Hi Rick,

That is very curious... I do not get that message when I add a container to a dashboard.  Can you attach a packaged workbook?

Thanks,

Jenny

What version are you running?  I'm wondering if this is something that has gone away in recent releases.

Nevermind, I do see this behavior.  This only exists for floating container objects.  Fixed size objects do not get the message; I don't think you can remove the message without dropping a sheet there.  You can create a calculated field called "blank" with a calculation of an empty string ("") and place that on the Text/Label shelf by itself, and it should make the message disappear.  I've attached an example for you to look at.  Note that I also removed any borders/formatting from the sheet.

Are you using these to space something out?  I'm not sure why you'd have an empty floating container on your dashboard--can you explain?

Can you post a sample packaged workbook?  Or Screenshots at least?

Sorry, but you keep adding more details as we get deeper into this thread.  Its very difficult to help without knowing what exactly is occurring.

You can use the Superstore Sales dataset that comes with Tableau to create an example that demonstrates the issue, if your production workbook cannot be posted.

Regardless, the blank sheet added to the Container should always remove the message; I'd have to see an example with a legend alone in a container, but I imagine they treat the legend differently than a sheet with "marks" on it, so you may still need the blank sheet to remove the message.

May make a good one for the Ideas section.

Was there ever an answer to this?  I never had this problem until I upgraded to Tableau 10 and now I have the messages partially visible all on numerous dashboards that do no have empty laypout containers. 

Not sure about 'filled' container showing that message, but the solution for empty containers is to drop a Blank object into the container. It continues to have all the same properties (transparency, border formatting, etc.) but without the instruction.

You can also use empty Text objects for the same purpose.

--Shawn

It appeared in my dashboard as well with the same message ‘Hold down Shift to drop floating objects into this container’ in Blank container boxes when I opened my earlier version of workbook in Tableau 2018.2.

I had to replace old Blank boxes with new Tableau version Blank boxes in order to remove all the messages.