How to Connect Google Sheets to Tableau

Have you already tried Tableau? It’s one of the most powerful data platforms available. What makes it so unique is that you can use it both for data visualization and advanced analytics, unlike some other tools. You can also import data from various apps with just a couple of clicks.

In this article, we’ll show you how to connect Google Sheets to Tableau, a method you can use to add any other source as well.

Step-by-Step Guide

Before you start, you have to create a Tableau account. It’ll take you only a few minutes, as all you have to do is enter your e-mail and create a password.

We’ll now explain everything else in detail, so even those who’ve never used Tableau before won’t have any issues connecting the two tools. Here’s what you have to do:

Open Tableau and log in.
Click on Connect.
You’ll now see various options, scroll until you find Google Sheets.
Select Google Sheets.
Now, log in to your Google Sheets account.
Allow Tableau to enter your Google Sheets data.
Select a spreadsheet you want to connect to.
Click on Connect to confirm.

There you have it! You can now import data from Google Sheets to Tableau. However, if you already have more sources, it may be a good idea to customize them. You can enter a new name for each data source, so it’ll be easier to distinguish them.

Can I Connect to More Tables?

For beginners, we’ll first explain how to connect to a single spreadsheet. One table is equivalent to data from one particular spreadsheet. However, if you’ve been using Tableau for a while, you may want to access data from more tables at the same time. There’s an easy way to do so:

Open Tableau for desktop.
Click on Connect.
Select the first file you want to use and drag it to the canvas.
Select the other file you want to connect and drag it to the canvas.
Click on the Join sign.
Select the join type you prefer.
You can repeat this process for all tables you want to use.

Note: You have to click on the Join sign each time. If you don’t do so, and just drag new tables to the canvas, it might seem that they’re connected. But that’s not the case. Unless you explicitly click the Join button, other types of relationships will be formed between the files.

Join Types

There are four different join types you can use: full outer, right, left, and inner. We’ll now explain what they mean.

Full outer – By using this option, you’ll create a table that contains all elements from both tables (or more tables).
Right – It creates a table that contains all values from the right table, plus corresponding values from the left table.
Left – It creates a table that contains all values from the left table, plus corresponding values from the right table.
Inner – By using this option, you’ll create a table that contains only values that have matches in both tables.

Pricing Options

If you’re new to Tableau, you can explore the tool with a free trial that lasts 14 days. That’s more than enough time to see whether this tool can help you and whether you should purchase it. We’ll now explore various pricing options, depending on whether you’re an individual, a small team, or a big company.

If you’re a freelancer or you need Tableau for personal projects, make sure to check out Tableau Single Creator. It’s an option made for individuals, and you can subscribe for $70 per month.

On the other hand, if you’re a team, there are various options for you. Of course, we recommend that you check them all on the website to see what works for you. Everything depends on the size of the team and the type of job. But it’s good to know that not all members of the team need a Creator membership, which is the most expensive.

There are more convenient options, such as Explorer ($35 per month) or Viewer ($12 per month). These options allow you to view data, but you may not be able to use advanced analytics and similar features.

Explore

We’ve explained to you the basic principles of importing Google Sheets data and using Tableau. As you may have noticed, this tool is far more powerful, and there’s no limit to what you can do with it. Therefore, we hope you’ll not only try to use it with other data sources, but that you’ll explore all its fantastic options. The best thing is that you can try it out for free!

Have you already used any data visualization tool? Were you satisfied? What’s the most important factor when choosing this type of tool? Let us know in the comments section below.