives the visitor IP address, the user agent, the embedded dashboard identifier and any interaction (filter changes, tooltip hovers). When trusted authentication is used, your application also pushes the authenticated user identity.

GDPR and ePrivacy implications

Embedding Tableau Public or Tableau Cloud on a public page writes cookies on the visitor device, so Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive requires consent. The data shown in dashboards is often personal data of customers, employees or patients; any leak through poorly filtered views constitutes a personal data breach. Behind authentication, in an internal application, contract performance applies and the cookies are strictly necessary.

Consent and legal basis

Public dashboards on a marketing site require consent before loading. Internal BI dashboards behind SSO rely on contract performance and legitimate interest, with employee information and works council involvement where applicable. Tableau Public dashboards are inherently public and you must therefore strip every personal data field before publishing.

Data transfers and hosting

Tableau Cloud is operated by Salesforce. The EU pods host data in Frankfurt and Dublin, but Salesforce Inc. is US headquartered and its support teams may access the platform from the US. Tableau Server self hosted on EU infrastructure avoids all transfers. Use the EU US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses to cover cloud transfers, and sign the Salesforce data processing addendum.

Practical compliance steps

Block embedded dashboards behind consent on public pages. Use row level security on personal data, pseudonymise customer IDs, restrict published Tableau Public dashboards to aggregated metrics, set retention on logs, and use the Tableau audit log to track who accesses which view. For Tableau Server on premises, deploy in EU datacenters and harden the configuration following the Tableau security hardening checklist.

Compliance

Tableau and the GDPR

Tableau is classified as “Analytics”. On a site that targets European visitors, it must only load after the visitor consents, and it must be listed in your cookie policy.

Legal basis
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) for public embeds; contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) for internal dashboards behind authentication
Risk level
medium
Applicable regulations
GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, EU US Data Privacy Framework

Impact assessment (DPIA)

A DPIA is recommended when Tableau dashboards expose personal data of customers, employees or patients to broad audiences, when public Tableau Public dashboards expose granular records, or when row level security is not in place.

Sample text for your banner

We use Tableau to display interactive dashboards. Tableau writes cookies on your device, may receive your IP address and the dashboard interactions, and processes data through Salesforce infrastructure in the EU and the United States. We only load the dashboard if you accept.
Cookies and trackers

What Tableau sets and contacts

Tracking method
JavaScript Embedding API and iframe embeds for dashboards and visualisations
Server location
United States (Salesforce Tableau, Seattle), with EU pods (Frankfurt, Dublin) and Tableau Server on premises
Cookieless mode available
Yes
Data transferred outside the EU
Tableau Cloud (formerly Tableau Online) is operated by Salesforce. EU pods host data in Frankfurt and Dublin but Salesforce Inc. is US headquartered and Tableau Server self hosted in the EU avoids any transfer. Cloud transfers are covered by the EU US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses.

Cookies set (4)

NameTypeDurationPurpose
workgroup_session_idthird_partysessionSession identifier for the Tableau viewer
hidthird_party30 daysPersistent visitor identifier used by Tableau Public
XSRF TOKENthird_partysessionCSRF protection token for Tableau requests
tableau_localethird_party1 yearStores the chosen interface language

Third-party domains contacted (4)

  • public.tableau.com
  • online.tableau.com
  • tableau.com
  • tableausoftware.com
Questions

Frequently asked questions about Tableau

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Which cookies does Tableau set?

An embedded Tableau view typically writes workgroup_session_id, hid, tab.workgroup.preferences, XSRF TOKEN, tableau_locale and accessibility related cookies on its own domain (public.tableau.com or 10ax.online.tableau.com for Tableau Cloud).

Is consent required to embed Tableau dashboards?

For public pages, yes. The embed loads JavaScript and writes cookies, which is governed by Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Inside an authenticated internal application, the cookies are strictly necessary and contract performance applies.

Which legal basis applies?

Consent for public embeds. Contract performance for BI dashboards behind SSO. Legitimate interest for analytics on internal product usage. Sensitive personal data (health, employee performance) needs Art. 9 GDPR coverage.

Are there transfers to the United States?

Tableau Cloud EU pods host data in Frankfurt and Dublin, but Salesforce Inc. is US headquartered. Rely on the EU US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses, sign the Salesforce data processing addendum, and consider Tableau Server on premises for highest sensitivity workloads.

Do I need a DPIA?

Recommended when dashboards expose personal data to broad audiences, when Tableau Public dashboards reveal granular records, or when row level security is not enforced.

How do I implement Tableau compliantly?

Block public embeds until consent, enforce row level security and least privilege, pseudonymise identifiers, retain audit logs, and review every Tableau Public publication for personal data leakage.

Are there alternatives to Tableau?

Power BI (Microsoft), Looker (Google), Qlik (Sweden), Metabase (EU friendly), Apache Superset, ToucanToco (France) and Lightdash. EU based options reduce transfer complexity.

How do I update my cookie policy?

List Tableau session and preference cookies in the cookie policy, with purpose and lifetime. Add a transfer paragraph for Tableau Cloud users with the EU US Data Privacy Framework reference.

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