Tableau is a Business Intelligence tool leveraged by organizations to visualize and gain insights from their data. Tableau is known in the community as a leader in Analytics with a platform that is easy to use and offers countless integrations.
Webhooks are automated messages sent from Apps when any event/thing happens. They deliver a Message or Payload to a certain URL, which is the App’s phone number or location. Webhooks are almost always faster than polling and require less effort on your part.
In this in-depth article, you will get to know about Tableau Webhooks Integration, along with the considerations you should have in mind during the process and the main challenges you might come across while integrating them.
Table of Contents
What is Tableau?
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Christian Chabot, Pat Hanrahan, and Chris Stolte founded Tableau in 2003 as a Business Intelligence and Data Visualization platform. It became extremely well-known because every firm needed to get critical insights from a variety of data sources while also collaborating with all of the company’s personnel. Visualization is a fantastic way to examine massive volumes of data, and Tableau delivers exactly that.
Tableau has assisted a variety of companies in reducing processing time and making their businesses more data-driven while ensuring flexibility, security, and dependability throughout their workflows.
Key Features of Tableau
- Tableau allows you to ask questions about your data using natural language.
- It links to both On-Premises and Cloud-Based Data.
- It links to any Cloud-based database application, including Salesforce and Google Analytics, as well as SQL-based databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, etc).
- Tableau features a drag-and-drop mechanism that is simple to use.
- Tableau makes it simple to mix data from several sources.
- Tableau offers a variety of visualization methods for exploring and discovering Data Trends.
- Tableau allows you to create Interactive Dashboards and share them with people inside and outside your company.
For further information on Tableau, check out the official website here.
What is Webhooks?
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Polling and Webhooks are two ways for your Apps to communicate with each other and share information. Polling is like knocking on your friend’s door and asking if they have any sugar (aka information), but you have to go and ask for it every time you want it. Webhooks are like having them throw a bag of sugar at your door every time they buy some. You don’t even have to ask; they just hand it over whenever it’s available.
When something happens, Webhooks send automated messages from Apps. They send a Message or Payload to a unique URL, which is effectively the App’s phone number or address. Webhooks are mostly always faster and take less effort on your part than polling.
Why do you need Tableau Webhook Integration?
Tableau Webhooks enables you to build custom applications or workflows based on the tableau outcomes. With Tableau Webhooks you can send text messages or Slack notifications whenever a data source refresh fails, or when a new workbook is created. You will receive a notification when your workbook is updated. Tableau Webhooks can also be used when a data source is published, email a data steward asking them to review and certify it.
Method 1: Manually Setting up Tableau Webhooks Integration using APIs
A large investment in the engineering team would be needed for this approach. Your engineers would need to understand Tableau Webhooks and might need to build a custom API.
Method 2: Using Hevo Data to Set up Tableau Webhooks Integration
Hevo Data provides a hassle-free solution and helps you directly transfer data from Tableau Webhooks and numerous other Databases/Data Warehouses or destinations of your choice instantly without having to write any code. Hevo comes with a graphical interface that allows you to configure your source and load data in real-time. Hevo is fully managed and completely automates the process of not only loading data from your desired source but also enriching the data and transforming it into an analysis-ready form without having to write a single line of code.
Hevo’s pre-built with 100+ data sources (including 40+ free data sources) will take full charge of the data transfer process, allowing you to focus on key business activities.
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Methods to Set up Tableau Webhooks Integration
Method 1: Manually Setting up Tableau Webhooks Integration using APIs
Step 1: Install API Library
Navigate to the user page after logging in to your Tableau Website. Scroll down to Personal Access Tokens in the settings menu. Select the Create New Token option and give your token a name. Copy this Token Name and use it to establish an environment variable for further customizations.
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Now, install the API library in your environment. For installing API library in Python environment, you can use the following code:
Step 2: Familiarize with Webhooks Events and Methods
According to Tableau’s documentation, Webhooks support the following events:
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Tableau Server’s Webhook endpoints can be easily controlled using the tableau-api-lib Webhook methods. These are some of the methods:
- create_webhook
- query_webhook
- query_webhooks
- test_webhook
- delete_webhook
You’ll need to give the Webhook a Name, offer a Valid Source API Event Name, and specify a URL where the Webhook’s payload will be delivered whenever our specified event occurs when creating a Webhook.
Step 3: Creating Webhooks
It’s time to start creating Webhooks. You will understand the whole code for two of the Webhooks here, and you’ll have to build the others on your own.
A) When a Data Source Refresh Begins, a Webhook is Triggered
Code:
response = conn.create_webhook(
webhook_name='webhook_datasource_refresh_started',
webhook_source_api_event_name='webhook-source-event-datasource-refresh-started',
url='https://webhook.site/<YOUR_STUFF_GOES_HERE>')
After sending the request to generate the Webhook, you will receive the following response from Tableau Server:
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When anyone triggers a Data Source refresh, the Webhook will send a Payload to the URL you specified while creating it.
B) When a Data Source Refresh Succeeds, a Webhook is Triggered
Another example of a Webhook is this one, where it will be triggered when a Data Source refresh is successful. Notice how the settings for ‘webhook_source_api_event_name‘ match the event names listed in Tableau’s Webhook event documentation.
Code:
response = conn.create_webhook(
webhook_name='webhook_datasource_refresh_succeeded',
webhook_source_api_event_name='webhook-source-event-datasource-refresh-succeeded',
url='https://webhook.site/<YOUR_STUFF_GOES_HERE>')
That Webhook’s answer is pretty much the same as before:
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Step 4: Verifying if Webhook is Working
You need to run a Data Source Refresh from Tableau Server setup to make sure the Webhooks are working as they should. You can visit the destination URL and validate that the Webhook is transmitting its payload after you start the Refresh:
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Limitations of Setting up Tableau Webhooks Integration Manually
- Using this method requires you to make API Calls and Code Custom Workflow. Hence, it requires strong technical knowledge. Also, it is very time-consuming.
- Updating the Existing API calls and Managing Workflow requires immense engineering bandwidth, and hence can be a pain point for many users.
- Since, all the APIs might not be provided in the API library, for unlisted events to take place, new triggers need to be made. Hence, APIs need to be made and set up for every unlisted Event.
Method 2: Using Hevo Data to Set up Tableau Webhooks Integration
Source: Self
Hevo is a No-code Data Pipeline. It supports pre-built data integrations from 100+ data sources. Hevo offers a fully managed solution / fully automated pipeline to set up Tableau Webhook Integration and will let you directly load data. It will automate your data flow in minutes without writing any line of code. Its fault-tolerant architecture makes sure that your data is secure and consistent. Hevo provides you with a truly efficient and fully automated solution to manage data in real-time and always have analysis-ready data at Tableau.
Sign up here for a 14-Day Free Trial!
Hevo focuses on three simple steps to get you started
- Connect: Connect Hevo with Webhooks and various other data sources by simply logging in with your credentials.
- Integrate: Consolidate your data from several sources in Hevo’s Google BigQuery-powered Managed Data Warehouse and automatically transform it into an analysis-ready form.
- Visualize: Connect Hevo with your desired BI tool such as Tableau and easily visualize your unified data to gain better insights.
As can be seen, you are simply required to enter the corresponding credentials to implement this fully automated data pipeline without using any code.
Let’s look at some salient features of Hevo
- Fully Managed: It requires no management and maintenance as Hevo is a fully automated platform.
- Data Transformation: It provides a simple interface to perfect, modify, and enrich the data you want to transfer.
- Real-Time: Hevo offers real-time data migration. So, your data is always ready for analysis.
- Schema Management: Hevo can automatically detect the schema of the incoming data and maps it to the destination schema.
- Live Monitoring: Advanced monitoring gives you a one-stop view to watch all the activities that occur within pipelines.
- Live Support: Hevo team is available round the clock to extend exceptional support to its customers through chat, email, and support calls.
Explore more about Hevo by signing up for a 14-day free trial today.
What events in Tableau Server/Online can be used with webhooks?
Trigger Events
The following trigger events are supported in the tableau:
event Name | webhook-source Name |
|---|
| DatasourceRefreshStarted | webhook-source-event-datasource-refresh-started |
| DatasourceRefreshSucceeded | webhook-source-event-datasource-refresh-succeeded |
| DatasourceRefreshFailed | webhook-source-event-datasource-refresh-failed |
| DatasourceUpdated | webhook-source-event-datasource-updated |
| DatasourceCreated | webhook-source-event-datasource-created |
| DatasourceDeleted | webhook-source-event-datasource-deleted |
| WorkbookUpdated | webhook-source-event-workbook-updated |
| WorkbookCreated | webhook-source-event-workbook-created |
| WorkbookDeleted | webhook-source-event-workbook-deleted |
| WorkbookRefreshStarted | webhook-source-event-workbook-refresh-started |
| WorkbookRefreshSucceeded | webhook-source-event-workbook-refresh-succeeded |
| WorkbookRefreshFailed | webhook-source-event-workbook-refresh-failed |
| AdminPromoted | webhook-event-user-promoted-admin |
| AdminDemoted | webhook-event-user-demoted-admin |
Table Source: help.tableau.com/Datasource Events
Datasource events of payloads are the same:
{
"resource":"DATASOURCE",
"event_type":"DatasourceCreated",
"resource_name":"My Datasource",
"site_luid":"8b2a95d8-52b9-40a4-8712-cd6da771bd1b",
"resource_luid":"99",
"created_at":"2018-11-15T17:14:45Z"
}
| Field | Description |
|---|
| resource | Will always be “DATASOURCE” for datasource events. |
| event_type | Type of event that occurred. Can be DatasourceRefreshStarted, DatasourceRefreshSucceeded, DatasourceRefreshFailed, DatasourceCreated, DatasourceDeleted, or DatasourceUpdated. |
| resource_name | Name of the datasource in question. |
| site_luid | LUID for the site that contains the datasource. |
| resource_luid | The datasource ID. |
Table Source: help.tableau.com/Workbook Events
The payloads for the workbook events (created, deleted, updated) are the same:
{
"resource":"WORKBOOK",
"event_type":"WorkbookCreated",
"resource_name":"My Workbook",
"site_luid":"8b2a95d8-52b9-40a4-8712-cd6da771bd1b",
"resource_luid":"99",
"created_at":"2018-11-15T17:14:45Z"
}
| Field | Description |
|---|
| resource | Will always be “WORKBOOK” for workbook events. |
| event_type | Type of event that occurred. Can be WorkbookRefreshStarted, WorkbookRefreshSucceeded, and WorkbookRefreshFailed. |
| resource_name | Name of the workbook in question. |
| site_luid | LUID for the site that contains the workbook. |
| resource_luid | The workbook ID. |
Table Source: help.tableau.com/User Events
The payloads for the user events (AdminPromoted and AdminDemoted) are the same:
{
"resource":"USER",
"event_type":"AdminPromoted",
"resource_name":"Test user",
"site_luid":"8b2a95d8-52b9-40a4-8712-cd6da771bd1b",
"resource_luid":"25",
"created_at":"2018-11-15T17:14:45Z"
}
| Field | Description |
|---|
| resource | Will always be “USER” for user events. |
| event_type | Type of event that occurred. Can be AdminPromoted or AdminDemoted. |
| resource_name | Name of the user. |
| site_luid | LUID for the site that the user has permission to. |
| resource_luid | The user ID. |
Table Source: help.tableau.com/Conclusion
As organizations expand their businesses, managing large volumes of data becomes crucial for achieving the desired efficiency. Tableau Webhooks Integration powers stakeholders and management to collaborate their workflow and build a quality product, meeting the requirements with ease. In case you want to export data from a source of your choice such as Webhooks into your desired Database/destination then Hevo Data is the right choice for you!
Visit our Website to Explore Hevo
Hevo Data provides its users with a simpler platform for integrating data from 100+ sources for Analysis. It is a No-code Data Pipeline that can help you combine data from multiple sources. You can use it to transfer data from multiple data sources into your Data Warehouses, Database, or a destination of your choice. It provides you with a consistent and reliable solution to managing data in real-time, ensuring that you always have Analysis-ready data in your desired destination.
Want to take Hevo for a spin? Sign Up for a 14-day free trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite first hand. You can also have a look at our unbeatable pricing that will help you choose the right plan for your business needs!
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Harsh comes with experience in performing research analysis who has a passion for data, software architecture, and writing technical content. He has written more than 100 articles on data integration and infrastructure.